Al-Murabitun
Encyclopedia
The Independent Nasserite Movement (INM) or al-Murabitoun (Arabic: حركة الناصريين المستقلين-المرابطون| Harakat al-Nasiriyin al-Mustaqillin), also termed variously Mouvement des Nasséristes Indépendants (MNI) in French
, Independent Nasserite Organization (INO), or Movement of Independent Nasserists, is a Nasserist
political party
in Lebanon
.
, a blend of Socialism
and secular pan-Arab nationalism, expressed on his party slogan 'Freedom - Unity - Socialism'.
Being radically opposed to the Christian
Maronite-dominated political order in Lebanon, the political goals of al-Murabitoun were the preservation of the Arab
and secular character of Lebanon, defeat fascism
and, in the long-term, establish a socialist
political and economic system.
The INM presented itself as being pragmatic in ideological terms however, and that its doctrine was based upon a fusion between materialist Marxist
and liberal idealist
theories. In 1979, leading party cadre Samir Sabbagh described the INM as particularly close to the Lebanese Communist Party
.
’ and empoverished petty bourgeoisie Sunnis, but this did not prevent them of attracting followers from other sects.
Indeed, a 1987 report used by the U.S. Library of Congress
study on Lebanon
estimated the INM membership since the mid-1970s to be about 45% Sunni, 45% Shia and 10% Druze
, although other unconfirmed sources present the remaining 40% as Christians. Geographically, the movement had its epicentre in the Sunni areas of Beirut
.
, the INM came to prominence at the height of the 1958 Civil War
. The Movement’s own 2,000-strong militia, ‘The Sentinels’ (Arabic: Al-Murabitun, al-murabitûn or al-Mourabitoun) or ‘Les Sentinels’ in French
, clashed with the Lebanese Army and pro-government Christian militias in northern Lebanon and Beirut.
Despite experiencing a temporary decline in the years immediately after the 1958 crisis, the INM remained an active force in Lebanese politics throughout the 1960s and 1970s. At the beginning of the 1970s, the Movement re-emerged as a major political faction within the Sunni Muslim community, forging alliances with other anti-establishment leftist parties such as the Progressive Socialist Party
(PSP) led by Kamal Jumblatt
and the Lebanese Communist Party
(LCP). In 1969 the INM became a member of the “Front for Progressive Parties and National Forces” (FPPNF), later reorganized in 1972 as the Lebanese National Movement
(LNM).
Consistent with its Pan-Arab ideals, the radical INM was a staunch advocate of the Palestinian cause in Lebanon since the late 1960s, cultivating close political and military ties with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in the immediate pre-war years.
, Sunni and Shia Muslims filled the rank-and-file, its officer corps was staffed mostly by Sunnis and a few Christians.
Headquartered at Kulaylat’s own native Mahallat Abu Shaker quarter in West Beirut, the INM/al-Murabitun in the early 1980s numbered some 1,000 regular fighters and 2,000 reservists secretly trained by the Palestinian
factions (Fatah
, PFLP and As-Saiqa) and later by Lieutenant
Ahmed Al-Khatib’s Lebanese Arab Army, with weapons being provided mostly by the PLO, Libya
, Iraq
and Syria
or pilfered from Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF) and Internal Security Forces
(ISF) reserves.
Since its foundation the militia quickly attained a ‘regular’ outlook, attested by the high discipline and organization of its 3,000 uniformed militiamen onto conventional branches of Armor, Infantry and Artillery, backed by Medical, Signals and Military Police support units. Created in February 1976, the Al-Murabitun’s early armored corps initially fielded only two obsolescent Sherman Firefly
medium tanks and a few Staghound armoured cars seized from the Lebanese Army, backed by gun-trucks (commandeered US Willys
M38A1 MD jeeps, Land-Rovers and Toyota Land Cruiser light pickups), fitted with heavy machine guns, recoilless rifles and Anti-Aircraft autocannons.
