Region | Lebanon
Lebanon sectarian wounds deepen
Prospect of more conflict seems greater than reconciliation after Hezbollah's brief beirut takeover
- Reuters
- Published: 00:03 May 13, 2008
- A Sunni fighter talks to journalists during clashes on a street in Tripoli.
- Image Credit: Reuters
Beirut : Hezbollah's whirlwind takeover of Beirut was brief but it could take years to repair the damage this show of force did to relations between Sunnis and Shiites in the capital.
"Things will never be the same again," said Ahmad, describing how gunmen held a rifle to his brother's head during the takeover by Hezbollah and Amal - Shiite factions whose fighters swept through the capital on Thursday and Friday.
Their main targets were offices of the Future group - the political faction of governing coalition leader Sa'ad Hariri, who draws most of his support from the Sunni community.
Ahmad, a Sunni, had been visiting a friend when gunmen stormed the building and destroyed his car, parked below. His brother had been at home when the gunmen threatened him.
"I've never supported any politician. I always cursed them all," said Ahmad, who lives in one of many Beirut districts where residents fear that years of Sunni-Shiite coexistence has been damaged.
Some gunmen were from the same area, he said, showing photos he had taken on a mobile phone of his car, its windows smashed, and other vandalised cars.
Acts of revenge were a certainty. "Not by me, but I know a lot of guys who will seek revenge," he said, describing how the gunmen had shouted sectarian abuse during their attack.
The prospect of Sunni-Shiite strife was one reason Hezbollah had been hesitant to turn its powerful arsenal against Lebanese political foes.
Hassan Nasrallah, Hez-bollah leader, in a speech that appeared to be the signal for fighters to take control of the mainly Muslim western half of Beirut, Nasrallah stated confidently that such a conflict would not happen. "There will not be sectarian Sunni-Shiite strife in Lebanon," said Nasrallah.
'Situation like hot coals'
Hezbollah leads an opposition coalition that includes Sunni politicians and clerics and is allied with two of Lebanon's myriad Christian factions.
Omar Karami, one of Hezbollah's most prominent Sunni allies, said the government was responsible for the escalation because of decisions taken against the group and which it saw as a declaration of war. But even Karami, a former prime minister, acknowledged the sectarian cost of what had happened in a country where politics and religious identity are inescapably bound together by a sectarian power-sharing system. "What happened in Beirut was a humiliation for the Sunni sect" that had "caused a deep wound", he said. "We have to raise the awareness of people from all sects so we can restore unity."
In Mazraa, one of the Beirut districts where Sunnis and Shiite clashed last week, the prospect of more conflict seems greater than reconciliation.
A Sunni community loyal to Hariri is divided by a main road from a Shiite area controlled by the Amal movement. The army, which deployed across Beirut after Hezbollah fighters left the streets, is tasked with keeping them apart.
Even if their rhetoric is defiant, Sunnis who took part in the fighting admit Hezbollah and its allies scored a victory. "Say for example we gave up five of our guns to the army. We still have 40," one Hariri loyalist said. "The situation is like hot coals - just blow and it will ignite."
Share this article
Related Articles
-
Lebanese ruling coalition denounces 'coup'
Lebanese ruling coalition denounces Hezbollah 'coup'
-
Lebanese Army ends Lebanon unrest
Lebanese Army overturns measures against Hezbollah
-
About 200 UAE citizens evacuated
About 200 UAE citizens evacuated from Lebanon
-
Siniora calls on army to restore order
Siniora calls on army to restore order
-
New crisis threatens top priority of Bush in region
New crisis threatens top priority of Bush in region
-
Lebanese troops patrol Beirut
Lebanese troops deploy in Tripoli where fresh clashes have erupted
-
Israel won't interfere in Lebanon
Israel says it won't interfere in Lebanon
-
Pope to Lebanon: Find compromise
Pope Benedict urges Lebanon to find compromise
-
No one can disarm Hezbollah
No one can disarm Hezbollah
-
A clash of interests
A clash of interests
Popular in News
News Editor's choice
-
Philippine massacre probe focuses on Arroyo ally
Arroyo vows justice for the victims and declares a national day of mourning
-
Italian PM gets 'Rockstar of the Year' title
Magazine hails Berlusconi's lifestyle
-
What drives Africa's new kind of refugees?
Warming-driven factors have led many in the continent to flee their homes
