Religious Sectarianism in the Lebanese Political System

Abstract

WXC 7HILE IT IS an exaggeration to hold that all things political in Lebanon are fundamentally religious, it is nevertheless true that any explanation of Lebanese politics will be incomplete unless the role of religious attitudes and organizations are taken into account. Even more, several aspects of the formal organization of government officially reflect the religious structure of the society. This paper considers the way in which the political institutions and processes recognize the role of the religious communities and attempts to assess the degree to which this form of organization adequately meets the needs of the society. Although it will not be possible to describe the historical development and structure of Lebanon here, brief mention must be made of three of the main features which provide the framework within which politics is carried on.1 First, Lebanon is a small primarily rural country (10,000 sq. kms.-over half of which is uncultivable) dominated by two parallel mountain ranges with a population of less than a million and a half. The political life is centered in the capital city of Beirut which contains almost 30 per cent of the population. Despite the predominance of the rural population and the beginning of industrialization the bulk of the national income arises from the service