Hezbollah's Economy of Fear Within the Shiite Community
An analysis by Dr. Noa Riven on Hezbollah's deterrence mechanism within Lebanon's Shiite community. The article describes how the organization creates an 'economy of fear' through threats, delegitimization, and economic harm, thereby narrowing the space for criticism. It cites the murder of Lokman Slim in February 2021 as an example of someone who tried to create an independent Shiite alternative.
Dr. Noa Riven, a researcher of Lebanon and Hezbollah, analyzes in this article the deterrence mechanism that Hezbollah operates within Lebanon's Shiite community. She argues that the organization's power stems not only from direct use of force, but from its ability to create an 'economy of fear' – a clear awareness of the price of any criticism. Those who criticize the organization may face damage to their public standing, professional exclusion, economic pressure, threats against family members, surveillance, interrogation, and sometimes violence. The mechanism begins with delegitimization, as exemplified by the epithet 'Shiite of the embassy', which was spread after the publication of WikiLeaks documents in 2011. Subsequently, the labeling is translated into a real price through defamation campaigns, threats, and harm to livelihoods. In some cases, state mechanisms are used, such as summons for interrogation or arrests. The effect extends beyond the direct victims: it produces self-censorship and turns criticism into a cost-benefit calculation. The murder of Lokman Slim in February 2021, who tried to create an independent Shiite space, illustrates the possible price of attempting to organize criticism. The article emphasizes that the mechanism's goal is not only to silence existing voices, but to prevent the formation of competing centers of authority in advance.