Subhi al-Tufayli
Subhi al-Tufayli (Arabic: صبحي الطفيلي; born 1948) is a senior Lebanese Shi'ite cleric and politician who founded the Hezbollah militant group in 1982 and was its first Secretary-General from 1989 until 1991. From a comparatively young age, Tufayli achieved popular following amongst Lebanese Shi'ite community, who viewed him as the most learned Shi'ite scholar in the Beqaa Valley.
Subhi al-Tufayli | |
|---|---|
صبحي الطفيلي | |
al-Tufayli in 1979 | |
| Secretary-General of Hezbollah | |
| In office 1989–1991 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Abbas al-Musawi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1948 (age 75–76) Brital, Lebanon |
| Part of a series on |
| Hezbollah |
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Al-Tufayli is a Shia Islamist, but is a very vocal critic of Iran and the current Hezbollah leadership. Tufayli's split with Hezbollah arose during 1990s after the death of co-founder Abbas al-Mousavi, when the faction of Hassan Nasrallah favoured by Iran began to emerge dominant. The main dispute was over Tufayli's insistence on shunning Lebanese politics and instead focus on fighting armed insurgency against Israel, which the Nasrallah faction downplayed. After violent confrontations between Tufayli's followers and Hezbollah members, he was expelled from Hezbollah in 1998.
The cleric has since been active as a fierce opponent of Hezbollah and Iran; and has urged his followers to stand against Iranian hegemony in the region.