The Islamist groups in Tripoli. (c2008)

Abstract

For the past decade, especially after the 9111 events, many scholars have related the terrorism phenomenon mainly to Islamic groups. After doing an extended research, I found that rarely scholars have researched the Sunni Islamist groups in Lebanon for the exceptions of the ones located in Palestinian camps. Due to lack of literature resources found on this topic, this thesis relies basically on the publications of the Islamist groups themselves and on interviews, with mainly authority and leaders of the Islamist groups, to get practical information. Many studies have unfortunately linked the Islamic religion with terrorism. This is a misconceived notion since the Islamic religion is one of peace; and Islam and radical Islamists are entirely two different things. The purpose of this paper is to distinguish between these two concepts. Although Islamist groups vary in their means and methods to achieve their goals, nevertheless, all Islamist groups share the same ideology which consists of aspiring to use Muslim law or the Sharia as the only law to follow. What makes it even more critical for scholars to study them further is that some of the Islamist groups are ending up being terrorists; those are mostly the jihadi Muslim who view terrorism as a part of their religious duty to save Islam from the aggressiveness of the non-Islamic world. However, do these Islamist groups interpret Islam as it is really is? Does Islam really protect terrorism? This thesis will confirm that Islam is against all Jihadist Islamist's violent acts. Over the past few years, the number of Islamic fundamentalist groups has soared and some have become a significant force in the Middle East, especially in Lebanon. Both domestic and external causes have allowed those Islamists to play a major role in the politics of Lebanon where they are capable of acting with greater freedom than in any other country. This thesis attempts to focus more on those main causes. Tripoli, Lebanon's second largest city, has always been a fertile ground for Islamist groups. For the past few years Tripoli has witnessed an increase in problems between Islamists and the Lebanese government, and this is affecting the entire country. To understand the situation further, it is currently more vital than ever to conduct this research about the Islamist groups in Tripoli, their reality, effects and connections. Additionally, this thesis deals with the following currently existing main Sunni islamist groups in Tripoli: Al Salafiyian, Harakat Al Tawhid al Islami, Majmouat al-Dinniyeh, Al Tahrir party, Al Jamaa Al Islamiya, Al Ahbash , Jabhat al Amal al islami , and Fatih al islam to the second. This study will focus on each of these group's background, ideology, goals and connections. Moreover, as mentioned in the International Crisis Group report titled "Understanding Islamism", Sunni Islamist groups can be classified into three different types: political, missionary, and jihadi. To understand the Islamist groups of Tripoli better, this thesis tries to categorize these groups into these three types. Furthermore, this thesis attempts to determine why Tripoli's inhabitants have increasingly participated recently in Islamist groups. What are the causes behind that? Also many Tripolitarians change memberships and shift their allegiance• from one Islamic group to another. What is the rationale for that? Obviously, one cannot study such a phenomenon without reflecting on how terrorist acts can be prevented. By whom and by what means? In short, this thesis seeks to complement the literature on Islamic political groups to fill the gap regarding those Sunni Islamists who are found in Lebanon and Tripoli in particular which embraces the majority of the Sunni Islamist groups of Lebanon .Also, it stresses that Islam is against the violent acts and that not all Sunni Islamist groups are Jihadist and fundamentalist.