https://now.mmedia.me

4 marzo 2013

 

To be a Shiite, in Sidon

By Hanin Ghaddar

managing editor of NOW.

 

Something is definitely in the air: a heavy feeling that Sunni-Shiite sectarian strife is soon to become a bitter reality. Long-time residents of Sidon, Shiite and otherwise, are not feeling as secure as they used to. Recently there have been increased calls for boycotting Shiite businesses, in the midst of rising sectarian tension and an increasing display and use of arms.

 

The rhetoric of Sheikh Ahmad Assir and his followers is feeding this tension and encouraging, sometimes directly, Sunnis to boycott Shiites’ businesses. Hairdressers, cable and internet providers, schools, and restaurants are all getting calls from their clients telling them that they have been “advised” to stop dealing with Shiites in the city. Only some of these clients sound sorry to be ending these relationships.

 

“The general logic behind this is not religious,” one Shiite business owner told me, “it is about ownership: Assir wants to establish the fact that Sidon is a Sunni city and that Shiites are not welcome as long as he and Hezbollah have issues [with each other].”

 

This territorial rhetoric reminds many people of the divisions that split most cities during the Lebanese civil war, including Sidon, when many Christians moved out. “Does that mean that it is now [the Shiite’s] turn to move out?” she wondered.

 

Of course, this is not a new feeling. Ever since Hezbollah stormed Beirut on May 7, 2008, arresting and killing civilians in largely Sunni areas, the feeling of injustice and the need for revenge has been growing in the Lebanese Sunni community, especially given the fact that no one has dared hold Hezbollah accountable for what happened.

 

The relevant authorities continue to ignore Hezbollah’s trespassing on Lebanon’s institutions and sovereignty. Of course, the natural result of this denial and unlimited protection of Hezbollah are phenomena like Ahmad Assir. But his reactions, while natural, are most certainly unjustifiable.

 

The more Assir screams and intimidates the more Hezbollah officials smile. The Party of God is in serious trouble after its involvement in Syria, aligning with the Assad regime against the rebels. To stay away from all the media attention, they certainly need a distraction, and the troubles caused by Assir and his likes in Tripoli are providing the public and the media with distractions from Hezbollah’s troubles. No retaliation is needed.

 

In addition, Assir’s bullying of state institutions and hostility makes Hezbollah appear as the only safety net for Shiites who are now more worried than ever about their safety in Sidon. Also, Hezbollah officials in Shiite towns and villages have been spreading the ‘fear of the Salafist’ for the past two years. Assir is the perfect living example to make this fear of the new enemy seem legitimate.

 

The ironic part is that Assir seems to be following Hezbollah’s steps in internal politics: the fiery language, the screaming, the intimidating tone, the threat of using arms, the use of arms to intimidate, among other behaviors that revolve around one thing: show of force.

 

But the problem is the big number of Shiites who could be pushed aggressively out of Sidon and other Sunni areas, and back into the arms of Hezbollah, whether they like it or not. When Shiites in Sidon start losing their clients, they might be forced to go to Hezbollah-controlled areas. Some are already considering this option, unenthusiastically.

 

This territorial sectarianism, combined with the Orthodox law and its sectarian repercussions, means that Lebanon is heading for a sectarian federalism. The problem is, with the absence of state institutions and authorities, and the increasing display and use of arms, Lebanon could also plunge into Sunni-Shiite armed clashes.

 

A major problem in Sidon is its geographic location. As the ‘Gate of the South’, the city is not only very close to Hezbollah’s southern strongholds, but it is also home to a big Shiite neighborhood, Al Hara, controlled by Amal and Hezbollah, and the Ain el-Helwi Palestinian camp, both of which contain all kinds of illegal arms and groups willing to use them. Clashes within the camp itself are a daily story.

 

The growing sectarian rhetoric in Sidon will not only push the Shiites out, but will also bring in all kinds of trouble that the city (and country) cannot afford. Hezbollah has controlled Lebanon and its institutions along the logic ‘what is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours and mine.’ Things have certainly changed for the Party of God, but it will take time for its leaders to realize the new reality and start adapting. Meanwhile, no one needs to invite a wounded bear into their house.