Outline the radicalism of the Shi'ite Community in Lebanon

In the final quarter of the twentieth century Islamic radical groups have become a significant force in Lebanese politics and throughout the Middle East. Particularly startling is the rise of Shi’ite groups. This essay will look at how a small and dominated community became a strong influential fighting force in such a short space of time. It will look at the factors behind the change, the major players in the movements and finally the movements themselves, the outward manifestations of the radicalisation.

At the beginning of the twentieth century the Shi’ites in Lebanon were a weak minority force in Lebanon. In 1932 50.73% of the population were Christian, with Muslims constituting 49.26%. Of this minority, the Sunni Muslims well outnumbered the small number of Shi’ites. They were located mainly in agricultural areas, and when with the rise of Capitalism they moved to the cities they were instantly seen as a threat. They had traditionally been the underclass and were given menial jobs to do.

In 1943 there was an attempt to create a democratic confessional form of government in Lebanon. The power was to be equally divided among the different groups, with a sep

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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1857
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)