My Neighbor, My Enemy

Syria Street in North Tripoli, Lebanon is home to a decades-old sectarian conflict between the local Sunni Muslim and Alawite communities. The Alawite inhabitants of the Jabal Mohsen neighborhood primarily support the Assad regime of Damascus, whereas the Sunnis living in Bab al Tabbaneh promote the rebellion in Syria. Though the Lebanese military attempts to maintain a peacekeeping presence in the area, they are questionably effective given the regular eruptions of gunfire between the two sects.

Shootouts are so common that those living in Tabbaneh will even create "sniper screens" to hide themselves from their Alawite neighbors who live uphill and use this vantage point to their benefit when instigating an assault. On one end of Syria Street lives Sheikh Bilal al-Masri, a prominent figure in Tabbaneh. He portrays his people as the victims, describing...

• Show Info
• Suggestions
• Share This
• Large Screen /Reset
• Comment

Do You Like "My Neighbor, My Enemy"?