The corps was later expanded in October 1982 following the departure of PLO regular forces from West Beirut. INM militia forces were able to salvage several Soviet-made T-34
/85 medium tanks, one Magach 3
MBT
captured from the IDF
in September 1982, BRDM-2
reconnaissance armoured cars, BTR-40
and BTR-152
wheeled APCs and even three ZSU-23-4
‘Shilka’ SPAAG tracked vehicles.
In addition, the seizure of some ex-PLO artillery pieces, namely 130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)
and 152 mm towed gun-howitzer M1955 (D-20)
models, plus five BM-11 130mm and BM-21 Grad 122mm MBRLs which allowed them to strengthen their own artillery corps, until then equipped mostly with obsolete Soviet ZiS-3
76.2mm anti-tank guns.
, Hamra
, Manara
, Bashoura, Basta
, Shiyah and Ras Beirut
quarters. They also operated two clandestine ports located at Ouzai district and at the Ayn al-Mraysa waterfront sector of the Lebanese capital, which were used primarily for arms-smuggling in collusion with the Sidon
-based Popular Nasserite Organization
. A third illegal port located at the Karantina
dock area in East Beirut was briefly held by the INM since November 1975, until being forced out by the Christian militias in January 1976.
The INM also had its own media services. A radio station was set up in 1975 – the “Voice of Arab Lebanon” (Arabic: Iza’at Sawt Lubnan al-Arabi) or “La Voix du Liban Arabe” in French
–, followed in 1982 by a television station – the “Television of Arab Lebanon” (Arabic: Televizyon Lubnan al-Arabi) or “Télévision du Liban Arabe” in French
– their broadcasting facilities being allocated at the Mahallat Abu Shaker Party headquarters’ offices.
broke out in April 1975, as a member of the Lebanese National Movement
the INM/Al-Murabitun was an active founder of the LNM’s military wing, the “Joint Forces” (LNM-JF). The movement claimed that was the first amongst the Lebanese "progressive" militias during the war, and by 1977 it was the largest organization within the LNM-JF, both in terms of popular support and military capacity.
During the early stages of the 1975-76 war, the al-Murabitun militia forces were heavily committed in several battles and suffered considerable casualties, especially at the Battle of the Hotels
in October 1975 where they engaged Christian Kataeb Regulatory Forces
and Tigers Militia
fighters, and later at the ‘Spring Offensive’ held against East Beirut and Mount Lebanon
in March 1976. They also took part that same year in the violent (and controversial) sieges of the Christian towns of Es-Saadiyat, Damour
, and Jiyeh in the Iqlim al-Kharrub, on the side of PLO and Palestinian Liberation Army
(PLA) units to avenge the earlier Tel al-Zaatar massacre
by the Lebanese Front
militias.
Towards the end of the 1970s heavy casualties and their involvement in atrocities against non-Muslims caused the number of militants from other sects in the ranks to drop sharply, a situation further aggrived by internal splits that occurred at the early 1980s. This led a significant number of prominent Sunnis – such as the jurist Walid Eido
and the activist Samir Sabbagh – to leave the INM leadership board to set up their own organizations, and thereby the Movement became an exclusively Sunni force. Relations with its Lebanese coalition partners were also strained to the point of the al-Murabitun battling rival Nasserite parties such as the Nasserite Correctionist Movement (NCM) in November 1975 over control of the Karantina district in East Beirut, later fighting the SSNP factions in 1980-81 for the possession of certain West Beirut quarters.
Nevertheless, the al-Murabitun did not lose its military capabilities, and during the June 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon
, they helped the PLO in the defense of the southwestern outskirts of the Lebanese Capital from IDF
attacks until the end of the siege in September of that year.
nor the pro-Syrian LNSF alliances in the mid-1980s, and consequently the political influence of the INM/al-Murabitoun had waned significantly. The Movement initially waged its own guerrilla war at the Beirut area against the Israeli occupation forces, but later fought in a more conventional fashion at the 1983-84 Mountain War allied with the Druze PSP and SSNP in the Chouf Mountains against the Christian Lebanese Forces
(LF) and the Lebanese Army.
