What is it about?
This article investigates how, in recent years, key religious and political actors (the churches, official Islamic institutions, political parties, Hezbollah, Islamist movements) have attempted to establish Lebanon as a model for both Christian–Muslim relations and the Christian presence in the Middle-East.
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Why is it important?
Defining Lebanon as a model of Christian–Muslim relations seems surprising given the recent Civil War. Yet investigating this narrative which is to be found accross the sectarian and political landscape shows current dynamics, in particular the motivations, the strategies and the limits of this narrative in actually promoting interreligious relations.
Perspectives
Writing this article was a first opportunity to dwell into a topic I came across while working on my dissertation and which I have had the opportunity to study more in depth ever since (in the case of Egypt for instance): how Muslim, Islamist, and Salafist actors and institutions "use" Middle Eastern Christians as a political tool, for instance to assert their legitimacy, appear as serious and inclusive political contenders, prove Islam´s inherent tolerance. Investigating these narratives by taking into account the local contexts offers a wider perspective than a mere focus on modern discussions of the "dhimma" (see my other articles "From ‘Polytheists’ to ‘Partners in the Nation’: Islamist Attitudes Towards Coptic Egyptians in Post-revolutionary Egypt (2011–2013)" and "Die Kopten und der Arabische Frühling: Zwischen politischer Emanzipation und Minderheitenstatus").
Anna Hager
Radboud Universiteit
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: ‘Lebanon is more than a nation, more than a country. It is a message.’ Lebanon as a model of Christian–Muslim relations, Journal of Beliefs and Values, May 2017, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/13617672.2017.1317523.
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