Abstract:
Shia mobilization in Lebanon is profoundly interlinked with religious identity and economic grievances, which are both influenced by the sectarian political system of the nation. This thesis investigates how religious and economic mobilization intersect within the Shia Muslim community. The focus of the study is on economic-motivated protests such as the 2015 “You Stink” movement and the 2019 October Revolution, and religious-motivated protests illustrated by the Ashura commemorations and Martyr's Day. The thesis employs a qualitative comparative case study method, assessing how socioeconomic grievances instigate social movements that last in the short run while religious rites sustain collective identity among the Shia Muslims and political influence in the long run. The paper also assimilates comparative insights from the mobilization of Sunni Muslims in Iraq and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. The thesis contends that whereas economic mobilization usually faces difficulties in attaining long-term political transformation, religious mobilization usually lasts longer owing to its entrenched sectarian networks and institutional support. Policy recommendations comprise addressing existing socioeconomic inequalities, nurturing sectarian cooperation, and enhancing the engagement of global financial institutions to promote both economic and political stability in the nation.
