1. Differences between Shi'ites and Sunnis; what is the current treatment of Sunnis in Shi'a territory? 2. History of the Mourabitoun Party [LBN0296]

1. Differences between Sunnis and Shi'ites
The following information is compiled from previous responses:
Response to Information Request: LBN1223
Subject:

Lebanon: 1) The differences between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims; 2) The relationship between these two sects in West Beirut; 3) Who has controlled West Beirut since 1976?
1)

The Sunni - Shi'ite split occurred after the death of Mohammed, when one group - the traditionally dispossessed - maintained that there should be a hereditary successor to the Prophet. They chose to follow Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Mohammed. These Shi'ites (literally partisan or follower) follow leaders who they believe are imams (divinely inspired - "one who leads the caravan"), or are the deity. In 680 A.D., Hussein, the son of Ali, led less than 100 followers against the "Caliphate" (the representative of God on earth) to retain his line's right to succession [Robin Wright, "Clashes grew out of Islam's Sunni-Shi'ite schism", The Christian Science Monitor, 17-23 August 1987.] His band was massacred, and Hussein became the "symbol of man's struggle against tyranny" - "it was more honourable to die for belief than to live with injustice." [Ibid.] The Shi'ites split into a number of sects, including the radical Isma'ili, who split even further, into such groups as the Alawi of Syria (who fused Shi'ism with pagan rituals).

The Shi'ites in Lebanon have traditionally been among the less educated and privileged classes, and, prior to 1978, "Lebanon's Shi'ites were politically irrelevant though they were the largest of the country's many religious cantons." [ Tom Hundley, "Islamic revival has potential of reshaping global politics", Citizen, 27 March 1987.]

The Sunnis, the followers of Islamic tradition, believe that the successor (Khalifah) of Mohammed is to be elected from Mohammed's tribe, the Quraysh, but do not believe in a hereditary Khalif, as the Shi'ites do. Sunnism represents the status quo of Islam.
2) The political system in Lebanon has a set number of seats for the representatives of the various religious groups, and even in public sector employment, the Christians were allotted six jobs for every five given to the Muslims. According to the U.S. Department of State, at first this system worked well for the traditionally underprivileged Shi'ites, but they now represent the largest confessional group, and thus feel discriminated against. [U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988.] The disintegration of central authority escalated the militarization of the country. Each of Lebanon's religious cantons established militias to represent its interests. The main Shi'ite militias are the Amal, and the Hezbollah. The Amal militia group has strong links to the Syrian army, and the Hezbollah (Party of God), to the Iranians. The Sunnis are represented by different militias as well, including the Mourabitoun, who were prominent in West Beirut in the early 1980s.

The area of Beirut west of the Greenline is referred to as "Muslim West Beirut", differentiating it from East Beirut, which has been dominated by Maronite Christians. Neither the Sunnis nor the Shi'ites have totally controlled West Beirut for extended periods of time in recent years. See the attached information on militia groups from Revolutionary and Dissident Movements.
3) West Beirut, particularly the southern part (see attached map), has traditionally been a Shi'ite (Amal) stronghold. The Nasserist (Sunni) Mourabitoun militia helped defend West Beirut during the Israeli invasion in 1982. [Lebanon: A Conflict of Minorities, p. 15.] When the Israeli forces moved into West Beirut, they brought the Christian Phalangist (Kata'ib)- Lebanese Forces with them. Following the massacre of Palestinian refugees in Sabra and Shatila by Lebanese militias friendly to Israel, the United States ordered the Israelis out of West Beirut. [Ibid., p. 16.] By 1984, as the Shi'ite forces of Nabi Berri grew stronger, Amal gained power in West Beirut, and by 1985, Amal had pushed the Mourabitoun out. In May 1987, with Syrian encouragement, Amal launched the "war of the camps" against the Palestinian refugee camps in West Beirut. Ninety percent of Palestinians in Lebanon are Sunni. [Ibid., pp. 17, 19, 8.] The Amal attack on the camps was an attempt to prevent Arafat supporters from regaining a power base in Lebanon. [Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume XXXIV, December 1988, p. 36363.]
Please see the attached information:

Roger Caratini, La Force Des Faibles: Encyclopédie Mondiale des Minorités, Paris: Larousse, 1987 (pp. 66-67 discusses the Shi'ites of Lebanon).

