Abstract Book of the 2nd International Social Sciences Conference
Year: 2025
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Discourse and Exclusion: Jnoud El Rab, A Case of Christian Extremism in Lebanon
Maria Said
ABSTRACT:
Lebanon has recently witnessed the emergence of Jnoud El Rab, a group portrayed by the media and public discourse as a Christian extremist movement due to its statements and actions targeting Syrian and Palestinian refugees, as well as the LGBTQ+ community. While religious extremism in Lebanon has often been analysed through the lens of state weakness and salient sectarian identities, little attention has been paid to the rise of contemporary Christian extremism in Lebanon or to the case Jnoud El Rab specifically. This article draws on interviews with group members and a content analysis of their online activity to examine how the group constructs its Christian identity through narratives of historical grievances as well as existential and cultural threat. I argue that these discourses reinforce in-group solidarity while justifying outgroup hostility.
Keywords: christian extremism, religious identity, lebanon, discourse analysis, victimhood narrative, grievances; exclusionary narrative, in-group/out-group; sectarianism