This alliance was short-lived, however, and when the ‘War of the Camps
’ broke out in April 1985 at West Beirut, it saw the Al-Murabitun allied with the PLO, the Sixth of February Movement
and other smaller Nasserite factions pitted against a powerful coalition of PSP, LCP and Shia Amal movement
militia forces backed by Syria
. Eventually, the Al-Murabitun was crushed after a week of heavy fighting, and ceased to exist as a significant fighting force.
Thus deprived from its own military wing, the weakened INM went underground again for the remainder of the war and gradually withered away, forcing Ibrahim Kulaylat to flee the Country in 1986 to seek asylum in Switzerland
. Some remnants of the Al-Murabitun, however, remained at large in West Beirut, waging a fierce guerrilla war against the Syrian Army
until February 1987, only to be brutally suppressed in the 1987-88 anti-militia sweeps carried out jointly by Syrian “Commando” troops and the Lebanese Internal Security Forces
(ISF).
and the South (Jabal Amel
); still headed by Ibrahim Kulaylat.
).
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Independent Nasserite Organization (INO), or Movement of Independent Nasserists, is a Nasserist
Nasserism
Nasserism is an Arab nationalist political ideology based on the thinking of the former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. It was a major influence on pan-Arab politics in the 1950s and 1960s, and continues to have significant resonance throughout the Arab World to this day. It also...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
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...
.
Political beliefs
As its name implies, the INM espoused the ideals of the late Egyptian President, Gamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
, a blend of Socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and secular pan-Arab nationalism, expressed on his party slogan 'Freedom - Unity - Socialism'.
Being radically opposed to the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Maronite-dominated political order in Lebanon, the political goals of al-Murabitoun were the preservation of the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
and secular character of Lebanon, defeat fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
and, in the long-term, establish a socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
political and economic system.
The INM presented itself as being pragmatic in ideological terms however, and that its doctrine was based upon a fusion between materialist Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
and liberal idealist
Idealism
In philosophy, idealism is the family of views which assert that reality, or reality as we can know it, is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial. Epistemologically, idealism manifests as a skepticism about the possibility of knowing any mind-independent thing...
theories. In 1979, leading party cadre Samir Sabbagh described the INM as particularly close to the Lebanese Communist Party
Lebanese Communist Party
The Lebanese Communist Party – LCP or Parti communiste libanais in French, is a communist political party in Lebanon...
.
Following
Although the INM claimed to be a secular, non-sectarian movement, its membership has always been overwhelmingly Muslim, being perceived within Lebanon as a predominantely Sunni organization. During the Movement’s resurgence in the early 1970s, it drew its support largely from working classWorking class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
’ and empoverished petty bourgeoisie Sunnis, but this did not prevent them of attracting followers from other sects.
Indeed, a 1987 report used by the U.S. Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
study on 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...
estimated the INM membership since the mid-1970s to be about 45% Sunni, 45% Shia and 10% Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
, although other unconfirmed sources present the remaining 40% as Christians. Geographically, the movement had its epicentre in the Sunni areas of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
.
Early History
Founded in 1957 at Beirut by a group of Lebanese Nasserite activists led by Ibrahim Qoleilat who opposed the pro-Western policies of President Camille ChamounCamille Chamoun
Camille Nimr Chamoun was President of Lebanon from 1952 to 1958, and one of the country's main Christian leaders during most of the Lebanese Civil War ....
, the INM came to prominence at the height of the 1958 Civil War
Lebanon crisis of 1958
The 1958 Lebanon crisis was a Lebanese political crisis caused by political and religious tensions in the country. It included a U.S. military intervention.-Background:...
. The Movement’s own 2,000-strong militia, ‘The Sentinels’ (Arabic: Al-Murabitun, al-murabitûn or al-Mourabitoun) or ‘Les Sentinels’ in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, clashed with the Lebanese Army and pro-government Christian militias in northern Lebanon and Beirut.
