Sunni islamists in Northern Lebanon. (c2016)

Abstract

Sunni Islamist movements in Lebanon, particularly in the North, have grown in number against the backdrop of Syrian conflict. Islamist’s appeal has attracted a large segment of the Sunni youth population, radicalized by fear of Shiite and Alawite dominance. Mobilization has been based on sectarian indoctrination that stresses their distinction while pursuing an Islamic State. This thesis draws an investigatory situational analysis in order to reveal the development of various Islamists strands in Northern Lebanon. It questions Islamists’ willingness to join the Lebanese consociational system and explores prerequisites for their participation. The research design reveals the circumstances under which a sectarian exclusionary movement may ultimately yield to consociationalism and power sharing political arrangement. The hypothesis associates relative deprivation views with consociational and plural politics. A series of interviews with Salafist leaders and activists demonstrate views toward own state of affairs, compared to others, and ultimately capture comparative different attitude toward coexistence and power sharing.