Islamic Dawa Party in Lebanon
Encyclopedia
The Islamic Dawa Party in Lebanon(Arabic
حزب الدعوة الإسلامية Ḥizb al Daʿwa al-Islāmiyya) was a Shia fundamentalist or Islamist Shia party in Lebanon
. A twin party of the larger Islamic Dawa Party
of Iraq, it was founded by Najaf
-educated Shia clerics returning to Lebanon. Its spiritual guide was Shiekh Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah
.
Like its Iraqi twin, Dawa was said to "emphasize extreme secrecy and underground activity, in alignment with traditional Shi'i doctrine of protecting the community against persecution." An indication of the closeness of the two parties is that several Lebanese took part in the 1983 Iraqi al-Da'wa bomb attack
on six Kuwaiti, American and French targets in Kuwait. Islamic Dawa in Lebanon is also thought to have been behind the assassination of the French
ambassador
to Lebanon, Louis Delamare (59) on September 4, 1981. The attack was thought to be in retaliation for France's granting sanctuary to deposed Iranian president Abolhassan Banisadr
against the wishes of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Following the Iranian Revolution
the "more radical Najaf-educated clergy" of Lebanon, with the "active encourage[ment]" of Iran, turned away from the party believing that "the secretive and underground nature of the party" hindered its effectiveness.
It would later become a "core component in the establishment of the Hezbollah movement in 1982" and by late 1984 it had merged with that radical but more open Shia "umbrella group" along with other Lebanese Islamist groups - Islamic Amal, Dawa, the Hussein Suicide Squad, Jundallah (Soldiers of God) and the Islamic Students Union). "The legacy of the Lebanese al-Da'wa party had and continues to have, a strong impact on the ideology, direction and organisational structure" of Hezbollah.
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
حزب الدعوة الإسلامية Ḥizb al Daʿwa al-Islāmiyya) was a Shia fundamentalist or Islamist Shia party in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. A twin party of the larger Islamic Dawa Party
Islamic Dawa Party
The Islamic Dawa Party or Islamic Call Party is a political party in Iraq. Dawa and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council are two of the main parties in the religious-Shiite United Iraqi Alliance, which won a plurality of seats in both the provisional January 2005 Iraqi election and the longer-term...
of Iraq, it was founded by Najaf
Najaf
Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...
-educated Shia clerics returning to Lebanon. Its spiritual guide was Shiekh Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah
Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah
Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Fadl-Allāh was a prominent Lebanese Twelver Shi'a marja....
.
Like its Iraqi twin, Dawa was said to "emphasize extreme secrecy and underground activity, in alignment with traditional Shi'i doctrine of protecting the community against persecution." An indication of the closeness of the two parties is that several Lebanese took part in the 1983 Iraqi al-Da'wa bomb attack
1983 Kuwait bombings
The 1983 Kuwait bombings were attacks on six key foreign and Kuwaiti installations on December 12, 1983, two months after the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing. The 90-minute coordinated attack on two embassies, the country's main airport and petro-chemical plant, was more notable for the damage it was...
on six Kuwaiti, American and French targets in Kuwait. Islamic Dawa in Lebanon is also thought to have been behind the assassination of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Lebanon, Louis Delamare (59) on September 4, 1981. The attack was thought to be in retaliation for France's granting sanctuary to deposed Iranian president Abolhassan Banisadr
Abolhassan Banisadr
Abulhassan Banisadr is an Iranian politician, economist and human rights activist who served as the first President of Iran from 4 February 1980 after the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the abolition of the monarchy until his impeachment on 21 June 1981 by the Parliament of Iran...
against the wishes of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Following the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
the "more radical Najaf-educated clergy" of Lebanon, with the "active encourage[ment]" of Iran, turned away from the party believing that "the secretive and underground nature of the party" hindered its effectiveness.
It would later become a "core component in the establishment of the Hezbollah movement in 1982" and by late 1984 it had merged with that radical but more open Shia "umbrella group" along with other Lebanese Islamist groups - Islamic Amal, Dawa, the Hussein Suicide Squad, Jundallah (Soldiers of God) and the Islamic Students Union). "The legacy of the Lebanese al-Da'wa party had and continues to have, a strong impact on the ideology, direction and organisational structure" of Hezbollah.