User:Reemslim/July 2013 Beirut bombing

On July 9th, 2013 the southern suburb of Beirut, Bir el-Abed was hit by a car bomb. The bombing injured at least 53 people, as it was close to a supermarket which was heavily packed in preparation for Ramadan, but fortunately did not claim any lives. The bombing increased fear amongst the Lebanese people that the war in Syria was close to entering Lebanese territory. This bombing took place in the heart of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group's primary location. This group is a Shia Islamist political party known for supporting, and fighting alongside President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war; leading people to believe that the bombing was intentional, and intending to relay a message to those it targeted.

Background:

Leading up to the bombing in 2013, border tension between Lebanon and Syria had been increasing. Beginning in March of 2013, Syria aircrafts drop rockets on northern Lebanon after warning Beirut to no longer allow their militant groups to cross the border to fight the war in Syria. The Lebanese militant groups were fighting against the Syrian government, and this intervention into the Syrian civil war was not appreciated by Syrian officials; the attacks on Lebanon was a warning to stop. In May of 2013, ten individuals died in Tripoli due to sectarian clashes between supporters and opponents of the Syrian government. The turmoil continued in June of 2013 when multiple individuals were murdered in a cross battle between a Hezbollah gunman and Syrian rebels, followed by the death of 17 Lebanese soldiers by Sunni militants. These events of 2013 accurately depict the political tension between Lebanon and Syria. Lebanon was greatly effected by the civil war in Syria, all leading up to the July 9th car bombing in Bir el-Abed.

Sunni- Shia Conflict:

Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political party in support of Bashar al-Assad, they gain their financial support and arms from Iran. They originally started out as an organization widely liked by many Lebanese individuals due to their role in freeing southern Lebanon from Israeli ruling. However, this is no longer the case due to the fact that Hezbollah is fighting to turn Lebanon into an Islamist ruling country, and spread Iranian ruling throughout the Middle East. This is something that the majority of Lebanese individuals are against, considering Lebanon is widely known for their diversity and freedom in religions. Hezbollah was declared a terrorist organization in 2013 by the European Union, and was separated from the Lebanese government, making them an independent militia fighting on behalf of Iran rather than the country of Lebanon. Although Sunnis and Shias are fundamentally very similar, the split between the two sects dates back 14 centuries and can be traced to disagreements about who would succeed after the Prophet Muhammed. Sunnis are the majority sect, with about 85% of Muslims identifying as Sunni, and 15% identifying as Shia. Shia represents the majority of the population Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and Azerbaijan, and Hezbollah in Lebanon; while Sunni represents the majority in about 40 countries world wide. This division between the two sects bled into the 21st century when the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran produced a radical form of Shia Islam that clashed with Sunni conservatives in countries like Saudi Arabia. The radical form of Shia Islam in Iran is the ruling that Hezbollah wants to spread through the Middle East, other powerful countries are opposed to this form of ruling. This disagreement has been the source of the recent Sunni-Shia conflict in the Middle East, and has been the primary reason as to why Sunni and Shia groups are in constant battle and involving countries like Lebanon, resulting in the car bombings that we saw all throughout 2013, and specifically on July 9th, 2013.

Speculations of who is responsible for the bombing:

Although no one has step forth and took responsibility for the bombing, there are a few speculations as to what political party was responsible for this tragedy. Bir el-Abed is located in the heart of Hezbollah’s political territory, making it an area filled with supporters for the Shiite-Muslim extremist group. This attack to their territory caused many angry, and grieving Shiite Muslims to place blame on the Lebanese or Syrian militants who are in support of the Sunni-led uprising in the neighboring country of Syria. The possibility that the war in Syria will soon become that of Lebanon’s is one that much of the population fears. Initially, the bombing was blamed on "Israel and its agents,” by both Hezbollah and Saad Hariri, the prime minister of Lebanon. However, many speculate that this was done to keep the Sunni-Shia peace at a time of Sunni anger with Hezbollah for its support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Hezbollah supporters feared that they would be attacked for their groups’ intervention in Syria.

Reactions:

The people of Lebanon were met with a cloud of black smoke as they prepared to celebrate Ramadan, a religious holiday. This bombing prompted chaos in Lebanon, as people rushed to the streets to portray their anger and grief. Hezbollah supporters flood the streets and began chanting, booing, and charging the vehicle of Marwan Charbel, Lebanon’s interior minister, drove up. The Hezbollah supporters expressed themselves through Shiite slogans, insults, and degrading Sunni religious symbols. The chaos ensued for several hours after the bombing, until the people returned to their daily lives as this bombing did not compare to the wars they have previously lived through.

The bombing was later claimed by a brigade of the Free Syrian Army[1] while a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army denied any implication in the bombing.[6] A month later on 15 August 2013, another car bomb exploded in the same district, this time killing twenty seven people and injuring over 200.

The months following the July bombing remained difficult upon the people of Lebanon. In November of 2013, a double suicide bombing outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut took place and claimed the lives of 22 people. This behavior continued on for years while Hezbollah gradually gained power and influence over the Lebanese government, making it so that the attacks on Lebanon ceased due to the fact that Hezbollah was able to achieve their goal of holding the majority of power within the Lebanese administration, parliament, and military. This power has yet to be regained by the Lebanese people and government due to the fact that Lebanon is currently in a political revolution, and Hezbollah is too powerful to overpower.