Lebanon protests: What is sectarianism and why is it a problem? | DW News

In Lebanon, mass anti-government protests are cutting through the country's religious divisions, sending shockwaves through the system. Some protesters are calling for an end to sectarianism in Lebanon. So what is sectarianism? The tiny Middle Eastern country has 18 recognized religious sects, including Alawite, Armenian Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Assyrian, Chaldean, Coptic, Druze, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Ismaili, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Maronite, Protestant, Sunni, Shia, Syriac Catholic and Syriac Orthodox. Lebanon's laws require that most of them share power in government, making its political system one of the most complicated in the world. Parliament seats are divided among the sects and people can only vote for candidates from the sects running in their districts. The President must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni and the speaker of the house must be a Shiite. Why is that a problem? DW's Aya Ibrahim explains.
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