Hostages In Beirut

In recent times world opinion has been affronted by the hostage problem in Beirut. French, American, Russian and British citizens have been among those detained. The situation in Beirut lends itself to such activities. Rival groups of armed factions control different parts of the city, so they can seize hostages at will and defy major world governments applying for their release.

Who are responsible? What are their motivations? Those claiming responsibility are mainly extreme, militant Moslem factions, including the so-called Islamic Jihad. This group is allied to the biggest Sh'ite political group in Lebanon - Hizbollah, meaning "The Party of God". This Party has close links with the Sh'ites of Iran, under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, and advocates the formation of Islamic States on the lines of the present regime in Iran.

The motivation behind much of the hostage4aking is to exert political pressure. It is hoped to use the hostages as "bargaining chips" in pressing more powerful governments to make concessions on such issues as the release from European prisons of convicted Arab terrorists. Or to pressurize the United States government to influence Israel to release detained Palestinians. The American administration attempted to enlist Iranian support for the release of some Beirut hostages by the notorious arms deal, with deeply troublesome political results. So hostages become pawns in a subtle and often unscrupulous intrigue among the nations. The hostage-takers have at times exerted an influence out of all proportion to their number or military strength.

Of what particular interest is all this to the student of Scripture? Mainly because the groups engaged in these activities have in common a deep antagonism to Israel. Their attitude is well expressed in Psalm 83:

They take crafty counsel against Thy people, and consult together against Thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; That the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance (vv. 3,4).

Those involved in conspiracy against Israel are also described by the Psalmist:

They have consulted together with one consent; against Thee do they make a covenant the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also is joined with them, they have holpen the children of Lot (vv.5-8). These nations have their modern counterpart in Middle East states today. Their common adherence to Islam provides a general bond between them. Revival among "fundamentalist" Moslem groups has in more recent years stirred lively religious passions with inevitable overtones regarding Israel.

The complex political problems of the Middle East offer plenty of scope for finding occasion against Israel, whose policies are often open to criticism. Efforts to involve major nations of the world in the differences between Israel and her neighbours have important scriptural significance. For the prophetic word indicates that at the time of the end this policy will have its desired effect. Israel will be politically isolated and world resentment focussed against her. Zechariah 12: 3 is especially clear on the point:

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded.

Fundamentalist Muslim sects have flourished throughout the Middle East during the past decade. Their potential for political change was dramatically demonstrated by the establishment of an Islamic State in Iran. The widening influence of Islamic fundamentalism is feared by governments such as Russia and Turkey, which have large numbers of Muslims within their borders. President Evra of Turkey has recently stated that concessions to Moslem fundamentalists would be just as dangerous to Turkey as communism. It is from within these fundamentalist movements that fanatical extremist groups have emerged, including the notorious hostage takers of Beirut.

Islam is also exerting a growing influence in Europe, although of a milder nature than the fundamentalist revival in Mediterranean countries. It has been described as "the second religion of Western Europe", with 2 1/2 million adherents in France, and a higher population of practising Moslems than of practising Roman Catholics in Britain.

Present trends suggest that, whether by quiet infiltration or by brash acts of intimidation, Islamic influence will be an important factor in conditioning world opinion against Israel as the end-time approaches -

unknown | Jun 1987
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