 Distribution of Sunni Muslims in Lebanon | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| ~1,200,000 (30.6%)[1] | |
| Languages | |
| Vernacular: Lebanese Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Islam (Sunni Islam) |
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Lebanese Sunni Muslims (Arabic:المسلمون السنة اللبنانيين) refers toLebanese people who are adherents of theSunni branch ofIslam inLebanon, which is one of the largest denomination in Lebanon tied withShias. Sunni Islam in Lebanon has a history of more than a millennium. According to aCIA 2018 study, Lebanese Sunni Muslims constitute an estimated 30.6% ofLebanon's population.[2]
The Lebanese Sunni Muslims are highly concentrated in Lebanon's capital city -Beirut (West Beirut /or Beirut II), as well asTripoli,Sidon,Western Beqaa, and in the countryside of theAkkar,Arsal. They also have a notable presence inZahlé,Southern Lebanon,Marjaayoun andChebaa.[3]
Under the terms of an unwritten agreement known as theNational Pact between the various political and religious leaders of Lebanon, Sunni notables traditionally held power in the Lebanese state together, and they are still the only ones eligible for the post ofPrime Minister.[4]
Historically, Sunnis in Lebanon fared better under the rule of theOttoman Empire than did Lebanon's other religious groups. Although the Ottomans ruled loosely, the Sunnis in coastal cities were given a degree of privileged status. However, this ended with the French mandate.[5]
In 1920, France legally extended the borders ofGreater Lebanon to include all the territories of what is now Lebanon. This enhanced the position of theMaronites, whose population exceeded that of the Sunni Muslims in the new districts.[6] This changed Lebanon's demographics, as the territories added contained predominantly Muslim areas. This made Lebanese Christians constitute barely over 50% of the population, whereas the Sunni population increased eightfold. The Sunnis resented this, as they were formerly part of the majority within theOttoman Empire, but now became a minority in a Maronite-dominated French mandate. In the 1932 Lebanon census, 175,925 individuals, constituting 22% of the total population of 785,543, were Sunni Muslims.[7]
The Lebanese Sunni Muslims did not want to be separated from their Sunni Muslim brethren inSyria, whereas the Lebanese Christians wanted a French or European-oriented Lebanon to ensure economic viability that was separate from Syria.[8] The Sunni community saw Greater Lebanon as an artificial entity, and repeatedly insisted on being reunited withGreater Syria and the rest of theArab homeland.[9]
In 1975, theLebanese Civil War broke out between Maronite forces and the Lebanese Army on one side, and Sunni militias of theLebanese National Movement (LNM) andPalestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on the other.Pan-Arabism andleftism attracted its largest following among the Sunni community of Lebanon.[5] Following theSabra and Shatila massacre in 1982, theMourabitoun launched a series of attacks on theIsrael Defense Forces. TheTaif Agreement in October 1989 ended the civil war. It provided equal representation for Christians and Muslims in the enlarged chamber of deputies, reduced the powers of the Maronite president, and increased powers for the Sunni prime minister. WithSaudi Arabian support, the Sunnis achieved a position of power out of all proportion to their number or influence.[10]
The Sunnis of Lebanon have close ties withSaudi Arabia, who supports them financially.[11][12] Moreover, Tripoli, the stronghold of the Lebanese Sunnis, is also the birthplace of Lebanon'sSalafi movement.[13] According to 2016 polling, 82% of Lebanese Sunnis have a favorable opinion of Saudi Arabia.[14]
The Lebanese Sunni Muslims initially opposed the creation of the Lebanese state separated from Syria, where the majority of the population was also Sunni Muslim, and wanted the territory of present-day Lebanon to be incorporated within the so-calledGreater Syria.[15]
Sunni Muslims andAlawites have been in conflict with each other for centuries. The Alawites of the Levant were oppressed by the SunniOttoman Empire, but gained power and influence when the French recruited Alawites as soldiers during theFrench mandate of Syria.[16][17][18] After independence from France, their co-religionists, theAssad family, came to power inSyria in 1970.[19]
Over the years, there have been numerous clashes between the Sunni and Alawi communities inTripoli since the breakout of theSyrian revolution, as part of theArab Spring that started inTunisia. At the best of times, theAlawites are regarded bySunnis as heretics; at times of tension, when thousands of Sunnis in Syria were being killed, they were regarded as the enemy. And when a popular Sunni figure is strangely abducted and arrested by Lebanon's General Security Service – the Alawites become the scapegoats.[20] Throughout theSyrian civil war, most Lebanese Sunnis supported theSyrian opposition, with some joining Syrian rebel forces and supplying theFree Syrian Army with arms and munitions.[21]
