The Evolution of the Shiite Political Movement: From AMAL to Hezbollah

This article addresses the emergence of the Shiite political movement in Lebanon, its organization process and the essential dynamics that played a role in the emergence of AMAL and Hezbollah organizations. Even though a Shiite population has existed in Lebanon for hundreds of years, it managed to become a political actor only in the 20th century. The French administration in Lebanon provided that the Shiites became a political and social component in the society, but nevertheless the developments were far from meeting the expectations of the Shiite population. Inequalities in the political and economic life in Lebanon played an important role in the emergence of the Shiite political movement. Dynamics such as the increasing population, immigration towards urban areas and class changes did play a significant role in the emergence of the Shiite political movement. The Shiites, who were influenced by the socialist movements in the world and Middle East within the cyclical framework of that period, used the left-protest ideology to express the unjust treatment in their sectarian faith. The leadership of Imam Sadr played an important role in uniting the class reaction with the Shiite symbolism. The AMAL movement emerged in such circumstances. The AMAL movement rapidly assumed a military characteristic under the conditions prevailing in the Civil War and became a significant actor. Beginning from the end of the 1970s, differences of opinion came into the picture within AMAL which was supported by all the Shiites. Factors such as the breakout of the Second Cold War, the crisis experienced within the Arab national movement and Socialism, the Islamic revolution in Iran, the Palestine problem, occupation of Lebanon by Israel played an important role first in the division of AMAL and later in the emergence of Hezbollah.