Despite experiencing a temporary decline in the years immediately after the 1958 crisis, the INM remained an active force in Lebanese politics throughout the 1960s and 1970s. At the beginning of the 1970s, the Movement re-emerged as a major political faction within the Sunni Muslim community, forging alliances with other anti-establishment leftist parties such as the Progressive Socialist Party
Progressive Socialist Party
The Progressive Socialist Party or PSP , also known as Parti Socialiste Progressiste in French, is a political party in Lebanon. Its current leader is Walid Jumblatt...
(PSP) led by Kamal Jumblatt
Kamal Jumblatt
Kamal Jumblatt ; was an important Lebanese politician. He was the main leader of the anti-government forces in the Lebanese Civil War until his assassination in 1977. He is the father of the present Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt.-Family background and education:Kamal Jumblatt was born in...
and the Lebanese Communist Party
Lebanese Communist Party
The Lebanese Communist Party – LCP or Parti communiste libanais in French, is a communist political party in Lebanon...
(LCP). In 1969 the INM became a member of the “Front for Progressive Parties and National Forces” (FPPNF), later reorganized in 1972 as the Lebanese National Movement
Lebanese National Movement
The Lebanese National Movement or Mouvement National Libanais in French, was a front of parties and organizations active during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War...
(LNM).
Consistent with its Pan-Arab ideals, the radical INM was a staunch advocate of the Palestinian cause in Lebanon since the late 1960s, cultivating close political and military ties with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in the immediate pre-war years.
Military structure and organization
Quietly re-formed in early 1975, their “Sentinels” militia started with just 150–200 poorly armed militants, but it subsequently grew to several thousand men and women drawn from the Muslim quarters of West Beirut placed under the command of Kulaylat himself. Whilst DruzeDruze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
, Sunni and Shia Muslims filled the rank-and-file, its officer corps was staffed mostly by Sunnis and a few Christians.
Headquartered at Kulaylat’s own native Mahallat Abu Shaker quarter in West Beirut, the INM/al-Murabitun in the early 1980s numbered some 1,000 regular fighters and 2,000 reservists secretly trained by the Palestinian
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
factions (Fatah
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
, PFLP and As-Saiqa) and later by Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Ahmed Al-Khatib’s Lebanese Arab Army, with weapons being provided mostly by the PLO, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
or pilfered from Lebanese Armed Forces
Lebanese Armed Forces
The Lebanese Armed Forces or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the Lebanese Army according to its official Website The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) (Arabic: القوات المسلحة اللبنانية | Al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥa al-Lubnāniyya) or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the...
(LAF) and Internal Security Forces
Internal Security Forces
The Internal Security Forces – ISF or Forces de Sécurité Intérieure in French, are the national police and security force of Lebanon. Modern police were established in Lebanon in 1861, with creation of the Gendarmerie...
(ISF) reserves.
Since its foundation the militia quickly attained a ‘regular’ outlook, attested by the high discipline and organization of its 3,000 uniformed militiamen onto conventional branches of Armor, Infantry and Artillery, backed by Medical, Signals and Military Police support units. Created in February 1976, the Al-Murabitun’s early armored corps initially fielded only two obsolescent Sherman Firefly
Sherman Firefly
The Sherman Firefly was a World War II British variant of the American Sherman tank, fitted with the powerful British 17 pounder anti-tank gun as its main weapon...
medium tanks and a few Staghound armoured cars seized from the Lebanese Army, backed by gun-trucks (commandeered US Willys
Willys
Willys was the brand name used by Willys-Overland Motors, an American automobile company best known for its design and production of military Jeeps and civilian versions during the 20th century.-Early History:In 1908, John Willys bought the Overland Automotive Division of Standard Wheel Company...
M38A1 MD jeeps, Land-Rovers and Toyota Land Cruiser light pickups), fitted with heavy machine guns, recoilless rifles and Anti-Aircraft autocannons.
The corps was later expanded in October 1982 following the departure of PLO regular forces from West Beirut. INM militia forces were able to salvage several Soviet-made T-34
T-34
The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...
