The phenomenon of Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir emerged in the Lebanese town of Abra, east of Sidon. During the civil war, Christian residents deserted the town only to return and find that its demographic — and even geographic — landmarks had changed. The Assir “phenomenon” emerged out of a Sunni desire to stand up against what they considered bullying by the Shiite Hezbollah. It is worth mentioning that Hezbollah kept its arms after the end of the civil war under the pretext that they are used to resist Israel.

Following Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, Hezbollah still retained its weapons. The Syrian military’s influence at the time, as well as disputed pieces of land such as Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shuba Hills, forced Lebanese parties to accept these weapons.

It was also argued that Hezbollah's military wing, the “Islamic Resistance,” could defend Lebanon in the face of an Israeli attack. Following the assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 — and amid mounting suspicion about Hezbollah’s role in the murder, based on the indictment issued by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon — resentment toward Hezbollah’s arms increased. The March 14 coalition, which is anti-Hezbollah, was unable to confront the party on May 7, 2008, when Hezbollah militants dominated large parts of Beirut and fought battles in the mountains with the Druze supporters of Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt. This led the latter to withdraw from the March 14 coalition, and announce a truce with Hezbollah.

Hezbollah accused the Future Movement — and the March 14 Coalition in general — of treason following the 2006 July War and the year-long siege Hezbollah laid on then-Prime Minister Fouad Siniora at the Serail. These events pushed some Sunnis to harbor hatred as they were left to face the dominance of Hezbollah’s arms.