Amal is an acronym that means Groups of the Lebanese Resistance, which also means "hope" (Political Handbook of the World: 1999 2000, 566). The party's leader, Nabih Berri, was reelected during the 29 February 1992 Congress (ibid.). Berri, the speaker of parliament, is considered to be "one of the three most influential people in the country along with the president and the prime minister" (ibid.). He has not only been speaker of the parliament since 1992, but also minister of state, minister of housing, minister for south Lebanon and reconstruction, minister of water and electricity and minister of justice (IDREL Website).

The party aims to redress the grievances of the Shi'a community in Lebanon through education and greater access to government jobs (Islam and Islamic Groups 1992, 142).

Although most of its fighters have been disarmed, Amal was involved in military operations against the Israelis in 1999 (Radio Lebanon 10 Dec. 1999). It was still militarily active in May 2000 as illustrated by a 25 May 2000 article by the Beirut-based newspaper The Daily Star.

A 30 August 1997 article published in the London-based Al-Majallah and entitled "Lebanon: Present Status of Shiites Discussed" stated that "Amal has maintained extraordinary relations with the Syrian leadership as a continuation of the excellent personal relationship between Imam al-Sadr [Amal's founder] and President Hafiz al-Asad. The movement is considered a basic ally of Syria in Lebanon." In addition, Amal's MPs became ministers: Mahmud Abu-Hamdan, minister of housing and cooperatives; Ayyub Humayyid, minister of social affairs; Yasin Jabir, minister of economy; 'Ali Harajili, minister of public works (his daughter is married to [Nabih] Birri's son) (ibid.). Amal is currently monopolizing most official positions designated for Shi'a (ibid.).

The article also describe Amal:

At the beginning, the Amal Movement rallied many groups under the slogan of fighting oppression. However, the main turning point was when Imam al-Sadr disappeared, in ambiguous circumstances, during a visit to Libya on 31 August 1978, which has contributed to a semi-total rapture in the relations between the Shiites and Libya until today. Following the disappearance of al-Sadr, Shaykh Shams-al-Din assumed the leadership of the movement in his capacity as the deputy chairman of the Shiite Council. Husayn al-Husayni became its secretary general. (Al-Husayni later became the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies). However, al-Husayni was confronted with a popular base that was more inclined toward Shams-al-Din. This reflected on the relations between them and finally led Shams-al-Din to replace al-Husayni, through mutual agreement, with Birri as the Amal Movement's secretary general.

Since assuming his position, Birri tried to separate Amal from the Shiite Council and turn it into an independent political and military movement. He introduced a series of changes in the movement. After creating a leadership position, Birri was elected the first leader of the movement. This, of course, soured the relations between Birri and Shams-al-Din, who expressed his "dissatisfaction" with Amal's policy on internal affairs. However, the relations between them improved in the middle of the eighties when Shams-al-Din established an Islamic legal cover for the movement (ibid.).

According to Al-Majallah, Amal has particular areas of influence in Lebanon. As such, the Amal Movement has more influence in western al-Biqa' and some central al-Biqa' areas. In the South, the scale generally tips in favour of Amal as opposed to Hezbollah. Specifically, Amal's strength is concentrated in the western sector of the South, in the al-Zahrani and Bint Jubayl area. In Tyre (South Lebanon), although the leftist parties are dominant, Amal has an edge over Hezballah in the city. In Beirut's southern suburb, Amal is present in some areas of the eastern and western suburbs (al-Shiyah and Bi'r Hasan).

The newspaper added that since the end of the civil war in 1990, Amal underwent a "reorganization process in its ranks, which grew very much in the eighties and then declined in the nineties" (ibid.). According to Al-Majallah,

[In 1997] the movement cancelled the membership of about 14,000 people. Amal Movement sources said that this was done as part of a campaign to reinvigorate the movement by absorbing new members from various professional sectors and degree-holders.

The number of new members reached 1,500. They joined 10,000 members who are still in the movement. Amal's military wing still exists, as Hizballah's, under the banner of "the resistance." It proved its existence in more than one clash with Israeli forces, using advanced weapons and anti-aircraft guns carried on military trucks. However, Amal has no weapons deployed in villages. Furthermore, its military resistance activity has recently become very limited.

For additional information on the Amal movement, please consult the Research Directorate's Lebanon: Reconstruction and Security (Nov. 1995, 25).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Al-Majallah [London, in Arabic]. 30 August 1997. "Lebanon: Present Status of Shiites Discussed." (FBIS-NES-97-279 6 Oct. 1997/WNC)

The Daily Star [Beirut]. 25 May 2000. Nicholas Blanford. "Victor's Trash SLA's Headquarters." http://www.dailystar.com.lb/25_05_00/art3.htm [Accessed 25 May 2000]

IDREL Website. "Nabih Mustafa Berri." http://www.idrel.com.lb/lgppa/berri.htm [Accessed on 24 May 2000]

Islam and Islamic Groups: A Worldwide Reference Guide. 1992. Edited by Farzana Shaikh. New York: Longman Current Affairs.

Political Handbook of the World: 1999. 2000. "Lebanon." Edited by Arthur S. Banks. Bighamton, NY: CSA Publications.

Radio Lebanon [Beirut, in Arabic]. 10 December 1999. "Israeli Shelling, Amal Attacks in South Lebanon." (FBIS-NES-1999-1210 10 Dec. 1999/WNC)