The impact of Islamic Revolution of Iran on Lebanon

ANALYSIS
The impact of Islamic Revolution of Iran on Lebanon
Compiled by Al Watan Daily

LEBANON: Over the past decade, Hezbollah has undergone a major transformation. From its origins as a radical sectarian militia in the 1980s, it has moved into the core of the Lebanese political life. Hezbollah could acquire the institutional trappings of a state and the capabilities of an army.
This organization wasn''t formed in one day by one man or because of a magic stick, many external and internal factors played major roles in its formation. Local and international events in addition to ideological reasons helped this organization to emerge. When we hear the name of Hezbollah many words and expressions come to our mind such as Shia, Iran, Lebanon the hate against Israel, and Sayed Hassan Nasrallah. Why do we have these preconceptions? Why these words, ideas, and thoughts come to our mind?
This group has a strong connection with the IranianـSyrian regional axis politically and economically. This condition has polarized Lebanon, deepening the divide between the Hezbollahـled opposition and the proـU.S. March 14 forces the 2006 summer war between Hezbollah and Israel, which Hezbollah celebrated as a "divine" victory, completed the realignment and remobilizing of forces in the Middle East. The Middle East policies of Iran and Syria are linking strategically to Hezbollah''s political dominance in Lebanon.
The ideological foundations of Hezbollah were laid in the 1960s and 1970s in Lebanon by three religious scholars: Ayatollahs Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, Muhammad Mahdi Shamseddine and Imam Musa AlـSadr. The party''s Islamist ideology, was affected by the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini''s revolutionary doctrine of Velayatـe faqih (Guardianship of the Jurisconsult), which dominated the regime in Iran in 1979. These religious scholars sought to empower and unify Lebanon''s Shi''a community.1
Under the leadership of Imam Khomeini, Iran''s Islamic revolution of February 11,1979 created an earthquake across the region, affecting the map of alliances and the extent of hegemony as well as the very interests of external powers. Iran''s stature shifted from the policeman of the Gulf region and an ally to American and Israel to one of an Islamic regime rejecting American hegemony, supporting the rights of Palestinian, supporting and creating resistance groups in the region.
In Lebanon, religious scholars and Islamic groups detected a source of hope and support in the New Iran. upon the foundation of Hezbollah, it saw a possibility for achieving its goals and aspirations through the backing of Iran.
The relationship between Iran and Hezbollah was developed in a successful way, Many reasons lay behind this success. Both Iran and Hezbollah believe in the jurisdiction of the Jurist Theologian and that Imam Khomeni was himself that leaderـ the embodiment of this Jurisdiction in this time. Therefore Iran and the party met within an international framework of international leadership legitimacy.
On the other hand, Iran''s choice of an Islamic republican system of government meets with the Islamic principles held by Hezbollah. Also, political concord is existed on the many issues such as the Iranian absolute rejection of superpower hegemony and the support of all liberation movements.