In December 2024, Lebanese Sunnis took to the streets to celebrate thefall of the Assad regime following successfulHTS-ledSyrian opposition offensives, with major demonstrations especially inTripoli andBeirut.[22][23][24] Lebanese Sunni share many views with thenew Syrian government ofAhmed al-Sharaa, including opposition toHezbollah and theAxis of Resistance. According to analysts, the events in Syria have empowered Lebanese Sunnis and emboldenedSalafist groups in Lebanon, who may now deepen their ties with Salafist counterparts in Syria.[25][26]
Lebanese Sunnis are largely hostile toIran, viewing it as a destabilizing force due to its support forHezbollah and other Shia militias. According to polling data from 2012, 95% of Lebanese Sunnis hold a negative view of Iran, with 94% strongly opposing theIranian nuclear program.[27]
Sunnis are also vehemently opposed to Hezbollah—viewing it as an untrustworthysectarian force—a stance that intensified following theassassination of Sunni former Prime MinisterRafic Hariri in 2005, which was blamed on Hezbollah. Their opposition deepened further following the2008 Lebanon conflict andHezbollah's involvement in the Syrian civil war in support of theAssad regime.[28] In 2010, 84% of Lebanese Sunnis had a negative view of Hezbollah, compared to only 12% that had a positive view.[29]
Lebanese Sunni Muslims are concentrated in cities of westBeirut,Tripoli,Sidon and in north Lebanon in theAkkar and Minnieh Dinnieh districts, middle and West Bekaa, Chouf district and Laqlouq in Mount Lebanon, Hasbaya district, and Northeastern Beqaa Valley mainly in and around the city ofArsal.[30]
Note that the following percentages are estimates only. However, in a country that had last census in 1932, it is difficult to have correct population estimates.
The last census in Lebanon in 1932 put the numbers of Sunnis at 22% of the population (178,100 of 791,700).[32] A study done by theCentral Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1985 put the numbers of Sunnis at 27% of the population (595,000 of 2,228,000).[32] Sunni Muslims constitute 27% ofLebanon's population, according to a 2012 estimate.[31] And more recently, in 2023, theCIA World Factbook estimated that Sunni Muslims constitute 31.9% of Lebanon's population.[33]
| Year | Sunni Population | Total Lebanese Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1861 | 76,565 | 487,600 | 15.7% |
| 1921 | 124,786 | 609,069 | 20.5% |
| 1932 | 175,925 | 785,543 | 22.4% |
| 1956 | 285,698 | 1,407,858 | 20.3% |
| 1975 | 663,500 | 2,550,000 | 26% |
| 1988 | 861,046 | 4,044,784 | 21.3% |
| Governorates of Lebanon | 2014[39] | 2022[40] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| North Governorate | 286 292 | 28.83% | 333 184 | 29.29% |
| Beirut Governorate | 211 862 | 21.33% | 231 695 | 20.37% |
| Akkar Governorate | 170 566 | 17.17% | 202 146 | 17.77% |
| Beqaa Governorate | 109 859 | 11.06% | 124 952 | 10.98% |
| Mount Lebanon Governorate | 70 918 | 7.14% | 78 383 | 6.89% |
| South Governorate | 68 671 | 6.93% | 79 501 | 6.99% |
| Baalbek-Hermel Governorate | 41 084 | 4.14% | 48 328 | 4.25% |
| Nabatieh Governorate | 30 716 | 3.09% | 36 877 | 3.24% |
| Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate | 3 156 | 0.32% | 2 499 | 0.22% |
| Total Lebanese Sunni population | 993 124 | 100% | 1 137 565 | 100% |
Genealogical DNA testing has shown that 27,7% of Lebanese Muslims (non-Druze) belong to theY-DNAhaplogroup J1. Although there is common ancestral roots, these studies show some difference was found between Muslims and non-Muslims in Lebanon, of whom only 17.1% have this haplotype. As haplogroup J1 finds its putative origins in theArabian peninsula, this likely means that the lineage was introduced by Arabs beginning at the time of the 7th centuryMuslim conquest of the Levant and has persisted among the Muslim population ever since. On the other hand, only 4.7% of all Lebanese Muslims belong tohaplogroup R1b, compared to 9.6% ofLebanese Christians. Modern Muslims in Lebanon thus do not seem to have a significant genetic influence from theCrusaders, who probably introduced this commonWestern European marker to the extant Christian populations of theLevant when they were active in the region from1096 until around the turn of the 14th century.Haplogroup J2 is also a significant marker in throughout Lebanon (27%). This marker is found in many inhabitants of Lebanon, regardless of religion, signals pre-Arab descendants, including the Phoenicians. These genetic studies show us there is no significant differences between the Muslims and non-Muslims of Lebanon.[41]
But the coup of 1970, which brought an Alawi air force officer, Hafez Assad, to power, was what finally ended the instability that had reigned in Syria since the advent of independence.
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1 TheLebanese people has the most religious diversity of all peoples in theMiddle East, comprising 18 recognized religious sects recognized by theConstitution of Lebanon. 2 Under the terms of theConstitution of Lebanon, the Druze community is designated as a part of the Lebanese Muslim community. | |||||||
