From Ali: "As you know, most Western journalists fail to comprehensively study Lebanon’s sectarianism. Of course, this hasn’t prevented mainstream publications from writing superficially about the effects of the Syrian Civil War on Lebanon’s politics. It should be recalled that Hizbullah made attempts to reduce tensions with the Salafi community prior to the Syrian Civil War.
(1) On August 18, 2008, Hizbullah and the Belief and Justice Movement signed a memorandum of understanding that forbade violence and accusations of heresy between Shi’a and Sunni, would establish a committee of clerics to “manage disputes,” and called for the two factions to jointly oppose American and Israeli policy in Lebanon. Sheikh Dai al-Islam al Shahhal rejected the memorandum and commented that it was ‘harmful to the Sunni community’. The day after the memorandum had been signed, the Belief and Justice Movement rescinded the agreement, its leader stressing the importance of Sunni unity.
(2) Two years later, Hizbullah made a second attempt at reconciling with the Salafi community. In November 2010, Salafi cleric Omar Bakri Muhammad was sentenced to life in prison by a Lebanese court for being a member of a militant group that plotted terrorist attacks and the killing of Lebanese soldiers. A day after being arrested, Nawar Sahili, a Hizbullah MP and lawyer, offered his legal services to Bakri as a representative of the Shi’a movement. Bakri accepted Hizbullah’s offer and was been released on bail.
In December 2010, Bakri told TIME magazine that he was now ‘working to bring Sunnis and Shiites together on certain issues, such as confronting Israel.’ For a time, Bakri realigned himself with Hizbullah after the movement offered its legal services to him."
(1) On August 18, 2008, Hizbullah and the Belief and Justice Movement signed a memorandum of understanding that forbade violence and accusations of heresy between Shi’a and Sunni, would establish a committee of clerics to “manage disputes,” and called for the two factions to jointly oppose American and Israeli policy in Lebanon. Sheikh Dai al-Islam al Shahhal rejected the memorandum and commented that it was ‘harmful to the Sunni community’. The day after the memorandum had been signed, the Belief and Justice Movement rescinded the agreement, its leader stressing the importance of Sunni unity.
(2) Two years later, Hizbullah made a second attempt at reconciling with the Salafi community. In November 2010, Salafi cleric Omar Bakri Muhammad was sentenced to life in prison by a Lebanese court for being a member of a militant group that plotted terrorist attacks and the killing of Lebanese soldiers. A day after being arrested, Nawar Sahili, a Hizbullah MP and lawyer, offered his legal services to Bakri as a representative of the Shi’a movement. Bakri accepted Hizbullah’s offer and was been released on bail.
In December 2010, Bakri told TIME magazine that he was now ‘working to bring Sunnis and Shiites together on certain issues, such as confronting Israel.’ For a time, Bakri realigned himself with Hizbullah after the movement offered its legal services to him."
