Author name:
حسين عبد الحسين عباس الزهيري
Supervisor name:
خضير مظلوم فرحان البديري
University location:
Wasit
Abstract:
The title, “The Shiites and Their Political Role in Lebanon1920 - 1958” is among thecrucial issues in the political history of Lebanon. For it would explore a key component ofthe Lebanese society which has contributed to building political contemporary Lebanesestate. This is evidenced in the hypothesis of this study. The subject matter of this studyfalls within the socio - political history. Knowing that the researcher has come to pick theyear1920, as the beginning of his study,for it was the year in which the Shiite communalitywas forcedly annexed to the structure of the Lebanese state, the French mandate overLebanon was announced and the State of Greater Lebanon was established. Theresearcher has chosen 1958, as the closing year of the study, because it represented theexpiration of the first Lebanese Republic - an event that can be considered as thebeginning of a new era in Lebanon and one that was in many ways unlike previous eras.The study has been divided into an introduction, five chapters and a conclusionalong with a number of annexes. Chapter Oneis an introductory chapter dealt with thehistorical roots of the formation of Lebanese Shiite community well up to 1920. It containsa number of topics. These are the genesis of Shiite sect and its doctrine, the spread of theShiite sect in Lebanon, status of Shi'ite clerics in Lebanon, the Shiites under the 1516 - 1914 Ottoman Empire and finally, the activities of the Shiites in Lebanon from 1914 - 1920.Chapter Twodeals with addresses the efforts of theLebanese Shia in theestablishment of the State of Greater Lebanon in 1920 - 1926. It touches on several topics : the 1920 Conference of the Lebanese Shiites in Hujayr, their reactions on the 1920French mandate, along with the Niger’s campaign of French military against the Shiites ofLebanon in 1920, as well as the position of Lebanon's Shiites from the declaration of theGreat State of Lebanon in 1920, the inclusion of Lebanon’s Shiites in the 1921 census,the Lebanese representation in the Lebanese representative councils from 1922 - 1926, theShiite’s political anti - moves against the French authorities from 1920 - 1926, and down tothe state of division imposed among the Shiite sect over the 1926 Lebanese constitution.Chapter Threededicates to the attitude Shiites of Lebanon about the Lebaneseinternal situations in 1926 - 1936. The chapter referred to the extent of the participation ofLebanon's Shiites in the parliamentary elections from 1926 to 1936, and their seriousdesiresin the government’s representation for the same period, as well as Shiite orientationAbstractBtowards Lebanon union with Syria during the period of 1927 - 1936, the Shiites’ registrationin the 1932 census. The chapter alsodeals with Shiite reactions to French control overtheiragricultural areas leading to the 1936 uprising of Shiites in BintJbeil. The Shiite - Frenchclashes haveprecipitated the conclusion of the France - Lebanon treaty in 1936 - thetreaty which divided up Shia’s attitudes about it, prompting a segment of Shiites to blendinto the then Lebanese Republic.Chapter Four focuses on unification of the Shiites of Lebanon over the interiorissues of Lebanon 1937 - 1946. It has turned out that the rush of Shiites into theadministration of justice to them in elections, subsequent Lebanese Parliament sessions,and their claim to representation in the Lebanese government at the time as well as theShiites rejection of the coercive policy that was used against them during World War II andtheir objection of decrees 49 and 50 of 1943. The chapter as well goes over the 1943National Pact of Lebanon that helped secure the privileges of the Shiite community andtheir legal rights in the representation, the Shiite’s determination to hold on to the Republicof Lebanon following the Lebanon's independence in 1943 and foreign withdrawal thereof.Chapter Five addresses the role of Shiites in Lebanon's internal politicaldevelopments 1947 - 1958. It encompasses themes, chief of which are the Shiites’ movesto ensure their rights in the parliamentary and presidential elections and theirrepresentation in successive Lebanese governments. Shiites role was not restricted tothere, however. Rather, Shiites demands of reforms drove them to their participation in theLebanese uprising in 1952 and in the Lebanese political parties as well as their prominentnational role in the Lebanese revolution in 1958. As for the conclusion, it includes theoutcomesto which the researcher reached.Throughout the study, the researcher focuses on the position of nothing more thanthe Twelfth Sect of Shiite community in Lebanon and no other Shiite communities, such asthe Nasiri, Alawites and Ismaili scattered around Lebanon. Forthe Twelver is the biggestcommunity in number, exposed to the arbitrariness of the ruling authorities and successiveLebanese governments over the period 1920 - 1958. Not only this, the subject matter itselfhas not had its share of study in a separate and scientific academy way. It is thesereasonsthat would lendprodigiousstanding not on the topic only, but for choosing it as well.What is more, the researcher managed to respect the thematic unity in dealing withAbstractChistorical events encompassed by this study, in particular, the theme of the political partiesaddressed in Chapter Five that has been studied in detail, all at one over the study periodin question.The conclusions of this dissertation prove the following : The tyrannical policy against Shias does not change throughout Ottoman regime.Ottoman State attributes their conflict with Persian State to the Shias in all the places itgoverned. In addition, it does not confess Shia as one of the Islamic four doctrines.Besides, it legitimizes killing Shias and looting their money as well as women. However, thelaw of sects which was produced later by Sublime Porte confesses some of Shia's rights.The reason beyond this law was to increase the number of Muslims over the number offollowers of other religions in the Ottoman Empire who helps the great states in the war.This law lasts to the First World War in 1914 and the submission of Lebanon to the French occupation in 1920.New era of the Shiite sect has begun in 1920 when they rejected the French mandate in Lebanon and resisting it powerfully, particularly when the armed groups that led the armed resistance against the French have strengthened. Only the Shiite sect took this position while the others sects restored to more flexible stance so as to gain political benefits. Maronite and Sunni sects have agreed with the declaration of large Lebanon in1920 while none of the Shiite figures were invited to the ceremony because of their rejection to the French policy in Lebanon.The Shia have lost most of the advantages that other Islamic sects have gained because of the Shiite breakup among their leaders who are the representatives of the sect.this leads to surface representation. Besides, their rejection of the political work causes them to get away of the procedures followed by the French commission. Such procedures include blocking Shia from representation in parliament, to be included in the census in 1920, agreement on writing the constitution or declaring the republic in 1926, and finally the second census in 1932 which aggrieves Shia's rights. As such, Shia occupied the third rank in Lebanon since they were the first.Generally, the Shiite sect have not played its exact role in Lebanon because of the resistance of the French authorities who aligned with the other sects against Shia. This resistance was represented by preventing Shia to occupy sensitive positions in the state.This French policy has lasted throughout the occupation period and then to the independence era. Besides, most of the Shiite representatives served their personal affairs because they were feudalists. Thus, the Shiite suffered severe situations; they did not gettheir full political, economic, cultural rights and services. Accordingly, we suppose that Shia's rights have lost because of their representatives did not strived to gain their rights on a high level.On the contrary, the Shiite sect come to view noticeably through political crises in Lebanon, namely in 1943 when Shia led demonstrations reinforced by armed figures in their towns. First, they fought the French forces in the south, Hermel and Baalbek. Second,they demonstrated against the president, Bechara El Khoury, in1952.These demonstrations were large and covered most of Shiite towns. Their demand was to substitute the president by another one. Their efforts ended with nominating Camille Chamoun as the new presidentfrom 1952 - 1958. This event entered Shia a new era.
