In a village in northern Lebanon, a crucifix hangs next to a portrait of one of Hezbollah’s most revered leaders.
The Catholic town of Ras Baalbek, which has two Byzantine churches, is working with the Iranian-backed militant group to try to preserve its heritage and protect its 6,000 devout residents from attack by Islamic State (IS) terrorists in nearby Syria.
So close are the two communities that Hezbollah buys a Christmas tree each year for the villagers.
Rifaat Nasrallah, 60, a quarryman whose marble sarcophagi line the village cemetery, asks: “How can we as Christians in this area not be with Hezbollah? They protect our churches.
“They helped us fight IS. During Covid they gave us free care in their hospitals. When there was no electricity they gave us generators. How can we not be with them now?”