/85 medium tanks, one Magach 3
Magach
Magach designation refers to a series of tanks in Israeli service. The tanks are based on the American M48 and M60 Patton tanks. Magach 1, 2, 3 and 5 are based upon M48 tanks; Magach 6 and 7 are based upon M60 tanks.-Service history:...
MBT
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
captured from the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
in September 1982, BRDM-2
BRDM-2
The BRDM-2 is an amphibious armoured patrol car used by Russia and the former Soviet Union. It was also known under designations BTR-40PB, BTR-40P-2 and GAZ 41-08...
reconnaissance armoured cars, BTR-40
BTR-40
The BTR-40 is a Soviet non-amphibious, wheeled armoured personnel carrier and reconnaissance vehicle. It is often referred to as the Sorokovka in Soviet service. It is also the first mass-produced Soviet APC...
and BTR-152
BTR-152
The BTR-152 was a non-amphibious Soviet wheeled armored personnel carrier that entered Soviet service in 1950. By the early 1970s it had been replaced in the infantry vehicle role by the BTR-60...
wheeled APCs and even three ZSU-23-4
ZSU-23-4
The ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" is a lightly armored, self-propelled, radar guided anti-aircraft weapon system . ZSU stands for Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka , meaning "anti-aircraft self-propelled mount". The "23" signifies the bore diameter in millimeters. The "4" signifies the number of gun barrels. It...
‘Shilka’ SPAAG tracked vehicles.
In addition, the seizure of some ex-PLO artillery pieces, namely 130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)
130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)
The 130 mm towed field gun M-46 M1954 is a manually loaded, towed 130 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1954...
and 152 mm towed gun-howitzer M1955 (D-20)
152 mm towed gun-howitzer M1955 (D-20)
The 152 mm gun-howitzer M1955, also known as the D-20, is a manually loaded, towed 152 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union during the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1955, where it was designated the M1955. Its GRAU index is 52-P-546...
models, plus five BM-11 130mm and BM-21 Grad 122mm MBRLs which allowed them to strengthen their own artillery corps, until then equipped mostly with obsolete Soviet ZiS-3
ZiS-3
The 76-mm divisional gun M1942 was a Soviet 76.2 mm divisional field gun used during World War II. ZiS was a factory designation and stood for Zavod imeni Stalina , the honorific title of Artillery Factory No...
76.2mm anti-tank guns.
Illegal activities and controversy
Stubborn and determined fighters, adept at employing guerrilla tactics in urban areas, the INM/al-Murabitun operated mainly within West Beirut, controlling by the mid-1980s the important Mahallat Abu Shaker, Wadi Abu JamilWadi Abu Jamil
Wadi Abu Jamil, located in Beirut's Centre Ville, is the Jewish quarter in Beirut, Lebanon.-History:Formally known as Wadi al-Yahoud ., the quarter was the center of the Lebanese Jewish community, with Beirut's largest and most important synagogue, the Maghen Abraham Synagogue, located there...
, Hamra
Hamra
Hamra may refer to:* Hamra, Bik'at HaYarden, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank* 9373 Hamra, a main-belt asteroid* Battle of Hamra al-Asad, a battle in 625 AD in which the prophet Muhammad took part...
, Manara
Manara
Manara may refer to:People with the surname Manara:* Alessandro Manara, Italian astronomer* Luciano Manara, Italian soldier* Milo Manara , Italian comic book creatorPlaces:...
, Bashoura, Basta
Basta
Basta is a village on the island of Yell in the Shetland Isles, Scotland. It is on the shores of Basta Voe....
, Shiyah and Ras Beirut
Ras Beirut
Ras Beirut is a luxurious residential neighborhood of Beirut. It is the most cosmopolitan and open-minded area of Beirut, where sizable populations of Christians, Muslims, and Druze coexist peacefully. It is known as the cultural and intellectual center of Beirut...
quarters. They also operated two clandestine ports located at Ouzai district and at the Ayn al-Mraysa waterfront sector of the Lebanese capital, which were used primarily for arms-smuggling in collusion with the Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
-based Popular Nasserite Organization
Popular Nasserite Organization
The Popular Nasserist Organization – PNO or Organisation Populaire Nassérienne in French, is a Sidon-based Nasserist party originally formed in 1973 by Maarouf Saad, a Sunni Pan-Arab politician and member of Parliament later killed by the Lebanese Army during a February 1975 dock strike held...
