The thinker and scholar Mr. Mohammad Hassan Amin shared the story of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, and his relationship with Lebanon. The most significant aspect of this story is that Khomeini aspired to live in Lebanon. The reason for this was that Iraq, where he resided during the Shah's rule, no longer wanted him to stay during Saddam Hussein's regime. Amin recounts that Yasser Arafat suggested that Imam Khomeini must move from Iraq, and that the suitable location that would provide the political and security conditions necessary for the Islamic Revolution was Lebanon, specifically the Beqaa Valley. After this decision from Arafat, Amin was tasked with traveling to Najaf. There, he presented the idea of moving to Lebanon to Khomeini, who promised to consider it and respond quickly.
Amin adds that Khomeini later agreed to the proposal of relocating to Lebanon. He continued that Arafat hurried to meet with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad. Unfortunately, and to summarize, the meeting, as Amin learned from Arafat, ended in failure due to Assad's disbelief in the proposal, as noted in "Nidaa Al-Watan." Amin concluded his story by revealing a secret known to only a few: when he asked Arafat about the real reason behind Assad's position, he responded that Assad was not inclined to believe that the Islamic Revolution would succeed. Perhaps he felt that America and the West would support the Shah of Iran to such an extent that he could eliminate this revolution, and thus, Arafat said, Assad was greatly considering the potential backlash from the Shah of Iran against the Arabs in general and Syria in particular.
There are broader details to this story that this article does not have the space to elaborate. But why revisit it today? The first reason is the release of the book "The Collections of the Scholar," which includes a wealth of ideas. The second reason is to reflect deeply on the relationship between Lebanon and the Shiite component, both within the country and abroad.
Setting aside the topic of the book, let us examine the Shiites from the perspective of the entity. If we return to Amin's story about Khomeini's desire to move from Iraq to Lebanon, we find that Arafat, who had influence in Lebanon, did not enjoy such influence outside it, including in the Palestinian Authority areas in the West Bank. He considered supporting Khomeini's arrival in Lebanon. How could he not, when Lebanon had provided Arafat and many Palestinians a refuge after the catastrophe of 1948? However, Hafez al-Assad prevented Khomeini from fulfilling this desire for reasons noted by Amin.
What is important to note, nearly half a century after the events of the story, is that Lebanon, even before Arafat's influence and Assad's dominance, was inherently a sanctuary for the persecuted from all over the world. Fate has it that Lebanon has once again become, albeit involuntarily, a haven for Iranian influence stemming from Khomeini's project. Without delving into the reasons, we pause at the statement issued yesterday by the Maronite bishops, which included their refusal to involve Lebanon in the Israeli-Palestinian war, from which the Arab states have distanced themselves, and they demand to protect our people in the south from all harm affecting the entirety of Lebanon, according to "Nidaa Al-Watan."
The bishops did not say, and they are excused, that the descendants of Khomeini's project are the ones dragging Lebanon into the Gaza war. However, it is essential to differentiate between those who are originally from the land of Lebanon and this project. Even Khomeini himself, had he been granted the opportunity to live in Lebanon, would he have accepted for Lebanon to become a graveyard instead of a sanctuary?
