RELIGION IN LEBANON NOT AS EASY AS ‘MUSLIM,’ ‘CHRISTIAN’

BP News, TN
Aug. 16, 2006

BEIRUT, Lebanon (BP)–While some describe Lebanon in easy "Muslim"
and "Christian" terms, the reality is much more complicated. The
government recognizes 17 religious groups in the country. While
their different beliefs are easy to describe, the relative size of
the various groups is more difficult to pin down. Because of the
delicate political balance in the country, a census has not been
conducted since 1932. The estimates on the 13 sects described below
are largely based on information collected during the 1980s.

MUSLIM SECTS — 59.7 percent of the population

Sunnis — Orthodox Sunni Muslims stand for the original simplicity
of Islam and against later innovations. They regard the Koran,
supplemented by the traditions of the Muhammad, as the sole and
sufficient embodiment of the Muslim faith. They have no "church,"
no "priests" and no liturgy. Under the French Mandate in Lebanon,
Sunnis were invested with much political power. In 1986, an estimated
595,000 Lebanese (27 percent of the population) were Sunnis, the
majority living in urban centers.

Shias — Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are divided into two factions,
depending on which son of an eighth-century imam they follow. Shias
generally have occupied the lowest stratum of Lebanese society
and have been concentrated chiefly in the poor districts of Beirut
and southern Lebanon. They have been organized and influenced by
Iranian clerics. As of 1987, Shias numbered an estimated 919,000
(41 percent). Hezbollah ("Party of God") has been the most important
religious influence among Lebanon’s Shias since the early 1980s.

Alawis — Alawis are descendants of a people who lived in the mountains
of northern Lebanon and western Syria for thousands of years. They
integrated elements of both Christianity and Islam into their own
pre-Islamic religion. For example, Alawis celebrate Christmas and
Easter and use sacramental wine in some ceremonies.

Regarded as infidels in the past, they were persecuted and heavily
taxed. Alawis numbered only a few thousand in 1987.

Druze — The Druze are an offshoot of a version of Islam brought to
Lebanon from Egypt by a teacher named Darazi. The Druze community
has preserved its cultural separateness by being closely knit socially.

Though they are a minority in the country, their significant political
influence was based in part on support from the British.

The Druze constituted about 7 percent of the population (153,000)
in 1987. More than half resided in rural areas. Those who choose to
reside in an urban setting live together in their own neighborhoods.

CHRISTIAN SECTS — 39 percent of the population

Maronites — Maronites are an indigenous Lebanese church related to
the Roman Catholic Church. In the late seventh century, Maronites
were persecuted by other Christians for their religious beliefs; they
migrated from the coastal regions into the mountainous areas of Lebanon
and Syria, where they came into conflict with the Druze. Most Maronites
have been rural people and are scattered around the country. Maronites
traditionally have occupied the highest stratum of Lebanese society
and, with the patronage of France, have been closely associated with
the political system of independent Lebanon. In 1986, there were an
estimated 356,000 Maronites in Lebanon (16 percent).

Greek Catholics — Greek Catholics emerged as a distinct group in
the early 18th century when they split from the Greek Orthodox Church.

They accept Catholic doctrines as defined by the Vatican but have
remained close to the Greek Orthodox Church, retaining many of
the ancient rituals and customs. Greek Catholics live primarily in
the villages of central and eastern Lebanon. They have a relatively
higher level of education and are proud of their Arab heritage. Greek
Catholics constituted 3 percent of the population (72,000) in 1986.

Roman Catholics — Known as "Latins," Roman Catholics comprised
less than 1 percent of Lebanon’s population in the 1980s. The Latin
community is composed primarily of foreigners, mainly Europeans.

Greek Orthodox — The Greek Orthodox adhere to the Orthodox Eastern
Church, which in the fifth century diverged from the Roman Catholic
Church over the nature of Christ. Originally a peasant community,
the Greek Orthodox have become increasingly urbanized and form a
major part of the commercial and professional class of Beirut and
other cities. Known for their pan-Arab orientation, the Greek Orthodox
often have served as a bridge between Lebanese Christians and the Arab
countries. Members of the sect constitute 5 percent of the population.

Jacobites — The Jacobites, often referred to as the Syrian Orthodox
Church, take their name from Jacob Baradeus, who in the sixth century
spread throughout Syria the teaching of the church that Christ had
only one divine nature. This is contrary to the orthodox Christian
position that states Christ had both a human and divine nature. As
of 1987, there were only a few thousand Jacobites in Lebanon.

Armenian Orthodox — The Armenian Orthodox or Gregorian Church was
organized in the third century around a belief in the single divine
nature of Christ that is slightly different from the belief of the
Syrian Orthodox Church. The Armenians in Lebanon were refugees who
fled Turkey during and after World War I. In 1987, they resided
primarily in Beirut and its northern suburbs.

Nestorian Church — The Nestorian or Assyrian Church is the remnant
of the fifth-century movement that saw Christ as consisting of two
separate persons, one human and one divine, as opposed to having two
natures in one person. Their doctrine was condemned by the Council of
Ephesus in 431 A.D. Subsequently, those Nestorians who accepted this
doctrine formed an independent church, which has only a few thousand
members in Lebanon.

Protestants — The Protestants in Lebanon emerged in the 19th and
20th centuries from the work of missionaries, primarily English and
American. They are divided into a number of denominations, the most
important being Presbyterian, Congregational and Anglican. Typically,
Lebanese Protestants are educated and belong to the professional
middle class. They constitute less than 1 percent of the population
and live primarily in Beirut.

Evangelicals — Evangelicals in Lebanon have emerged in the 20th
century from the work of missionaries, primarily American, who
represented groups such as Baptists and the Assemblies of God.

Typically, evangelicals belong to the middle and lower classes. They
constitute less than 1 percent of the population and live primarily
in Beirut.