CONFESSIONALISM IN LEBANON

Confessionalism in Lebanon

Confessionalism in Lebanon

Introduction

Lebanon is extremely diverse religiously, culturally and politically. This diversity has complicated the development of a stable political arrangement, and impeded the development of a single national identity. As for diversity, 1 there are six different Muslim sects (in numeric order: Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ili, Alawite or Nusayri), and twelve different Christian sects (in numeric order: Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant.) These sects are largely geographically defined. This mosaic of peoples and politics has led the Lebanese to historically seek a balance of power through a political arrangement known as confessionalism.

What is Confessionalism?

Confessionalism is a type of consociationalism. Political scientists describe a consociational state as a state which functions durably despite major internal divisions along ethnic, religious, or linguistic lines in which no sub-group commands a majority. Common examples of consociational states include Belgium, Switzerland, India, Spain, Lebanon and the Netherlands. Confessionalism is a system of consociational government which distributes political and institutional power proportionally among religious sub- communities. Lebanon is a confessional state where, for example, positions in cabinet, parliament, the civil service and other institutions are apportioned according to the relative religious populations.

What is the History of Confessionalism in Lebanon?

Most scholars agree that various forms of confessionalism existed in Lebanon as early as the 13th century, and later in various forms under Ottoman rule.2 “Greater Lebanon” with its current borders was established in August 1920 by the French colonial regime governing Lebanon and modern-day Syria. Encouraged by the Maronite community, the French formed “Greater Lebanon” by melding the old province of Lebanon (i.e. Mont-Liban, largely Maronite) with the coastal regions of Beirut, Sidon, Tyre and Tripoli, as well as the Bekaa Valley (largely Muslim.) The Lebanese Muslims and Syria, however, opposed this, and demanded that the additional territories remain under Syrian control. The Maronite community and the French disagreed, asserting that the new boundaries of “Greater Lebanon” formed the natural frontiers of Lebanon.3 The resulting stalemate triggered over twenty years of confrontations and turmoil. It was the common interest to throw off the French colonial presence in 1943 which led to the first conciliatory power-sharing breakthrough between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon. In what became known as the National Pact, 1) the Muslim leadership agreed to cease pushing to incorporate Lebanon into a single Arab or Syrian state, and accepted the boundaries of “Greater Lebanon,” while 2) the Christian leadership agreed to cease looking to France or other Western nations for protection or military pacts. This initial confessional arrangement fixed confessional representation in political positions, public offices, and public funding, among other agreements. Christians and Muslims were represented in parliament according to a 6:5 population ratio, a ratio that was determined according to a 1932 census under the French mandate.4 The National Pact of 1943 functioned passably for three decades until its collapse in 1975 with the outbreak of civil ...