Before the borders of modern Lebanon were drawn, a story was already being passed down through generations in Jabal Amel: a land its people called home and carried within them, and a dignity that endured even the harshest deprivation.
In “Before Their Lebanon,” we explore the roots and emergence of Jabal Amel’s Shia community, from historical traditions linking the beginnings of Shiism in the region to Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, through a long journey of learning, work, perseverance, and resistance. We revisit the history of its villages and people, tracing the impact of successive rulers, armies, and occupations on a community that held firmly to its land and preserved its identity through generations of hardship and change.
How did this community preserve its sense of belonging? How did its people confront marginalization and deprivation? And how did their understanding of justice and resistance take shape, leading to the questions and challenges of the present?
This episode tells the story of people who cultivated the land, built villages, established centers of learning, and kept the names of their homes and the memories of their ancestors alive. It explores the patience that sustained them through daily hardship, and the dignity that inspired them to reject humiliation and insist on a decent life. It is the story of an integral part of Lebanon’s fabric, deeply rooted in its land, contributing to its history, and entitled to shape its future alongside all its people.
“Before Their Lebanon”—a journey through the memory of Jabal Amel, where generations have inherited a love of the land and the determination to live upon it with dignity.
