Joseph Chamie mentions in his chapter that before the Civil War, “There was already a fortified, and increasing in fortification, magnitude, and intensity of tension among the Lebanese within the time span of 1973 to 1974. In this period of time, the religious and political groups were actively and readily preparing themselves for the expected “doomsday””, as if they knew that it was to come. This source, similar to the first, talks about the pre-war period and how all of the dogmatic and vital actions done by either external interference and conflicts such as, the Syrians and Palestinians entering into their country or simply internal ones like, the religious conflicts between the Muslims and Christians because of the previous French occupation and influence that simply piled up and eventually become noticeable factors that caused the war. It also talks about internal and external economic, political, and social state before the war, like being controlled by the Ottomans and then French and their mandates and how they indirectly brought the civil war by bringing Christianity to the country. In addition Chamie draws out the fact that the war was “supposedly” over after the Tai’f agreement of 1989, which he and the rest of the Lebanese people knew wasn’t true.
C. Evaluation of Sources
World Affairs, "The Lebanese Civil War: An Investigation into the Causes" compiled by Derek Benjamin Heater, Gwyneth Owen and Joseph Chamie is an vital chapter that may be regarded as a primary source because these men lived throughout the time of the war and can write about it firsthand and can be one of the few sources that clearly explains the causes of the Civil War. This section provides statistical evidence of the various ethnic and religious groups’ population that were residing in Lebanon before, during, and after the war. This chapter was mainly written to inform people around the world that are interested in this topic about the “pre” and “pro” phases of the war and explain the factors that helped start the war. The source provides many details on exact incidents that happened that lead to spark the war, ignite it and then keep the flame going and finally let the country burn out by itself until there is nothing but debris. The source’s main audience is intended to be the people concerned about the war and want to find out what really happened from a “front row seat” perspective, given the fact that Joseph experienced the war and wrote many books and studies about it such as. The way the war’s causes were interpreted and explained clearly showing that the writer had experienced it first-hand. This article is slightly biased and sympathetic towards the Lebanese people in general, regardless of their ethnicity.
The secondary source The Lebanese Civil War, 1975-1990 written by Samir Makdisi and Richard Sadaka goes into great detail in the internal and external political, social, and economic facts as if they experienced the war first hand. However, this research paper was written 13 long years after the war settled down and ended. This paper was written to explain the details that people “should” know rather than the ones that could have biases because the authors were not present during the time of the Civil War. The paper also uses many other sources to simply “soak up” additional information to help explain the facts. This study mainly talks about how the war started in a broader perspective and separates the war into three different phases. This helps the reader understand fully what happened when and why it happened at that time. This source and its authors are extremely informative and do not take side with the countries they have written and explained about. It focuses primarily on the civil war itself and does not stray of that topic.
Both sources however, mention that the Christian Maronites, that were introduced into Lebanon by the French from their prior colonization, were residing in Lebanon along with the Muslims, but don’t clearly point out that the Maronites had more power over the Muslims because of the opportunity given to them by French when they were in control. Although the Muslims were in the country before the Christians the Christians still managed to gain more power over the country and over the Muslims. This information was obtained by 2 primary sources that were not mentioned earlier. These sources are actually interviews of two men, Gaby Nofal and Said, George, who were actually alive and still young when the war took place and saw and understood every part of it.
D. Analysis
What is very interesting about the prewar conditions of the country is that it had a growing and relatively strong economy. Then, with all the new and old tensions that built up between the religious and ethnic groups the economy was wasted. The real factor of tension and problems was completely related to the religious system for power sharing. This was among the three leading religious communities. They were Christian Maronites, then the Muslim Sunnis, and last, the Muslim Shia’s. Each of these groups had their power distributed unequally and unfairly because of prior external intervention such as, the French mandate over Lebanon. The prior inhabitants of the country, Muslims both Sunni and Shia, were pushed aside by the French when the country was colonized before the war. Therefore, having more power because of external help and assistance, the country had “a Maronite as president, a Sunni as prime minister and a Shi‘a as head of the parliament” . Although the ratio of Muslims to Christians in power was higher the Christians still managed to keep the upper hand. This was a destined fact because of the French- Christian influence that was bound to the country during the mandate. Because the French, naturally, gave more aid and power to the Christians it was inevitable that this unequal power-share would be the main cause of the war. The Lebanese Muslims, former owners and inhabitants of the country before the French brought the mandate system along with the Christians, could not stand the known fact that the Christians now had more power over their own country. This then led the Lebanese people to think more about the status quo and how they were to end the Christian power over their country. On Aug. 23 1982, Bashir Gemayel was elected president of Lebanon, but he was killed three weeks later by a bomb. Seeking vengeance, Christian Phalangist forces entered the Palestinian refugee camps in Israeli-controlled areas and massacred some 1,000 civilians, provoking an international outcry. After long weeks of debate the Lebanese decided to put an end to this rule.
