Subhi al-Tufayli
Encyclopedia
Sheikh
Subhi al-Tufayli is a former secretary-general of Hezbollah. Tufayli was an Islamist ideologue and close follower of Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
.
Al-Tufayli spent nine years studying theology in the city of al-Najaf, Iraq
, where he met and was influenced by other Islamist clerics and by the teachings of the Ayatollah Khomeini. Returning to Lebanon, he joined with Abbas al-Musawi to help found the Hezbollah movement/militia in the Beqaa Valley
in 1985. Beqaa is one of Hezbollah's three main regions of support in Lebanon.
He was the spokesman for Hezbollah between 1985 and 1989, and then first Secretary-General of Hezbollah
from 1989 until 1991. In 1992 he was replaced by Sheikh Abbas al-Musawi when Hezbollah decided to participate in national elections Tufaili opposed. He either quit or was expelled from Hezbollah in 1992. Tufaili is now rumored to lead the splinter group Ansar Allah, which is held responsible for attacks in Lebanon
, Panama
, and Argentina
. He has been backed by Syria
as a means of challenging Hezbollah leader Nasrallah
, who has remained inflexible to Syrian demands.
On July 28, 1989 elite Israeli military units abducted Sheikh Abdal-Karim Obeid, a senior Hizballah cleric and regional military commander of the Islamic Resistance, who they hoped to use to negotiate an exchange for several IDF soldiers and Western civilian hostages held by Hezbollah. Under Tufaili's militant leadership however, Hezbollah "remained adamant" in its refusal to release either "any IDF soldiers [or] any Western hostages" it held.
In 1991 or 92 Tufaili lost his job to Abbas al-Musawi
. Hezbollah's hostage-taking campaign
had wound down since the "Kuwait 17" bombers of the 1983 Kuwait bombings
who were connected to leading Hezbollah members were now free, and Taif Agreement
had essentially ended the Civil War in Lebanon. Al-Musawi was both head of the military wing and former head of the movement's "internal security apparatus in Beirut," and was thus thought better equipped to lead Hezbollah in its new primary mission of fighting Israel and ending Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon.
In July 1997 he organized protest against government which has been called "hunger revolution".
Tufeili said it is "completely unacceptable that a human being could be humiliated because of poverty or because they were in need."
His breakaway group is known as the "Revolution of the Hungry" (Thawrat al-Jiya), although his support base is largely limited to the villages of Brital and Tarayya.
He is wanted by the Lebanese government for leading a revolution against the country, but has not been arrested.
In January 1998 he attempted with his militia to occupy a Hezbollah religious school and touched off a violent confrontation with the Lebanese army. Lebanese authorities issued a warrant for Tufaili's arrest, while Lebanese army units conducted a massive sweep of the Beqaa
.
According to Lebanon's army statement in 1998:
In February 1998 Lebanese troops surrounded a village looking for a Tufaili after two days of clashes that left eight people dead. Tufaili and around 100 of his fighters were allowed to escape to his hometown of Britel when the head of Syrian military intelligence in Baalbeck, Col. Ali Safi, stepped in and forced advancing Lebanese army units to halt.
In April 1999, Tufaili's forces overran a Hezbollah arms depot in the village of Nabichit, near Baalbeck, seizing large numbers of machine-guns, rocket-launchers and other military equipment.
He has stated the Hassan Nasrallah
implements the agenda of Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
Subhi al-Tufayli is a former secretary-general of Hezbollah. Tufayli was an Islamist ideologue and close follower of Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini was an Iranian religious leader and politician, and leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran...
.
Al-Tufayli spent nine years studying theology in the city of al-Najaf, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, where he met and was influenced by other Islamist clerics and by the teachings of the Ayatollah Khomeini. Returning to Lebanon, he joined with Abbas al-Musawi to help found the Hezbollah movement/militia in the Beqaa Valley
Beqaa Valley
The Beqaa Valley is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. For the Romans, the Beqaa Valley was a major agricultural source, and today it remains Lebanon’s most important farming region...
in 1985. Beqaa is one of Hezbollah's three main regions of support in Lebanon.
He was the spokesman for Hezbollah between 1985 and 1989, and then first Secretary-General of Hezbollah
Secretary-General of Hezbollah
This is a partial list of Secretaries-General of Hezbollah since 1989-List of Secretaries-General of Hezbollah:...
from 1989 until 1991. In 1992 he was replaced by Sheikh Abbas al-Musawi when Hezbollah decided to participate in national elections Tufaili opposed. He either quit or was expelled from Hezbollah in 1992. Tufaili is now rumored to lead the splinter group Ansar Allah, which is held responsible for attacks in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. He has been backed by Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
as a means of challenging Hezbollah leader Nasrallah
Nasrallah
Nasrallah is a male Arabic given name, meaning "Victory of God", and is used by Muslims and Christians alike. It may also be transliterated as Nasrollah or Nasrullah. In modern usage it may appear as a surname...
