Sectarian strife over Syria

Supporters and opponents of the Syrian presence in Lebanon took their battle to the street this week, Zeina Abu Rizk reports from Beirut
Controversy over the Syrian presence in Lebanon turned into a religious rift pitting Christians, who call for a Syrian departure, against Muslims, who insist that Syrian troops are still needed. Fearing that the growing turmoil could spin out of control, the Interior Ministry banned gatherings scheduled for 11 April, 26th anniversary of the beginning of the Lebanese civil war. A senior security source said that "preserving security is the state's priority" and that no one would be authorised to endanger it "under any circumstances."
Signs of sectarian division over the Syrian issue began appearing two weeks ago, upon Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir's return to the country. During his lengthy trip to the United States, Sfeir repeatedly called for Syrian troops to leave Lebanon.
On 27 March, 150,000 people gathered at Bkirki, headquarters of the Maronite clergy, to welcome the patriarch and endorse his calls for national sovereignty.
In what appeared to be a direct response to the Bkirki event, the Shi'ite resistance group Hizbullah organised a rally in Haret Hreik, a southern suburb of Beirut, where about 300,000 people gathered last Wednesday to observe Ashura. Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah strongly defended the presence of Syrian troops, claiming that the majority of the population wanted them to stay.
"Those asking for Syria to leave only represent themselves," he said. "We, along with the majority of Lebanese, have a different view. If Syria decides to pull out of Lebanon, we will tell it that it is wrong."
The state responded via Muslim politicians and religious leaders, who asserted that the Syrian presence was still necessary and enjoyed popular support. As the Grand (Sunni) Mufti Sheikh Mohamed Rashid Qabbani put it in a fiery sermon last Friday, "We give a strong and decisive 'no' to the departure of the brotherly Syrian Arab troops from Lebanon."
But the debate's religious aspect was refuted by Bkirki and a number of Christian politicians. The Council of Maronite Bishops, which is presided by Sfeir, issued a statement last week protesting the "artificial sectarian atmosphere," in which Lebanese are depicted as divided. The council asserted that such an assessment of the situation "does not reflect the reality of the situation." For his part, Sfeir asserted that "it is the demand of all the Lebanese that Lebanon be independent," adding that such a demand was "natural."
The Syrian presence in Lebanon has divided the Lebanese along sectarian lines and caused religious tensions among Christians(l) and Muslims(r) (photos: AP)
"Some Lebanese politicians may deny it, but deep down they know that this is the truth," he said. In an effort to defuse the growing tension, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, a Shi'ite, called for an end to the debate over Syria's presence in Lebanon, asking that the issue be "left out of the domestic political game." The speaker explicitly said that Syria's presence was necessary as long as "peace [in the region] has not been reached."
Meanwhile, government sources revealed that efforts were under way to form a Christian front that would include MPs and ministers loyal to the political establishment and would serve as a link between the state and Bkirki. Government sources involved in the project said "the front would work under Bkirki's roof, but would not commit itself to all of the patriarch's views."
The effort is intended to express the opinion of a large faction of the Christian population which, though critical of the government's performance and stances, does not wish to join "Christian extremists" -- a reference to supporters of former army commander General Michel Aoun, in exile in France since 1992, and former head of the disbanded Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea, serving a life sentence since 1994. The idea of such a front was met with scepticism in some political circles which perceived it as an additional effort by the state to silence the patriarch and his supporters. According to this view, the state first attempted to reinforce the gap between Christians and Muslims over the Syrian presence and the establishment of a Christian front was now aimed at creating an inter-Christian divergence over the matter.
In spite of the growing tension, local authorities appeared less inclined than ever to engage in any kind of dialogue with the opposition. Commenting on the intensifying wave of protest, a senior political source asserted that no one could hope to achieve any objective "amid an atmosphere of challenge to Syria or to President Emile Lahoud." For the president, as for local authorities, the Syrian presence helps maintain security and is therefore not negotiable. Lahoud is unlikely to make any concessions in government policy on this issue.
Two important events could break the apparent deadlock between pro-Syrian authorities and opponents to the Syrian presence in Lebanon: the expected Easter meeting between Lahoud and Sfeir and Pope John Paul II's scheduled visit to Damascus in May.
While Lahoud and Sfeir's Easter Sunday meeting in Bkirki is highly unlikely to result in a real rapprochement, the two men may, however, agree on basic ideas, which would help smoothe the tense atmosphere in the country.
The pope's visit to Damascus will undoubtedly constitute a major turn in Syrian-Christian relations. But the Maronite clergy appears divided on whether or not the patriarch should join the pope in Damascus. Former cabinet member Fouad Butros, who has recently been extremely active on the Damascus-Bkirki track, reportedly encouraged the patriarch to visit Syria, a few days after Berri conveyed a similar message to the prelate.
Both Butros and Berri believe that the patriarch's visit to Syria could encourage dialogue between the two parties. Berri appeared convinced that Damascus was ready to cooperate with Lebanese factions and politicians opposed to Syrian policy in Lebanon, including Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. According to the speaker's sources, Jumblatt is expected to visit Damascus in the near future, in a move that would put an end to months of political feuding between the Chouf MP and Syrian officials. By the same logic, Damascus could be ready to reduce the gap with Bkirki, the speaker believes.
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