What the Lebanese Protests Tells Us About the Future of Sectarian Governance

Beirut, Lebanon. [Flickr]

Starting on October 17, 2019 and continuing onto now, December 2019, 1.5 million Lebanese citizens have taken to the streets of Beirut to protest government corruption in the face of a looming economic crisis. Triggered by government proposals to tax WhatsApp calls, gas, and tobacco, the debt-ridden nation experienced waves of protests amongst its citizens demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri for economic mismanagement and political corruption. Within the first week alone, a quarter of a million Lebanese protests blocked off major highways, took to the main squares throughout the city, and went on strikes in their public service jobs. Despite Prime Minister Hariri addressing these concerns during the first week of these protests, in which he vocalized his commitment to solving the economic crisis, protests continued, with the citizenry demanding the resignation of both Hariri and all members of his cabinet. The success of the Lebanese protests in overthrowing Hariri, in addition to the resilience of Lebanese protests in continuing these demonstrations against endemic government corruption, showcase the extent of widespread discontent with the nation’s regime. In a state politically fragmented by sectarian lines, these protests portray the reality of a society that has united to demand the transformation of a corrupt, sectarian government to one that will serve all. The ability of the Lebanese citizenry to put aside religious allegiance and commonly demand the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the creation of a new political system portray the reality of a society that has transcended sectarianism.

What makes the case of the Lebanese protests so significant is the extensive support among the citizenry in demanding the transformation of the political system. Lebanon is a nation of great religious diversity, with over 18 religious factions generally concentrated in different communities and governed by politicians with their particular religious identification. The presence of a significant Christian, Muslim – including Sunnis and Shiites, and Druze population further emphasize the heterogeneity of this Middle Eastern state. Nevertheless, anti-government demonstrations have been defined by the involvement of populations across all religious factions, showcasing the extent of widespread discontent to government corruption. In a nation where religious allegiances have so deeply defined political preferences, with a history of civil war between right-wing Christians and left-wing Muslim militias, religious divergence has been the basis of political conflict for over six decades. The 2019 Lebanese Protests thus mark the first time in Lebanese history where such an extensive political movement has not been mobilized along sectarian lines.

The country’s sectarian governance, which was established by the Tarif Accords following the end of the 1975-1990 Civil War, highlights the role that religion has continuously played in Lebanese politics, as well as its limitations. This division of parliament according to religious factions became the basis of political corruption in Lebanon through allowing for the domination of government patronage to sectarian militias and allied businessmen. The exploitation of the political system under sectarian governance throughout the nation’s history led to the monopolization of the economy, which is why we see this debt-ridden nation struggling so greatly today. Sectarian politics under the guise of religious representation allowed for the political corruption that has so greatly dominated Lebanese politics over the past six decades. The domination of sectarian leaders in state institutions have allowed the Lebanese government, and government sector jobs, to be in control of religious elites, which have fueled political corruption, nepotism, and public debt at an alarming level. The inability of the Lebanese government to effectively solve the nation’s economic crisis over the past few years triggered by shortages of fuel and the influx of over one million Syrian refugees further exacerbated growing grievances towards the sectarian government. While the power and influence of religious elites in government were growing, the Lebanese economy was deteriorating at a rapid rate, making the failures of sectarian government increasingly apparent to the citizens of this nation.

It is this history of instituted religious divisions that makes the scene of 1.5 million Lebanese Shiites, Sunnis, and Christians holding hands and protesting side by side so significant. The success of the Lebanese protests, emphasized by its sheer popularity and ongoing nature, shed light on the possibility of a Lebanese political structure that is defined by unity, rather than religious division. The fact that these protests are raging on despite the resignation of Hariri clearly emphasize that the aim of these protests reach far beyond demanding the replacement of the Prime Minister. These demonstrations are representative of a citizenry demanding the creation of a new government system which is not defined by political corruption, elite governance, and patronage. The success of unity in aiding the overthrow of President Hariri thus shed light on the possibility of these continued protests achieving the creation of a new political system which is not constructed along religious lines. In demanding an end to corruption, the Lebanese protests are demanding an end to sectarian governance- which have been the basis of corruption for much of the nation’s history.

Sources:

http://www.middleeasterner.net/blog/2019/3/14/what-the-warsaw-conference-tells-us-about-us-european-and-israeli-arab-relations

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/lebanon-protests-191019063629182.html

https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/01/lebanon-has-suffered-from-sectarianism-for-too-long/