Religious Conflicts in Lebanon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Religious Conflicts in Lebanon - Essay Example Moreover, there is conflict between the Sunni Muslim majority and the Shiite Muslim minority who been engaged in conflict for a long time and up to date, they are not at peace with each other. The Druze is another distinct fraction in Lebanon, they are also the minority in Lebanese society, and they have been into conflict with the Christians in the 1840s when the country was known as Mount Lebanon. Until today, there is tension between these religious groups as they are trying to build a stable democracy. It can be therefore noted that the chaos among religious groups in Lebanon is as a result of failure to establish a working power sharing system between these groups. This paper explores the religious conflict in Lebanon and it is organized in three sections. The first section presents sectarianism in Lebanon, followed by an analysis of the root of the conflict, identifying the actors and their interests. Lastly, the paper discusses possible solutions and consequences of different policy solutions. Mostly, the conflict in Lebanon is presented as a sectarian conflict, which involves the moderate Christians and the extremist Muslims (â€Å"Troubles a test†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Apart from religious differences between the Christians and the Muslims, there is also conflict within the Muslim community, between the Sunnis and the Shiites. The Muslim society was divided in Sunni and the Shiite because of the power struggle over succession (Tomass 714). The entire population including the Christians and Muslims speak Arabic language; however, sectarianism is a dominant socio-political reality in Lebanese society despite the features they have in common. Sectarianism is not a new in Lebanon, historical Lebanon also called Mount Lebanon used to be shared mainly by Druzes and the Maronites. They did not coexist in peace and harmony as they fought over land ownership and distribution of political power among other issues. But these two groups have coexisted in harmony until the