How Hezbollah and Iran used Lebanese schools for radicalization

Hezbollah and Iran took advantage of a gap in Lebanon's education system to create schools that can indoctrinate the next generation of martyrs and elite in their cause, according to a new report by Col. (ret.) Jacques Neriah published by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.Although Shi'ite religious leaders and political figures launched several initiatives to address the educational disadvantages experienced by Lebanon's Shi'ite community during the Ottoman and French Mandate periods, significant changes in Shi'ite education accelerated during the second half of the 20th century.Earlier efforts included the establishment of modern religious and social institutions, as well as the spread of secular ideologies, such as Marxism, among segments of the community.However, many Shi'ite communities, particularly in rural areas, continued to rely on traditional religious scholarship, where basic literacy and Islamic studies remained central.The 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran ultimately shaped Shi'ite educational networks in Lebanon into pro-Hezbollah…