The kidnappings of more than 20 Syrians and a Turkish national
carried out earlier this week by the "military wing" of this country's Meqdad clan has unveiled the extent to which certain families have the capability to take the law into their own hands.
Originating from Arab tribes in the region, the clans of Lebanon are considered to have a rich history, and whose bonds can never be broken. From the fifth century until the 18th, the clans were based between Tripoli and Beirut, and then subsequently moved to Lebanon's Bekaa region where they continue to reside.
Today's clans share an ancestor - the Hamadiyeh clan. Tracing down the generations from the Hamadiyeh, there are two main branches, the Chamas and the Zaaiter. Within the Zaaitar clan, there are the Meqdads, Haj Hassan, Noon, Shreif, and the Jaafar. Within the Chamas clan, there are the Allaw, Nassereddine, and Dandash.
According to Saadoun Hamadeh, author of
The History of Shia in Lebanon, the country began with 80 or so tribes, which have now been whittled down to between 30 and 35.
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Originating from Arab tribes in the region, the clans of Lebanon are considered to have a rich history, and whose bonds can never be broken. From the fifth century until the 18th, the clans were based between Tripoli and Beirut, and then subsequently moved to Lebanon's Bekaa region where they continue to reside.
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