Christians split by politics

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- When clashes broke out during a nationwide strike in Lebanon, some of the worst fighting rocked Christian areas, where rival factions live cheek by jowl.

Some Lebanese Christians support Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim movement backed by Syria, whose strike aimed to topple the country's U.S.-supported cabinet. Others have aligned themselves with the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, a Sunni Muslim.

On Jan. 22, the day before the strike, all main arteries into the capital and its airport were blocked. Scores of Hezbollah-allied protesters milled around each blockade, the Christians among them easily identifiable from their bright orange scarves and hats that signify the Free Patriotic Movement. They said they were exercising their democratic right to protest against a cabinet that has lost its legitimacy.

But the leader of the predominantly Christian Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, said Jan. 24: "This has nothing to do with democracy or freedom. This has been transformed into a coup d'etat. It is a revolt in every sense of the word."

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