Civil and Uncivil Violence in Lebanon: A History of the Internationalization of Communal Conflict

by Samir Khalaf

Overview

In this long-awaited work, Samir Khalaf analyzes the history of civil strife and political violence in Lebanon and reveals the inherent contradictions that have plagued that country and made it so vulnerable to both inter-Arab and superpower rivalries. How did a

fairly peaceful and resourceful society, with an impressive history of viable

pluralism, coexistence, and republicanism, become the site of so much

barbarism and incivility? Khalaf argues that historically internal grievances have been magnified or deflected to become the source of international conflict. From the beginning, he shows, foreign interventions have consistently exacerbated internal problems.

Lebanon's fragmented political culture is a byproduct of two general features. First, it reflects the traditional forces and political conflicts caused by striking differences in religious beliefs and communal and sectarian loyalties that continue to split the society and reinforce its factional character. Second, and superimposed on these, are new forms of socioeconomic and cultural stress caused by Lebanon's role in the continuing international conflicts in the region.

Khalaf concludes that Lebanon is now at a crossroads in its process of political and social transformation, and proposes some strategies to re-create a vibrant civil and political culture that can accommodate profound transformations in the internal, domestic sphere as well as mediate developments taking place internationally. Throughout, Khalaf demonstrates how the internal and external currents must be considered simultaneously in order to understand the complex and tragic history of the country. This deeply considered and subtle analysis of the interplay of complex historical forces helps us to imagine a viable future not only for Lebanon but also for the Middle East as a whole.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231505369
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	04/18/2002
Series:	History and Society of the Modern Middle East
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Samir Khalaf is professor of sociology and chair of the Center for Behavioral Research at the American University of Beirut. He is the author of many books, including Lebanon's Predicament, published by Columbia.

Table of Contents

1. On Proxy Wars and Surrogate Victims
2. The Radicalization of Communal Loyalties
3. The Drift Into Incivility
4. Peasants, Commoners, and Clerics: Resistance and Rebellion, 1820-1860
5. Revolt and Counter-Revolt: Civil Strife of 1958
6. Lebanon's Golden/Gilded Age: 1943-1975
7. From Playground to Battleground: Preludes to Civil Strife
8. The Scares and Scars of War
9. From Shakib Effendi to Ta'if
10. Prospects for Civility

What People are Saying About This

Philip S. Khoury

A leading sociologist offers us the most intelligent and eminently useful interpretation of Lebanon's long history of communal conflict and foreign intervention. We learn not only why certain institutions and patterns of life broke down but also why others have persisted as long as they have, in spite of some of the most devastating civil conflict and dangerous external challenges ever experienced by a single country. For an examination of the prospects for restoring civility in Lebanon we can do no better than to read Samir Khalaf.

— Philip S. Khoury, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Fawaz A. Gerges

In contrast to many observers who stress either the preponderant role of internal or external variables, Samir Khalaf shows the interconnection between the two and persuasively argues that Lebanon's entrapment in protracted social strife is largely a byproduct of the interplay between internal dislocations and external pressures. Civil and Uncivil Violence is an interpretive, interdisciplinary sociological essay, one of the most comprehensive volumes written recently on Lebanon. In this context, it serves as a useful text in both undergraduate and graduate courses.

— Fawaz A. Gerges, Sarah Lawrence College

Editorial Reviews

A fascinating history of conflict in Lebanon since the early nineteenth century.

Middel East Quarterly - Marius Deeb

Khalaf succeeds in crafting a narrative that is engaging, scholarly—and, perhaps most refreshing—hopeful

International Journal of Middle East Studies - Akram Fouad Khater

Eminently readable, with an insider feel for detail and complexity.

International Affairs

Civil and Uncivil Violence in Lebanon makes a major contribution to the study of democratic theory.

Middle East Policy - Bill S. Mikhail

A book which offers a sustained and original reflection upon the character and dynamics of internal conflict in Lebanon.

Oxfam Developemental Resources Review

A fascinating history of conflict in Lebanon since the early nineteenth century.

— Marius Deeb

Middel East Quarterly

Khalaf succeeds in crafting a narrative that is engaging, scholarly—and, perhaps most refreshing—hopeful

— Akram Fouad Khater

International Journal of Middle East Studies

Civil and Uncivil Violence in Lebanon makes a major contribution to the study of democratic theory.

— Bill S. Mikhail

Middle East Policy