Word: sunni
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President and the armed forces commander would always be from the dominant Maronite Christian sect, the Prime Minister always a Sunni Moslem and the legislative assembly always in a 6-5 balance favoring Christians. This slight but significant power edge reflected not only the population figures but also the fact that Christians controlled the professions and business. Despite simmering eruptions, notably in 1958 when the U.S. sent in troops to prevent a leftist take over, Lebanon thrived for decades as a result of its compromise-and of a Swiss-style neutrality that helped to make it the trading, banking...
Christian Officers. The latest fighting had particularly ominous political overtones. Tripoli is the home town and political base of Premier Rashid Karami, a Sunni Moslem. Since midsummer, Karami has headed a "rescue government" whose first priority is to end the religious strife that has paralyzed the nation. Zgharta is the home village of Lebanese President Suleiman Franjieh, a Maronite Christian and longtime political foe of Karami's. Indeed, the gunman alleged to have executed the Moslem bus riders is a distant relative of the President's.* Thus forces loyal to Lebanon's two highest officials were locked...
Larger Hand. As hammered out in the National Covenant of 1943, the Christian and Moslem communities reached an unwritten understanding that the President of the republic would be a Maronite Christian, the Premier a Sunni Moslem and the speaker of the unicameral Parliament a Shi'a Moslem. In addition, they agreed that Christians would prevail over Moslems in the legislative and executive branches by a ratio of 6 to 5. That seemed reasonable in 1943, when Christians formed the majority of the population. Although there has been no census in Lebanon since 1932, the Moslems are almost certainly...
...When the fighting broke out again, Franjieh named a military government headed by retired Brigadier General Noureddin Rifai to restore order. The appointment was in keeping with a long-standing rule that the Lebanese President should be a Maronite Christian (which Franjieh is), while the Premier should be a Sunni Moslem (as Rifai is). Lebanese Moslems were furious at the appointment, nonetheless, because Rifai represents the army, whose officer corps is predominantly Christian. The Palestinians and even the neighboring Syrians were also angry. Damascus quickly dispatched its Foreign Minister to Beirut to express its displeasure...
...Christians and Moslems in a population of 3.1 million. An unwritten national covenant gives Christians a slight political edge, as if to compensate for their fears of being absorbed by the Moslem majority around them." Under this arrangement, the President is always a Maronite Christian, the Premier a Sunni Moslem, the speaker of the unicameral parliament a Shi'a Moslem...