Dahieh

{{Pie chart

|thumb = middle

|caption = Religion in Dahieh (excluding Palestinian refugees)

|label1 = Shia Islam

|value1 = 85

|color1 = DarkGreen

|label2 = Maronite Christianity

|value2 = 10

|color2 = Red

|label3 = Sunni Islam

|value3 = 4

|color3 = MediumSeaGreen

|label4 = Other

|value4 = 1

|color4 = Brown

}}

Dahieh is home to one of the most densely populated communities in Lebanon. In 1986 the number of Shia living in Dahieh was estimated to be 800,000.

In the 14th century, there was a sizeable Shia Muslim community at Bourj Beirut. The community was first mentioned in a decree that the Mamluk viceroy issued against the Shiites of Beirut and the surrounding areas in 1363, demanding that they stop practicing Shia rituals.Vermeulen, Urbain, 'The Rescript against the Shiʿites and Rafidites of Beirut, Saida and District (767 A.H./1363 A.D.)', Orientalia Lovaniensia Periodica 4 (1973), 169–175 In Ottoman tapu tahrir tax records of 1545, Bourj had a population of 169 households, 11 bachelors and one imam, all Shia Muslims. Shia of Bourj were also identified in al-Duwayhi's writings in 1661, and the town was then known as Burj Beirut (lit. "the tower of Beirut").{{cite book |last1=Harris |first1=William |title=Lebanon: A History, 600–2011 |date=2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0190217839 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XwUTDAAAQBAJ }}{{Page needed|date=August 2024}}

Prior to the start of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, Dahieh was one of the increasingly urbanized rural settlements outside of Beirut, with a mixed community of Christians and Shia Muslims. From 1920 to 1943 many Shia moved to Dahieh from Southern Lebanon and Beqaa Valley, where the French mandate cracked down on Shiite anti-French rebels in June 1920. More Shiites arrived in the early 1960s escaping financial hardship and state neglect of the countryside. By the start of 1975, 45% of Lebanese Shiites were living in Greater Beirut.{{Page needed|date=August 2024}}

Dahieh's population further increased during the war. By 1976, around 100,000 Shia had been displaced from the East Beirut canton following sectarian violence in the Black Saturday and Karantina massacres. Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah was among them. Most of the newcomers were destitute, leading to solidarity and self-reliance.{{Page needed|date=August 2024}} More Shiites arrived in Dahieh following the 1978 and 1982 Lebanon War. {{Cite book |last=Saad-Ghorayeb |first=Amal |author-link=Amal Saad-Ghorayeb |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0745317928 |title=Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion |publisher=Pluto Press |year=2001 |isbn=0-7453-1792-8 |location=London }} Unwilling to live under the Israeli South Lebanon security belt administration, more Shiites moved out of their villages to Beirut. By 1986, an estimated 800,000 Shias were living in Dahieh, constituting the majority of Shia in Lebanon.{{Cite book |last=Tveit |first=Odd Karsten |author-link=Odd Karsten Tveit |title=Goodbye Lebanon. Israel's First Defeat |publisher=Rimal Publication |year=2010 |isbn=978-9963-715-03-9 |pages=163–164 |translator-last=Scott-Hansen |translator-first=Peter }}

{{See also|Dahiya doctrine}}

File:Dahieh Al Janubiya-25.jpg]]

Hezbollah's television station, Al-Manar, was targeted in the area.{{Cite book |last1=Bouckaert |first1=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8P9-VqpNRv4C&dq=dahieh+2006&pg=PA75 |title=Why They Died: Civilian Casualties in Lebanon During the 2006 War |date=2007 |publisher=Human Rights Watch |page=75 }}

Hours after the August 14, 2006, ceasefire, Hezbollah pledged to reconstruct houses for the residents of Dahieh, and offered rent money for the period in which they were being built.{{Cite web |date=July 5, 2022 |title="جهاد البناء".. إنماء من رحم المقاومة |trans-title="Jihad Al-Binaa"... Development from the womb of resistance |url=https://www.alahednews.com.lb/article.php?id=43813&cid=179 |access-date=May 18, 2023 |website=www.alahednews.com.lb |language=ar |archive-date=May 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518000617/https://www.alahednews.com.lb/article.php?id=43813&cid=179 |url-status=live }}

On September 22, 2006, Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah attended a mass rally in Dahieh declaring a "Divine Victory" against Israel. Apart from mentioning Hezbollah having 20,000 rockets at its disposal, he also went on to criticize Lebanon's central government, stating it should step down and form a unity government.{{Cite web |title=موقع حرب تموز 2006 |trans-title=July 2006 War Site |url=https://www.alahednews.com.lb/uploaded/victory-july-2006/ |access-date=May 18, 2023 |website=www.alahednews.com.lb |language=ar }} According to the Hezbollah's "Jihad al-Bina' " association,{{Cite web |date=June 23, 2019 |title=Jihad al-Bina Association in Lebanon: A Hezbollah social foundation engaged in construction and social projects among the Shiite community, being a major component in Hezbollah's civilian infrastructure |url=https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en/jihad-al-bina-association-lebanon-hezbollah-social-foundation-engaged-construction-social-projects-among-shiite-community-major-component-hezbollahs-civilian-infr/ |access-date=January 28, 2022 |website=The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center |language=en }} the reconstruction of Dahieh started from May 25, 2007, the day of the anniversary of the 2000 Israeli pullout from Lebanon.

{{Main|July 2013 Beirut bombing|August 2013 Beirut bombing}}

On July 9, 2013, 53 people were wounded after a bomb exploded in a busy shopping street in the suburb; the blast came on a busy shopping day on the eve of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.{{Cite news |date=July 9, 2013 |title=Beirut car bomb blasts Hezbollah stronghold |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/09/beirut-car-bomb-hezbollah-stronghold |access-date=January 28, 2022 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077 }} A faction of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) claimed responsibility; however, FSA spokesman Luay Miqdad condemned the attack, as well as another attack the following month.

On August 16, 2013, a month after the first bomb, another car bomb blast hit the suburb.{{Cite news |date=August 15, 2013 |title=Beirut car bomb rips through Hezbollah stronghold |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/15/beirut-car-bomb-hezbollah-stronghold |access-date=January 28, 2022 |work=The Guardian |language=en }} At least 21 people were killed and 200 injured in the massive explosion, the majority of whom children. A group linked to the Syrian opposition calling itself the "Brigade of Aisha" claimed responsibility for the attack.

{{Main|September 2024 Lebanon strikes}}

On September 27, 2024, Israel launched airstrikes on the suburb, which led to the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah as part of the attack, as confirmed on the following day.{{cite web |date=September 28, 2024 |title=حزب الله يعلن رسميا استشهاد حسن نصرالله |trans-title=Hezbollah officially announces the martyrdom of Hassan Nasrallah |url=https://www.sarayanews.com/mobile/article/961269/ |access-date=September 28, 2024 |work=Saraya |language=ar }}

• Dahiya doctrine, a military strategy of asymmetric warfare, which encompasses the destruction of the civilian infrastructure and endorses the employment of disproportionate force
• War crimes in the 2006 Lebanon War

{{Reflist}}

Category:Neighbourhoods of Greater Beirut

Category:2006 Lebanon War

Category:Shia Muslim communities in Lebanon

Category:Sunni Muslim communities in Lebanon

Category:Maronite Christian communities in Lebanon