. A third illegal port located at the Karantina
Karantina
La Quarantaine, which is colloquially referred to as Karantina and sometimes spelled Quarantina, is a predominately low-income, mixed-use residential, commercial, and semi-industrial neighborhood in northeastern Beirut...
dock area in East Beirut was briefly held by the INM since November 1975, until being forced out by the Christian militias in January 1976.
The INM also had its own media services. A radio station was set up in 1975 – the “Voice of Arab Lebanon” (Arabic: Iza’at Sawt Lubnan al-Arabi) or “La Voix du Liban Arabe” in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
–, followed in 1982 by a television station – the “Television of Arab Lebanon” (Arabic: Televizyon Lubnan al-Arabi) or “Télévision du Liban Arabe” in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
– their broadcasting facilities being allocated at the Mahallat Abu Shaker Party headquarters’ offices.
The al-Murabitun in the 1975-76 civil war
When the Lebanese Civil WarLebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
broke out in April 1975, as a member of the Lebanese National Movement
Lebanese National Movement
The Lebanese National Movement or Mouvement National Libanais in French, was a front of parties and organizations active during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War...
the INM/Al-Murabitun was an active founder of the LNM’s military wing, the “Joint Forces” (LNM-JF). The movement claimed that was the first amongst the Lebanese "progressive" militias during the war, and by 1977 it was the largest organization within the LNM-JF, both in terms of popular support and military capacity.
During the early stages of the 1975-76 war, the al-Murabitun militia forces were heavily committed in several battles and suffered considerable casualties, especially at the Battle of the Hotels
Battle of the Hotels
The Battle of the Hotels, also known as the “Hotel front” or “Front des Hotels” in French, was a subconflict within the 1975-77 phase of the Lebanese Civil War which occurred in the Minet-el-Hosn hotel district of downtown Beirut...
in October 1975 where they engaged Christian Kataeb Regulatory Forces
Kataeb Regulatory Forces
The Kataeb Regulatory Forces – KRF or RF , Forces Regulatoires du Kataeb in French were the military wing of the right-wing Lebanese Christian Kataeb Party, otherwise known as the Phalange, from 1961 to 1977...
and Tigers Militia
Tigers Militia (Lebanon)
The Tigers Militia , also known as NLP Tigers or Tigers of the Liberals and PNL "Lionceaux" in French, was the military wing of the National Liberal Party during the Lebanese Civil War.- Origins :The NLP militia was first raised in October 1968 by Camille Chamoun at his own home town...
fighters, and later at the ‘Spring Offensive’ held against East Beirut and Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon , as a geographic designation, is a Lebanese mountain range, averaging above 2,200 meters in height and receiving a substantial amount of precipitation, including snow, which averages around four meters deep. It extends across the whole country along about , parallel to the...
in March 1976. They also took part that same year in the violent (and controversial) sieges of the Christian towns of Es-Saadiyat, Damour
Damour massacre
The Damour massacre took place on January 20, 1976 during the 1975–1990 Lebanese Civil War. Damour, a Christian town on the main highway south of Beirut, was attacked by the Palestine Liberation Organisation units...
, and Jiyeh in the Iqlim al-Kharrub, on the side of PLO and Palestinian Liberation Army
Palestinian Liberation Army
The Palestine Liberation Army was ostensibly set up as the military wing of the Palestine Liberation Organization at the 1964 Arab League summit , with the mission of fighting Israel...
