Lebanon Threatened by Civil War
In the tense few days following the clashes between followers of Salafist Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir and the Lebanese army, many are wondering what the implications for the stability of the country will be.
The suburb of Abra, which lies just outside the city of Sidon, the so-called capital of South Lebanon, appeared as if it could be part of Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
In this area, the radical Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir had established a security zone around the Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque, which has become the headquarters of Assir and his group. Assir's story does not differ much from those of hundreds of other similar figures who have taken center stage over the past five years in many Arab countries.
The rise of the Salafist movement in the Arab world has been the result of the sweeping Arab revolutions and the collapse of many military regimes' decades-long rules. This has led to the sudden emergence of these sheikhs, surrounded by dozens of fervent advocates, who are ready to give their lives to establish Islamic rule.
In Lebanon, this phenomenon, which is based on the righteous Salaf (the first three generations of early Muslim times or the lives of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad), has begun to establish itself since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution.
