Hezbollahland

The southern Beirut suburb encompasses multiple layers of clashing and besieged identities that pose major internal challenges to Hezbollahs hold over Lebanon. The highway leading south from Beiruts Rafic Hariri International Airport skirts the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiya, allowing travelers to feel the groups power and presence without seeing the surrounding community for what it ismultiple layers of clashing and besieged identities that pose major internal challenges to Hezbollahs hold over Lebanon. For motorists, the highway barrier blocks any concept of the areas polarized conditions, from the posh, shop-lined sections where senior Hezbollah officials live to the dark, impoverished warrens postered with fading images of martyrs. Drivers also miss the network of Iran-sponsored media channels, military depots, and religious institutions that flourish in the suburbalong with the secret prisons that fortify Hezbollahs iron grip. In this Policy Focus, richly illustrated with local maps, former Lebanese journalist Hanin Ghaddar reveals the widening gaps between the countrys Shia community and its Hezbollah overlords, especially since mass protests shook the nation in October 2019. This analysis not only corrects past oversimplifications of Lebanese Shia, it also offers a path for policymakers seeking to undermine the militant group and give the fragile country hope for the future.