(PLA) units to avenge the earlier Tel al-Zaatar massacre
Tel al-Zaatar Massacre
The Tel al-Zaatar massacre took place during the Lebanese Civil War on August 12, 1976. Tel al-Zaatar was a UNRWA administered Palestinian Refugee camp housing approximately 50,000-60,000 refugees in northeast Beirut.-Background:...
by the Lebanese Front
Lebanese Front
The Lebanese Front or Front libanais in French, also known as the "Kufur Front", was a coalition of mainly Christian parties formed in 1976, during the Lebanese Civil War...
militias.
Reversals 1976-82
The Syrian military intervention of June 1976 – which the INM/al-Murabitun initially strongly resented, but gradually came to terms with it – and the slow decline of the Movement’s political role at the beginning of the 1980s, caused their influence within the Sunni community to wane, losing in the end its final base of support amongst the political and intellectual elites.Towards the end of the 1970s heavy casualties and their involvement in atrocities against non-Muslims caused the number of militants from other sects in the ranks to drop sharply, a situation further aggrived by internal splits that occurred at the early 1980s. This led a significant number of prominent Sunnis – such as the jurist Walid Eido
Walid Eido
Walid Eido was a Lebanese politician and member of the Current for the Future Lebanese political movement and an MP in the Lebanese Parliament. He was also a member of the March 14 Coalition...
and the activist Samir Sabbagh – to leave the INM leadership board to set up their own organizations, and thereby the Movement became an exclusively Sunni force. Relations with its Lebanese coalition partners were also strained to the point of the al-Murabitun battling rival Nasserite parties such as the Nasserite Correctionist Movement (NCM) in November 1975 over control of the Karantina district in East Beirut, later fighting the SSNP factions in 1980-81 for the possession of certain West Beirut quarters.
Nevertheless, the al-Murabitun did not lose its military capabilities, and during the June 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon
Israeli invasion of Lebanon
The Israeli invasion of Lebanon could refer to:*The Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the 1978 South Lebanon conflict;*The Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the 1982 Lebanon War;*The Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the 1993 Lebanon War;...
, they helped the PLO in the defense of the southwestern outskirts of the Lebanese Capital from IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
attacks until the end of the siege in September of that year.
Decline and demise 1983-88
Ibrahim Kulaylat emerged from the wreck of the LNM and the Palestinian withdrawal as the dominant Sunni leader, though he opted not to join the LNRF/JammoulJammoul
The Lebanese National Resistance Front – LNRF or Front National de la Résistance Libanaise in French, but best known by its Arabic acronym, ‘Jammoul’ was an underground guerrilla alliance active in Lebanon in the 1980s...
nor the pro-Syrian LNSF alliances in the mid-1980s, and consequently the political influence of the INM/al-Murabitoun had waned significantly. The Movement initially waged its own guerrilla war at the Beirut area against the Israeli occupation forces, but later fought in a more conventional fashion at the 1983-84 Mountain War allied with the Druze PSP and SSNP in the Chouf Mountains against the Christian Lebanese Forces
Lebanese Forces
The Lebanese Forces is a Lebanese political party. Founded as a militia by Bachir Gemayel during the Lebanese Civil War, the movement fought as the main militia within the Christian-dominated Lebanese Front...
(LF) and the Lebanese Army.
This alliance was short-lived, however, and when the ‘War of the Camps
War of the camps
The War of the Camps was a subconflict within the 1984–89 phase of the Lebanese Civil War, in which Palestinian refugee camps were besieged by the Shi'ite Amal militia....
’ broke out in April 1985 at West Beirut, it saw the Al-Murabitun allied with the PLO, the Sixth of February Movement
Sixth of February Movement
The Sixth of February Movement or ‘6th FM’ was a small predominantly Sunni Nasserist faction active in Lebanon from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s...
and other smaller Nasserite factions pitted against a powerful coalition of PSP, LCP and Shia Amal movement
Amal Movement
Amal Movement is short for the Lebanese Resistance Detachments the acronym for which, in Arabic, is "amal", meaning "hope."Amal was founded in 1975 as the militia wing of the Movement of the Disinherited, a Shi'a political movement founded by Musa...
militia forces backed by Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. Eventually, the Al-Murabitun was crushed after a week of heavy fighting, and ceased to exist as a significant fighting force.