On 1975, the country was on its brink of an involuntarily caused war. With all the country’s tensions, a simple spark, that we seem to disregard as a very small source of energy, is needed to ignite the fire within these people and cause a conflagration in both the country and the people’s hearts that would leave them in ruble and debris. As stated above there were many religious groups involved in the disagreements such as “the right-wing “traditionalists” or, more specifically, the Front of Lebanese Forces: the Phalange Party, National Libreal Party, Zogharta Liberation Army, Gaurds of the Cedars, and Maronite Monastic Order. Although this group consists overwhelmingly of Maronites and other Christians, it also contains a minority of Muslims who find common interst with socially, economically, and politically dominant Christian community.” These groups caused major misshaps in the country to finally make the people go over the top. For example, the very first incednt that provided the “activation energy” was “On April 13 of 1975. A prominent member of the Phalangists, a political group composed mainly of Maronite Christians and strongly opposed to the Palestinian guerrillas’ presence in Lebanon, was killed in a Christian neighborhood by shots from a passing automobile. The Phalangists avenged his death. Later that day, while Pierre Gemayel, the leader of the Phalangists, and other Phalangists were attending the dedication of a church in the same Christian neighborhood, a passing bus load of Palestinians and Lebanese sympathizers was machine-gunned by Phalangists; 27 persons were killed. Heavy fighting between the Palestinians and the Phalangists ensued for a week before a truce was finally negotiated.” Even though there was a truce this event helped in the escalation of many more problems, fights, and killing.
Each religious group had its own “backup country”, as in the religious parties that were involved in the war had a country to support them. For example, most of the Christian groups either had Syria or Lebanon on their side and most of the Muslim groups had Iran, the Palestinians, or the Lebanese on their side. So this “civil war” that was caused by religious and ethnic tensions now evolved into a proxy war for the neighboring countries of Lebanon. “To resolve the internal and external problems the Arab Deterrent Forces (A.D.F.), which consisted of Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen signed the Ta’if Accord which stated that,” “for a temporary but unspecified period, religious communities would be equitably represented in public employment and cabinet posts (Article 95).”
E. Conclusion
It can clearly be seen that the divisional religious and ethnic groups where the cause of the war rather than anything else. Each of these sects was either Christian or Muslim. Also, the distribution of power in the political system and the position of power were based on religion which caused many disputes and problems between the Muslims and Christians evidently causing the war. However, after the entire time span of the war the countries on the outside decided to intervene more than they already did during the war after they noticed the population drop. The three countries, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Syria decided to make the Ta’if Accord which would provide equality between the Christians and Muslims in the political power and initially bring an end to the war.
F. Bibliography
Heater, Derek Benjamin., and Gwyneth Owen. "The Lebanese Civil War: An Investigation into the Causes." World Affairs. London: Harrap, 1975. 171-88. Print.
Makdisi, Samir, and Richard Sadaka. The Lebanese Civil War, 1975-1990. [Beirut?]: Institute of Financial Economics, American University of Beirut, 2003. Print.
Nofal, Gaby. Personal interview. 12 May. 2012.
Said, George. Personal interview. 11 May. 2012.
Heater, Derek Benjamin., Gwyneth Owen., and Joseph Chamie. "The Lebanese Civil War: An Investigation into the Causes." World Affairs. London: Harrap, 1975. 175. Print.
Makdisi, Samir, and Richard Sadaka. The Lebanese Civil War, 1975-1990. [Beirut?]: Institute of Financial Economics, American University of Beirut, 2003. 9. Print.
Said, George. Personal interview. 11 May. 2012.