The Culture of Sectarianism : Community, History, and Violence in Nineteenth-Century Ottoman Lebanon

Focusing On Ottoman Lebanon, Ussama Makdisi Shows How Sectarianism Was A Manifestation Of Modernity That Transcended The Physical Boundaries Of A Particular Country. His Study Challenges Those Who Have Viewed Sectarian Violence As An Islamic Response To Westernization Or Simply As A Product Of Social And Economic Inequities Among Religious Groups. The Religious Violence Of The Nineteenth Century, Which Culminated In Sectarian Mobilizations And Massacres In 1860, Was A Complex, Multilayered, Subaltern Expression Of Modernization, He Says, Not A Primordial Reaction To It. Makdisi Argues That Sectarianism Represented A Deliberate Mobilization Of Religious Identities For Political And Social Purposes. The Ottoman Reform Movement Launched In 1839 And The Growing European Presence In The Middle East Contributed To The Disintegration Of The Traditional Lebanese Social Order Based On A Hierarchy That Bridged Religious Differences. Makdisi Highlights How European Colonialism And Orientalism, With Their Emphasis On Christian Salvation And Islamic Despotism, And Ottoman And Local Nationalisms Each Created And Used Narratives Of Sectarianism As Foils To Their Own Visions Of Modernity And To Their Own Projects Of Colonial, Imperial, And National Development. Makdisi's Book Is Important To Our Understanding Of Lebanese Society Today, But It Also Makes A Significant Contribution To The Discussion Of The Importance Of Religious Discourse In The Formation And Dissolution Of Social And National Identities In The Modern World. Religion As The Site Of The Colonial Encounter -- The Gentle Crusade -- Knowledge And Ignorance -- The Faces Of Reform -- Reinventing Mount Lebanon -- The Return Of Juhhal -- The Devil's Work -- A Very Old Thing. Ussama Makdisi. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 231-249) And Index.

Focusing on Ottoman Lebanon, Ussama Makdisi shows how sectarianism was a manifestation of modernity that transcended the physical boundaries of a particular country. His study challenges those who have viewed sectarian violence as an Islamic response to westernization or simply as a product of social and economic inequities among religious groups. The religious violence of the nineteenth century, which culminated in sectarian mobilizations and massacres in 1860, was a complex, multilayered, subaltern expression of modernization, he says, not a primordial reaction to it.

Makdisi argues that sectarianism represented a deliberate mobilization of religious identities for political and social purposes. The Ottoman reform movement launched in 1839 and the growing European presence in the Middle East contributed to the disintegration of the traditional Lebanese social order based on a hierarchy that bridged religious differences. Makdisi highlights how European colonialism and Orientalism, with their emphasis on Christian salvation and Islamic despotism, and Ottoman and local nationalisms each created and used narratives of sectarianism as foils to their own visions of modernity and to their own projects of colonial, imperial, and national development. Makdisi's book is important to our understanding of Lebanese society today, but it also makes a significant contribution to the discussion of the importance of religious discourse in the formation and dissolution of social and national identities in the modern world.

About the Author:

Ussama Makdisi is Assistant Professor of History at Rice University.

Preliminaries......Page 1 Contents......Page 9 List of Maps......Page 11 Preface and Acknowledgments......Page 13 Note on Transliteration......Page 17 1. Religion as the Site of the Colonial Encounter......Page 19 2. The Gentle Crusade......Page 33 3. Knowledge and Ignorance......Page 46 4. The Faces of Reform......Page 69 5. Reinventing Mount Lebanon......Page 85 6. The Return of the Juhhal......Page 114 7. The Devil’s Work......Page 136 8. “A Very Old Thing”......Page 164 Epilogue......Page 184 Notes......Page 193 Bibliography......Page 249 Index......Page 269 Focusing on Ottoman Lebanon, this book shows how sectarianism was a manifestation of modernity that transcended the physical boundaries of a particular country. It challenges those who have viewed sectarian violence as an Islamic response to Westernization or simply as a product of social and economic inequities among religious groups In the hills of Mount Lebanon, a few miles from the scene of this massacre, a Christian man, Salim Shawish, wondered if a similar fate awaited him and his family.