Thus deprived from its own military wing, the weakened INM went underground again for the remainder of the war and gradually withered away, forcing Ibrahim Kulaylat to flee the Country in 1986 to seek asylum in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Some remnants of the Al-Murabitun, however, remained at large in West Beirut, waging a fierce guerrilla war against the Syrian Army
Syrian Army
The Syrian Army, officially called the Syrian Arab Army, is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It is the dominant military service of the four uniformed services, controlling the senior most posts in the armed forces, and has the greatest manpower, approximately 80 percent of the...
until February 1987, only to be brutally suppressed in the 1987-88 anti-militia sweeps carried out jointly by Syrian “Commando” troops and the Lebanese Internal Security Forces
Internal Security Forces
The Internal Security Forces – ISF or Forces de Sécurité Intérieure in French, are the national police and security force of Lebanon. Modern police were established in Lebanon in 1861, with creation of the Gendarmerie...
(ISF).
The post-war years
After a long period of inactivity throughout the 1990s, the INM finally returned to the spotlight in April 2001, when they announced in a press conference held in Beirut their official comeback to Lebanese domestic politics. In 2006 it re-opened offices in Beirut, the North (Tripoli and the Akkar), the Beqaa valleyBeqaa Valley
The Beqaa Valley is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. For the Romans, the Beqaa Valley was a major agricultural source, and today it remains Lebanon’s most important farming region...
and the South (Jabal Amel
Jabal Amel
Jabal Amel or Amil is a mountainous region of Southern Lebanon.The region is named after the Banu 'Amilah, a Yemenite tribe who, along with the kindred tribes of Hamadan, Lakhm, and Judham, settled in Syria, Palestine, parts of Jordan, and Lebanon. The area was known in ancient times as Jabal...
); still headed by Ibrahim Kulaylat.
Name
Initially, the Movement of Independent Nasserists was the name of the political organization, whilst “al-Murabitoun” designated their militia forces. However, this distinction between political and military wings became blurred over time (and the militia has been subsequently abolished), “the Sentinels”, but also meaning “Guardians” or “Saviours” –, carries historical Islamic connotations (see AlmoravidsAlmoravids
The Almoravids were a Berber dynasty of Morocco, who formed an empire in the 11th-century that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus. Their capital was Marrakesh, a city which they founded in 1062 C.E...
).
See also
- Lebanese Civil WarLebanese Civil WarThe Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
- Lebanese Communist PartyLebanese Communist PartyThe Lebanese Communist Party – LCP or Parti communiste libanais in French, is a communist political party in Lebanon...
- Lebanese National MovementLebanese National MovementThe Lebanese National Movement or Mouvement National Libanais in French, was a front of parties and organizations active during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War...
- Popular Nasserite OrganizationPopular Nasserite OrganizationThe Popular Nasserist Organization – PNO or Organisation Populaire Nassérienne in French, is a Sidon-based Nasserist party originally formed in 1973 by Maarouf Saad, a Sunni Pan-Arab politician and member of Parliament later killed by the Lebanese Army during a February 1975 dock strike held...
- Progressive Socialist PartyProgressive Socialist PartyThe Progressive Socialist Party or PSP , also known as Parti Socialiste Progressiste in French, is a political party in Lebanon. Its current leader is Walid Jumblatt...
- Sixth of February MovementSixth of February MovementThe Sixth of February Movement or ‘6th FM’ was a small predominantly Sunni Nasserist faction active in Lebanon from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s...
- NasserismNasserismNasserism is an Arab nationalist political ideology based on the thinking of the former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. It was a major influence on pan-Arab politics in the 1950s and 1960s, and continues to have significant resonance throughout the Arab World to this day. It also...
- War of the CampsWar of the campsThe War of the Camps was a subconflict within the 1984–89 phase of the Lebanese Civil War, in which Palestinian refugee camps were besieged by the Shi'ite Amal militia....