This is a study of the identities and political mobilisation of the Lebanese Shiʿa throughout the modern history of Lebanon. Currently, the dominant paradigms for such studies focus on the question of sectarianism in Lebanon and the corresponding Shiʿi political movements, Amal and Hizbullah. This thesis presents an alternative approach. It argues that secular identities have also been an important component of the Shiʿi community’s political mobilisation. This is explored through an analysis of the relationship between the Lebanese Communist Party (LCP) and the communist Shiʿa. Drawing on interviews with senior LCP officials, current and former Shiʿi communists, party documents and additional interview evidence from the documentary film, We Were Communists, this thesis examines the origins, evolution and transformation of the relationship between the LCP and the Shiʿa after Lebanese independence in 1943, until the end of the Lebanese Civil War in 1990. Utilising the concepts of identity and political mobilisation, this thesis develops a hybridised approach to the study of political identity that combines primordial with constructionist readings of identity. This acknowledges the presence of a repertoire of multiple and varied identities among any individual or group, and their potential for mobilisation. Rather than assuming the domineering influence of primordial sentiments, such as sectarian identity, the hybridised approach requires an analysis of the conditions under which a particular identity becomes the basis for political mobilisation. In the aftermath of Lebanese independence in 1943, the Shiʿi community’s political mobilisation was characterised by a politics of resistance. This was a product of the legacy of the Shiʿi community’s experience of the French Mandate (1920-1943), as well as the newly reformulated confessional political system that was established by the National Pact (1943). The net effect of these processes was the marginalisation of the Shiʿa. The LCP, as a prominent anti-system opposition movement in Lebanon at this time, became the Shiʿi community’s main vehicle for the mobilisation and development of their resistance identity. During the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) the relationship between communism and the Shiʿa transformed as the LCP went into decline and new Shiʿi political actors emerged. The mantle of the Shiʿi community’s resistance identity became subject to the tensions between communism and communalism within the community. In the end, the Shiʿi community’s resistance identity was adopted and repackaged by Hizbullah, under whose auspices it remains today. The Shiʿi-communist relationship constitutes the Shiʿi community’s first engagement with formal, party-based and ideologically driven political mobilisation in Lebanon. The impact and legacy of the LCP’s influence on the Shiʿa in these terms encompasses not just the communist Shiʿa, but every other political actor in the community. Concern over the growing influence of communism led directly to the political mobilisation of the previously quietist Shiʿi religious clerics. This outcome is represented by the arrival of Imam Musa al-Sadr to Lebanon in 1959 and his stated goal of combatting the influence of communism among the Shiʿa. This thesis is an important addendum to the current understanding of the origins of Shiʿi political mobilisation, which erroneously place Musa al-Sadr at the beginning of that process. This study’s emphasis on alternative, non-sectarian forms of political identity is also a reminder of the Shiʿi community’s political diversity at a time when critical voices, resentful of Hizbullah’s and Amal’s monopoly, are currently emerging from within the ShiʿI community.

Le Liban est l'un des pays les plus petits de la région. Le système politique multi confessionnel constitue la marque principale de la société libanaise. En fait, cette spécificité intervient dans tous les aspects de la société, y compris le secteur sportif. Suite à la guerre civile qui a éclaté dans le pays de 1975 jusqu'à 1990, cette distribution religieuse, et les communautés qui en résultent, sur une surface géographique restreinte, ont rapidement conduit à penser la nécessité d'avoir un gouvernement qui puisse établir une « harmonie nécessaire » entre les 18 différents groupes religieux qui sont représentées dans la majorité des partis politiques de l'après Taëf. Ce projet de thèse tend à examiner plutôt le sens «politics» dans le sport libanais ou plutôt de la «politisation du sport» (politics) au Liban et comment cette implication politique se répercutera sur l'essor sportif au Liban. A travers une méthodologie qualitative à type de Participation Observante, nous avons profité du fait de notre appartenance politique au parti AMAL pour examiner de près les différents acteurs de la vie sportive au Liban, en commençant par la structure légale des instances sportives telles qu'elles figurent dans les textes officiels. La constitution du corpus de connaissance sur lequel portera l'analyse fut des plus compliquée vu qu'il a été nécessaire de faire usage de mon appartenance politique afin d'accéder a posteriori, à certaines sources d'information. L'analyse inductive a permis de décomposer la manipulation qu'exercent les politiciens sur le sport au Liban, dont l'essor devient totalement dépendant des agendas des partis politiques / Lebanon is the smallest country in the Middle-East characterized by its multi confessional political system. This system impacts all the aspects of social activities including sports. After the eruption of the civil war from 1975 until 1990, the existence of multiple religious communities on a limited geographical area, led to rethink their redistribution within the Lebanese government in order to ensure equity between 18 different religious groups that represent the majority of political parties during the post Taef era. This PhD project aims to examine the essence of "political use of sports" within the Lebanese sport sector or the "politicization of sport" (politics) in Lebanon and how political involvement will affect sport activities in Lebanon. Through a qualitative methodological design more specifically a Participant Observation study, I took advantage of my political affiliation to AMAL party to examine closely the various actors in the Lebanese sport sector. The study began by examining the overall structure of Sports in Lebanon starting at it emergence in official texts mainly in the Lebanese constitution. Afterwards, I gathered a body of literature by the means of my political resources in order to analyze a posteriori the relevant information. Inductive analysis was used to extract chore meanings related to politicization of sport and to highlight political manipulation of sports in Lebanon. Growth of certain sport disciplines became sometimes totally dependent on political parties’ agendas

This thesis highlights a new approach to the programs and agenda of the Shi`ite representative body in Lebanon known under the acronym AMAL. The period studied is from 1969--1984. Previous studies have drawn insufficient attention to the important and quintessentially Islamic relation between religion and politics for this particular community. This relation becomes a focal point for this thesis. / Here, I study and tell the story of how a politically and socially marginalized sector of a society awakened unto itself and sought change in its political, social and economic position. This change involved a reaffirmation of specifically Shi`i doctrines, beliefs and motifs which helped this community assert themselves with a new identity during this fifteen year period.

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Magister Artium - MA / Imam Malik b. Anas (d. 179 A.H.) is an important intellectual figure in Islam. He is the author of the first hadith collection, the Muwatta, and is the founder of one of the four major Sunni schools of law. His contribution towards formulating a distinct legal school allows millions of Muslims daily to perform their daily rituals of worship. Previous research, however, has not given enough attention to a systematic study of his beliefs. This study intends to address this shortcoming. My thesis examines the belief of imam Malik, particularly his concept of faith and the external expression thereof. It examines the first two eras of Islam, that of the Companions and Followers, which preceded him and their influence on his methodology of formulating his theological and legal views. It further looks at his approach to the textual evidences and his attitude towards speculative reasoning (kalam) regarding theological issues. This study further aims to verify the statements attributed to imam Malik regarding what constitutes correct faith and whether it increases or decreases. It also looks at the conflicting statements attributed to him regarding the increase and decrease of faith and tries to resolve them. Furthermore, it sources reliable biographical information on imam Malik to determine his attitude towards the diverse theological trends such as the Qadarites and Murji’ites prevalent during his time. In addition, the study compares the views of imam Malik with that of the other three founders of the Sunni Sunni legal schools.