Lebanon's Shiite community faces internal struggle over religious authority

Within Lebanon, a long-standing dispute exists regarding religious authority and whether the Shiite community should be represented by traditional local institutions or by political-military movements aligned with Iran.

The Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, founded by Imam Musa al-Sadr in 1967, served as an official state-recognized institution for the community. However, following al-Sadr’s disappearance in 1978 and the rise of Hezbollah, a conflict emerged between these traditional community institutions and the doctrine of ‘wilayat al-faqih’ (Guardianship of the Jurist) promoted by Iran.

Key religious figures have historically offered alternatives to Hezbollah’s ideology. Sheikh Mohammad Mehdi Shamseddine, who led the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council until 2001, advocated for a Shiite vision centered on state citizenship and national integration rather than Iranian religious leadership. Similarly, Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah maintained a degree of religious independence from Tehran, and more recently, figures like Sheikh Ali al-Amin have publicly criticized Iranian tutelage and Hezbollah’s involvement in regional conflicts.