Nadim Gemayel has organized a neighborhood watch in Lebanon to address concerns about crime and the influx of displaced people. The predominantly Christian neighborhood of Beirut’s Achrafieh is quiet at night, despite the sounds of war in the distance. Volunteers in uniform patrol the streets with walkie-talkies to coordinate their efforts. The neighborhood watch was formed in response to the financial crisis in Lebanon, but its mission has evolved due to recent developments.
Gemayel, the leader of the organization behind the neighborhood watch, explains that the influx of displaced people from areas targeted by Israeli attacks has raised concerns in the community. There are fears that some of the newcomers could be members of Hezbollah, leading to tensions and suspicions among residents. Some have taken measures to identify and potentially remove individuals affiliated with the group from their neighborhoods.
Despite the efforts of the neighborhood watch to maintain security and control, some residents worry about the echoes of the civil war, when sectarian militias controlled different parts of Beirut. Gemayel’s father, Bashir, led the main Christian militia during the civil war and was assassinated in Achrafieh in 1982.
Gemayel has been vocal about Hezbollah giving up its weapons, and he believes that recent events are a result of the group’s actions over the past two decades. However, he also acknowledges that the Lebanese people will suffer from the destruction caused by the conflict. In contrast to the tense atmosphere in Achrafieh, the neighborhood of Hamra in western Beirut has seen a different response to the displacement crisis, with schools being turned into shelters and tensions arising between landlords and displaced families. I will not request them to leave until the government finds a solution, but this situation is not sustainable. She is also concerned about the potential social impact on the area. The new arrivals are all from the Shia community and adhere to strict religious practices, with the women wearing the chador, a full-body cloak that covers everything except their faces. “I have no issue with any religion, but they should also respect my atheistic lifestyle,” she says. The atmosphere in Hamra is indeed changing, as it is a melting pot of diverse cultures and faiths. It is difficult to navigate through the neighborhood due to the high volume of cars and motorcycles causing traffic congestion. The nightlife has also shifted, with party-goers and bar patrons being replaced by people lining up for fast food and shisha cafes. Outside shelters, men and women sit on the pavement, smoking shishas and watching news on their mobile phones or even TVs late into the night – a behavior that residents have complained about. However, more and more building owners are evicting people from their properties. Fatima al-Haj Yousef, who arrived with her husband and three children from the Bekaa Valley, is uncertain about where to go next. She has been staying in this building for the past three weeks. “We are willing to sign documents confirming that we will leave when the war ends, but they sent the police to forcefully remove us,” she says. Fatima is particularly concerned about her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter who is battling cancer and requires medication. “I just need a safe and clean place for my daughter. The schools are overcrowded, and everyone smokes indoors.” Fatima did not sense any sectarian tension against her as a Shia, but another man staying in the building with his five children had a different perspective. “If they agree to pay rent, we can also pay rent. But the landlord refused… She wants us out. It’s not just about the building. It’s something more. I believe, in my opinion, she wants to eradicate the Shia Muslims here.” This sentiment was shared by Daniel, a Hezbollah social worker helping find alternative housing for the families. “They believe that the resistance is weakened by the death of Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, but we are all Nasrallah,” he says, referring to the Hezbollah leader killed by Israel in Dahieh last month. He thinks that this building is being cleared because the residents are displaced families, mainly Shia and supporters of what he calls “the resistance movement” – or Hezbollah. Many here think that Israel will not cease until Hezbollah is completely disarmed. “Either all of Lebanon will be destroyed by Israel, which would be catastrophic, or they [Hezbollah] surrender and relinquish their arms, and we establish a Lebanese state based on the Taif agreement, where everyone has equal rights and responsibilities,” says Nadim Gemayel.