, who has remained inflexible to Syrian demands.
Tufaili's leadership in Hezbollah
Tufaili has been a stalwart in his opposition to the existence of the state of Israel, telling one funeral audience that `we know that we will not triumph in one or even several years but have prepared for a battle of centuries,` to eliminate Israel.On July 28, 1989 elite Israeli military units abducted Sheikh Abdal-Karim Obeid, a senior Hizballah cleric and regional military commander of the Islamic Resistance, who they hoped to use to negotiate an exchange for several IDF soldiers and Western civilian hostages held by Hezbollah. Under Tufaili's militant leadership however, Hezbollah "remained adamant" in its refusal to release either "any IDF soldiers [or] any Western hostages" it held.
In 1991 or 92 Tufaili lost his job to Abbas al-Musawi
Abbas al-Musawi
Abbas al-Musawi was an influential Shia cleric and co-founder and Secretary General of Hezbollah. He was killed by Israeli forces in 1992.Al-Musawi was born in the village of al-Nabi Shayth in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon....
. Hezbollah's hostage-taking campaign
Lebanon hostage crisis
The Lebanon hostage crisis refers to the systematic kidnapping in Lebanon of 96 foreign hostages of 21 national origins – mostly American and western European – between 1982 and 1992...
had wound down since the "Kuwait 17" bombers of the 1983 Kuwait bombings
1983 Kuwait bombings
The 1983 Kuwait bombings were attacks on six key foreign and Kuwaiti installations on December 12, 1983, two months after the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing. The 90-minute coordinated attack on two embassies, the country's main airport and petro-chemical plant, was more notable for the damage it was...
who were connected to leading Hezbollah members were now free, and Taif Agreement
Taif Agreement
The Taif Agreement was an agreement reached to provide "the basis for the ending of the civil war and the return to political normalcy in Lebanon." Negotiated in Taif, Saudi Arabia, it was designed to end the decades-long Lebanese civil war, politically accommodate the demographic...
had essentially ended the Civil War in Lebanon. Al-Musawi was both head of the military wing and former head of the movement's "internal security apparatus in Beirut," and was thus thought better equipped to lead Hezbollah in its new primary mission of fighting Israel and ending Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon.
Tufaili's activities after leadership
Tufaili left the movement in 1992 in protest over Hezbollah's participation in the parliamentary elections and its "moderation" toward the Lebanese state. Since then he has been active in fighting Hezbollah and the Lebanese government.In July 1997 he organized protest against government which has been called "hunger revolution".
Tufeili said it is "completely unacceptable that a human being could be humiliated because of poverty or because they were in need."
His breakaway group is known as the "Revolution of the Hungry" (Thawrat al-Jiya), although his support base is largely limited to the villages of Brital and Tarayya.
He is wanted by the Lebanese government for leading a revolution against the country, but has not been arrested.
In January 1998 he attempted with his militia to occupy a Hezbollah religious school and touched off a violent confrontation with the Lebanese army. Lebanese authorities issued a warrant for Tufaili's arrest, while Lebanese army units conducted a massive sweep of the Beqaa
Beqaa Governorate
Beqaa is a governorate in Lebanon with a population of 750,000 inhabitants.-Geography:The Beqaa governorate covers an area of 4,429 km². Béqaa is the primary center of Lebanon's agriculture. The Beqaa governorate forms the main geographical extension of Lebanon and it lies between the Western...
.
According to Lebanon's army statement in 1998:
"Following the decision of the military prosecutor to order the arrest of Sheikh Sobhi Tufaili and his supporters on charges of forming armed groups, endangering national security and killing soldiers and civilians, the army took control of Sheikh Tufaili's house."
In February 1998 Lebanese troops surrounded a village looking for a Tufaili after two days of clashes that left eight people dead. Tufaili and around 100 of his fighters were allowed to escape to his hometown of Britel when the head of Syrian military intelligence in Baalbeck, Col. Ali Safi, stepped in and forced advancing Lebanese army units to halt.
In April 1999, Tufaili's forces overran a Hezbollah arms depot in the village of Nabichit, near Baalbeck, seizing large numbers of machine-guns, rocket-launchers and other military equipment.
He has stated the Hassan Nasrallah
Hassan Nasrallah
Hasan Nasrallah, became the third Secretary General of the Lebanese political and paramilitary organization Hezbollah after Israel assassinated the previous leader, Abbas al-Musawi, in 1992. Hezbollah in its entirety is considered a terrorist organization by The United States, the Netherlands,...
implements the agenda of Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i is the Supreme Leader of Iran and the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja...
of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
External links
- Hezbollah: Between Tehran and Damascus by Gary C. Gambill and Ziad K. Abdelnour
- Lebanese army hunts down radical cleric
- Tufaili Returns to Lebanese Political Scene, December 1999