Since the end of the country’s civil war in 1989,
Hizbullah has participated in elections, assuming
a prominent position in Lebanese politics while
maintaining an armed presence in the south near
Lebanon’s border with israel. While the move-
ment claims its roots in the period prior to the
iranian revolUtion oF 1978–1979, it is generally
acknowledged that Hizbullah coalesced as a fight-
ing force only with organizational and military
aid from Iran’s postrevolutionary government.
Other factors leading to its emergence include the
historical underrepresentation of Shii Muslims in
Lebanese politics as well as their economic and
social marginalization, both of which contributed
to a general mobilization of Shia throughout the
1950s and 1960s. In 1974, the Shii cleric imam
Musa al-Sadr founded the populist Shii Move-
ment of the Deprived and a year later its military
wing, Amal. In the wake of al-Sadr’s mysterious
disappearance in 1978 and the increasingly dis-
credited secular Arab nationalist ideologies with
which Amal and its new leader, Nabih Berri, were
associated, Hizbullah’s religious message gained
salience. In the early 1980s, ex-members of Amal
such as Nasrallah and Hizbullah’s first secretary
general, Shaykh Subhi al-Tufayli, joined forces
with clerics and other supporters of the Iranian
Revolution to create an umbrella organization
to defend Shii interests. On February 16, 1985,
Hizbullah published an open letter announcing
its ideological and social visions and marking its
transition from a secret resistance movement to an
open political one.
Today, Hizbullah maintains close ties with Iran
and syria, holds roughly 10 percent of the seats
in the Lebanese national parliament, and con-
trols many municipalities in southern Lebanon
and the Bekaa Valley. Additionally, it provides a
wide variety of social services for its constituent
communities, including job training, education,
and medical care. It also owns a satellite channel
called al-Manar (the Beacon), over which it broad-
casts a variety of religious, political, and entertain-
ment programs.
Since May 2000, disputes over prisoners, land
mines, and the Shebaa Farms have continued to fuel
low-grade conflict and frequent incursions by both
Israel and Hizbullah along the Israeli-Lebanese bor-
der, or “blue line.” In July 2006, the conflict inten-
sified once again against a backdrop of increasing
tensions between the United states, Syria, and
Iran over implementation of UN Resolution 1559
and Iranian nuclear activities. Much of Lebanon’s
infrastructure was destroyed by Israeli air attacks,
and heavy casualties were incurred on both sides.
Ensuing diplomatic efforts focused on integrating
Hizbullah’s military wing into Lebanon’s national
forces and promoting a sustainable long-term peace
agreement. Despite that conflict and efforts by the
U.S. government to marginalize Hizbullah, notably
through its designation as a terrorist organization,
the party is likely to figure prominently in Lebanese
politics for many years to come.
See also arab-israeli conFlicts; shiism;
terrorism.
Michelle ZimneyFurther reading: Ahmed Nizar Hamzeh, In the Path
of Hizbullah (Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University
Press, 2004); Naim Qassim, Hizbullah: The Story from
Within (London: Saqi Books, 2005); Magnus Ranstorp,
Hizb’Allah in Lebanon: The Politics of the Western Hostage
Crisis (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1996); Amal Saad-
Ghorayeb, Hizbullah: Politics & Religion (London: Pluto
Press, 2002).holidays
The two most important holidays observed by
Muslims are the id al-adha (Feast of the Sacrifice),
held at the conclusion of the haJJ during the 12th
month of the Muslim calendar (Dhu al-Hijja),
and the id al-Fitr (Feast of Breaking the Fast),
held at the end of ramadan during the first days
of the 10th month (Shawwal). These holidays are
observed with special communal prayers in the
morning hours, Feasting, gatherings of family andholidays 305 J