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Originally Posted by Freethinker  I’m really interested in getting some perspectives on this defining element of Lebanese culture: Sectarian identity. I don’t mean political here, I mean social and individual identity. Even though it’s a sociologically fascinating topic, I haven’t seen a lot of discussion on it in this forum.
So why do Lebanese identify so much with their sectarian identity?
It’s not about faith or religious dogma. I never hear anyone in Lebanon say things like: The issue of the transfiguration of the wine sacrament to the physical blood of Jesus is fundamental to me which is why I so closely hold to my Catholic identity!
It’s not about tribalism or clanism because these usually constitute groups that have common blood lineage, reside in defined geographic areas, and have inter-twined family and neighbourly bonds. This does not apply because of the wide geographic distribution and diverse genealogy of people from the same sect in Lebanon.
It’s not about race or ethnicity because these cut across all sects. And there are no Shiite, Maronite, or Druze gene sequences, despite what some people think!!
It’s certainly not about political ideology, or personal philosophy. Otherwise, people would be choosing the sect they wish to belong to (irrespective of the one they were born into) after careful consideration of its belief structure and policies, This rarely happens in Lebanon.
It’s not about social or cultural tradition because the full range from extreme conservatism to extreme liberalism exists in all the sects, though in slightly different proportions.
So what the heck is it about?
What makes this phenomenon even more puzzling is that for many Lebanese, their family’s sect was determined by a chance of history. We all know how Lebanese families historically converted back and forth between sects for a variety of mostly non religious reasons. During the Ottoman period, tens of thousands converted from Christianity to Islam to avoid higher taxes, while tens of thousands converted the other way round to avoid being drafted in the Ottoman army. A hundred years later, their ancestors were killing each other at check points based on those coincidentally determined religious affiliations!!
So what gives? |
Honestly my country is before anything. Like 3assi 7ellani says b7i2ilak watanak deenak! :)
But to answer your question, well what is it? Most sects in Lebanon today are people who were either:
A.) Persecuted in (in Lebanon) the past for their religious beliefs
Ex. Christians and Shittes by the Turkish.
B.) People who escaped their land to practice religion freely in Lebanon.
Ex. Christians and Druze.
C.) And people who were mistreated by the majority religion ruling at the time.
Ex. Christian/French rule led to fewer Druze and Sunni power. (With the help of the French)
Ex. Increase in Sunni and Druze power led to decrease in Christian power. (With the help of the Turks)
So basically these sects have been always fighting some sort of invader or someone who has oppressed them. Plus ne7na el Lebnaniye we all want to be in charge of everything. And ma tinsoo that most the followers of the different sects live around each other, ex. Shi3a & Christian in the South because of their persecution by the Turks.
You said: It’s not about tribalism or clanism because these usually constitute groups that have common blood lineage, reside in defined geographic areas, and have inter-twined family and neighborly bonds.
Well all of the za3eems in Lebanon have put other family members in power. The Gemayls, Hariris, Jumblatts and so on.
11th August 2009
11th August 2009
