Lebanon's Simmering Sectarian Tensions
The release last week of Shadi al-Mawlawi, a Sunni Islamist whose arrest sparked bloody clashes, may have temporarily brought calm back to the streets of Tripoli and stopped Lebanon from further sliding into a sectarian war, writes Salam Hafez. But on the ground, there is deep resentment in the Sunni community that still threatens to boil over.
TRIPOLI — The release last week of Shadi al-Mawlawi, a Sunni Islamist whose arrest sparked bloody clashes, may have temporarily brought calm back to the streets of Tripoli and stopped Lebanon from further sliding toward sectarian war.
But on the ground, a deep mistrust of the security and army establishments by Sunni Lebanese, coupled with the worsening situation in Syria, and the economic and social neglect of Lebanon’s north, are challenges politicians need to address urgently or sectarian tensions will return.
There is deep resentment and frustration in the Sunni community, which has been humiliated by showdowns with Hezbollah in the past. These sectarian divisions have been brewing even more since the start of the Syrian uprising. Northern Lebanon supports the uprising, while the majority Shiite, pro-Hezbollah groups side with the Syrian regime.
In other words, although people were enraged by Mawlawi's arrest, disenchantment has been simmering for years.