Robin Wright, "Clashes grew out of Islam's Sunni-Shiite Schism", The Christian Science Monitor, 17-23 August 1987.

"The Other Side of Islam: A gun, a beard and a chador do not make a good Muslim", The Economist, 15 February 1986.

John Kifner, "Shi'ite Radicals: Rising Wrath Jars the Mideast", New York Times, 22 March 1987.

Augustus Richard Norton, "The Rise and Decline of Lebanon's Shi'ites", The New Leader, 22 February 1988.
2. The Mourabitouns

West Beirut, particularly the southern part, has traditionally been a Shi'ite (Amal) stronghold. The Nasserist (Sunni) Mourabitoun militia helped defend West Beirut during the Israeli invasion in 1982 [David McDowall, Lebanon: A Conflict of Minorities, Minority Rights Group, No. 61, p. 15.] When the Israeli forces moved into West Beirut, they brought the Christian Phalangist (Kata'ib) Lebanese Forces with them. Following the massacre of Palestinian refugees in Sabra and Chatila by Lebanese militias friendly to Israel, the United States ordered the Israelis out of West Beirut [Ibid., p. 16.] During 1984, the Shi'ite forces of Nabi Berri grew stronger, and Amal began to gain power over the Mourabitouns [George Delury, World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties (Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1984), pp. 673-674.] The Mourabitouns have declined in influence in recent years, having suffered defeats in 1984, 1985, and 1986 at the hands of Druze and Amal militias [see the attached information from Henry Degenhardt, Revolutionary and Dissident Movements, London: Longman Group UK Ltd., 1988, p. 218.]

The Mourabitouns allied themselves with Amal and Druze militias at different times during the 1980s. They were driven out of positions along the Green Line in Beirut by Druze forces in March 1984, but fought with Palestinians, Amal and Druze militias against the Christian Lebanese Forces under the command of Samir Geagea in Sidon in March 1985. [ Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume XXXI, June 1985, p. 33688; Henry Degenhardt, Revolutionary and Dissident Movements, London: Longman Group UK Ltd., 1988, p. 218.] The Mourabitouns and pro-Arafat Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) fighters clashed with Amal in Beirut in April 1985, and in November 1985, the Mourabitouns sided with Druze PSP fighters against Amal. [Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume XXXII, January 1986, p. 34132.] Amal gained control of West Beirut from the Mourabitouns in the 1985 conflicts [Amnesty International, Report 1987, (London: Amnesty International Publications, 1987), p. 358.] No information on executions of the Mourabitouns during 1985 is currently available to the IRBDC, however, Amnesty International reported that Amal held hundreds of Palestinians and members of the Mourabitoun movement in detention during 1986 [Report 1987, p. 358.] and Amnesty International reports for 1986 and 1987 allude to torture and execution of prisoners by Amal and other militias.

On 3 June 1986, Mourabitoun militiamen attacked Amal positions, but on 4 June 1986, "Amal decisively defeated [the] attack by the Sunni `6th February' militia". [Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume XXXII, August 1986, p. 34587.] (Henry Degenhardt, in Revolutionary and Dissident Movements, identifies the 6th February militia as a brigade of Mourabitoun.) [Henry Degenhardt, Revolutionary and Dissident Movements, London: Longman Group UK Ltd., 1988, p. 218.] The Mourabitouns were allied with the Druze militia in February 1987 when they again fought against Amal. [ Ibid.]

Another example of a Shi'ite-Sunni conflict in Lebanon began in May 1985, when Amal launched the "war of the camps" against the Palestinian refugee camps in West Beirut. [Amnesty International, Report 1986 (London: Amnesty International Publications, 1986), p. 343.] Ninety percent of Palestinians in Lebanon are Sunni. The Amal attack on the camps was allegedly at "Syria's behest", and constituted an attempt to prevent Arafat supporters from regaining a power base in Lebanon [Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume XXXIV, December 1988, p. 36363.]

Three Palestinian camps, Bourj al-Barajneh, Chatila, and Rashidiyeh, were placed under siege by Amal during the latter half of 1986. In April 1987, the arrival of the Syrian army resulted in the partial lifting of the siege, and women and children were allowed to leave the camps for supplies [Ibid.] Between April and July 1988, Arafat supporters were driven from Chatila and Rashidiyeh by members of the Fatah Revolutionary Council (Fatah al-Intifadeh), and in July, the last of the pro-Arafat fighters from Bourj al-Barajneh were removed to Sidon.