Lebanese Shia Muslims
Distribution of Shi'a Muslims in Lebanon | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| ~1,600,000 (2005 estimate) | |
| Languages | |
| Lebanese Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Twelver Shia Islam |
| Part of a series of articles on |
| Lebanese people |
|---|
| Lebanon portal |
Lebanese Shia Muslims (Arabic: المسلمون الشيعة اللبنانيون), historically and communally known as Matāwila (Arabic: متاولة, plural of متوالي mutawāli; pronounced as متوالي metouéle in Lebanese Arabic), are Lebanese people who are adherents of Shia Islam in Lebanon, which plays a major role alongside Lebanon's main Sunni, Maronite and Druze sects. Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are synonymous with Twelver Shi'ism and are distinguished from Alawites and Isma'ilis.
Today, Shiite Muslims constitute around 31.2% of the Lebanese population per the CIA's World Factbook. Under the terms of an unwritten agreement known as the National Pact between the various political and religious leaders of Lebanon, Shiites are the only sect eligible for the post of Speaker of Parliament.