Mourabiton

Movement of Independent Nasserists or al-Murabitoun (Arabic: حركة الناصريين المستقلين-المرابطون‎), is a Nasserist political party in Lebanon.^[1] The movement came to prominence in the 1958 Civil War. At the height of the 1958 conflict, its militia, al-Murabitun, clashed with the forces of pro-Western president Camille Chamoun.^[2] In the 1970s, it re-emerged as a major political faction within the Sunni Muslim community and was a major political and military force during the Lebanese Civil War which began in 1975.^[3]

Political line

The slogan of the party is 'Freedom - Unity - Socialism'. The goals of al-Murabitoun was to preserve the Arab and secular character of Lebanon, defeat fascism and, in the long-term, establish a socialist political and economic system.^[1] The party described itself as pragmatic in ideological terms, and that its political practice was based upon fusion between materialist Marxist and liberal idealist thoughts.^[4]

History

Formed in 1958, by Ibrahim Kulaylat its membership was mainly composed by Muslims of Sunni sects. It was Arab socialist and secular, as well as radically pan-Arab and Arab nationalist, it formed an important part of the opposition to the Maronite-dominated order in Lebanon. It was a member of the Front for Progressive Parties and National Forces, later reorganized as the Lebanese National Movement (LNM). It was a strong ally of the Palestinian movement.

Civil war

The al-Murabitoun militia re-surfaced in early 1975. The movement claimed was the first of the Lebanese "progressive" militias during the war.^[4] The militia had undergone training with the Palestinian Fatah movement prior to the announcement of its existence.^[5]^[6] Al-Murabitun engaged Kataeb fighters in the most severe combats during the early stages of the 1975 war, and suffered many casualties.^[2]

Al-Murabitoun was part of the Lebanese National Movement.^[1] As of 1977 it was the largest organization within the LNM, both in terms of popular support and military capacity.^[5]

During the first Syrian intervention in 1976 the movement initially resented the Syrian presence, but gradually reconciled with it.^[7]

In 1979, leading party cadre Samir Sabbagh describe the party as especially close to the Lebanese Communist Party.^[1]

Decline during the 1980s

Al-Murabitoun fought with the Palestinians against the Israelis during the invasion of 1982 and with the Progressive Socialist Party against the Lebanese Army in the Chouf Mountains in 1983.^[2]

By the mid-1980s the political influence of al-Murabitoun had waned significantly.^[3] As of early 1985, during the 'war of the camps' al-Murabitoun was the most prominent Lebanese ally to Yassir Arafat and the PLO. In April that year, Progressive Socialist Party and Amal Movement forces, two factions having sided with Syria in the conflict, crushed the al-Murabitoun militia.^[8] Ibrahim Kulaylat was forced into exile.^[2]

Current situation

In 2001 the Mourabitoun under the leadership of Ibrahim Kulaylat started to rebuild its operation. In 2006 it re-opened offices in Beirut, the North (Tripoli and Akkar), the Bekaa and the South.

Following

During the resurgence of the movement in the 1970s, it drew its support largely from the Sunni working class and poor petty bourgeoisie.^[5] Geographically, the movement had its centre in the Sunni areas of Beirut.^[7]

Name

Initially, the Movement of Indepedent Nasserists was the name of the political organization and al-Murabitoun, the name for the militia forces. However, this distinction between political and military wings was later blurred (and the militia has been abolished) and today al-Murabitoun is the common name for the political movement. The name al-Murabitoun, 'the sentinels', carries historical Islamic connotations (see Almoravids).

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Mroueh Kerim; Sabbagh Samir. "Lebanon is Where the US and Israel will Settle Accounts with the Palestinians" in MERIP Reports, No. 77. (May, 1979), pp. 12-15+26.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Lebanon - Independent Nasserite Movement
^ ^a ^b Russell, Tom. A Lebanon Primer in MERIP Reports, No. 133. (Jun., 1985), pp. 17-19.
^ ^a ^b Hafez, Ziad. Independent Nasserite Movement: Interview with Ziad Hafez in MERIP Reports, No. 61. (Oct., 1977), pp. 9-14.
^ ^a ^b ^c Barbee, Lynne. Interviews with the Lebanese National Movement: Introduction in MERIP Reports, No. 61. (Oct., 1977), pp. 3-5.
^ Documents and Source Material: Arab Documents on Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict in Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 5, No. 3/4. (Spring - Summer, 1976), pp. 252-287.
^ ^a ^b Reilly, James A.. Israel in Lebanon, 1975-82 in MERIP Reports, No. 108/109, The Lebanon War. (Sep. - Oct., 1982), pp. 14-20.
^ Stork, Joe. The War of the Camps, The War of the Hostages in MERIP Reports, No. 133. (Jun., 1985), pp. 3-7+22.

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