Dahieh (Arabic: الضاحية الجنوبية, lit. 'the southern suburb', French: Banlieue Sud de Beyrouth, Dâhiye de Beyrouth) is a predominantly Shia Muslim suburb, located south of Beirut, in the Baabda District of Lebanon. It is composed of several towns and municipalities.^[1] It is a residential and commercial area with malls, stores and souks.^[2]

There is also a minority of coexisting Sunni Muslims, Christians, and a Palestinian refugee camp with 20,000 inhabitants. It is located north of the Rafic Hariri International Airport, with the M51 Freeway that links Beirut to the Airport passing through it. The area was severely bombed by Israel in the 2006 Lebanon War.

Dahieh is the Beirut stronghold of Shia militant group Hezbollah, and it had large auditoria in Haret Hreik, Hadath, Mount Lebanon and Bourj el-Barajneh, where Hezbollah followers gathered during special occasions. It was also the location of Hamas deputy general Saleh al Aruri when he was assasinated by Israel.

History

In the 14th century, a sizeable Shiite community inhabited Bourj Beirut. The community was mentioned in a decree by the Mamluk viceroy in 1363, which was issued against the Shiites of Beirut, Sidon and the surrounding areas.^[3] 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").^[4]

Prior the civil war, Dahieh was part of the increasingly urbanized rural settlements outside of Beirut, with both Christians and Shias. Between 1920–1943 many Shias flocked from Southern Lebanon and Beqaa Valley to Dahieh, escaping the French mandate crackdown on Shiite rebels in June 1920. Neglected by the state, more and more Shiites arrived in early 1960s escaping financial hardship, forming the poverty belt in southern and eastern Beirut. By the start of 1975, 47% of Lebanese Shiites were living in Greater Beirut.^[4] Dahieh's population further increased in the civil war. In December 1975–1976, around 100,000 Shias were displaced from East Beirut canton in following sectarian violence in Black Saturday and Karantina massacre, and most re-settled in Dahieh. These included the prominent Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. Most of the displaced were destitute, and their needs stimulated Shia solidarity and self-reliance, which focused on the urban insularity of Dahieh.^[4] More Shiites arrived in Dahieh following the 1978 and 1982 Israeli invasions of Lebanon, both of which displaced more than 250,000 refugees and caused the destruction of roughly eighty percent of the villages.^[5] Refusing to live under the Israeli South Lebanon Security Belt, more Shiites moved out of their villages to Beirut. By 1986, an estimated 800,000 Shias were living in Dahieh, the vast majority of Shia in Lebanon.^[6]

Demographics

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.^[6]

2006 Lebanon war

Hezbollah's television station, Al-Manar, was targeted in the area.^[2][7]

Hours after the August 14, 2006 ceasefire, Hezbollah pledged to reconstruct houses for the dwellers of Dahieh, and offered rent money for the time-being as an attempt to build better houses condenses.^[8]

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.^[9]

According to the Hezbollah's "Jihad al-Bina' " association,^[10] the reconstruction of Dahieh should begin from 25 May 2007, the day of the anniversary of the 2000 Israeli pullout from Lebanon.^{[citation needed]}

2013 bombings

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.^[11] 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.^{[citation needed]}

On August 15, 2013, a month after the first bomb, another car bomb blast hit the suburb.^[12] At least 21 people were killed and 200 injured in the massive explosion, the majority of whom children.^[12] A group linked to the Syrian opposition calling itself the "Brigade of Aisha" claimed responsibility for the attack.^[12]