Hizbullah (Hezbollah): The Story from Within [Hardcover]

Naim Qassem (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0863565174 | ISBN-13: 978-0863565175 | Publication Date: January 1, 2005

A unique insider’s view of one of the most important political parties in the Middle East. The mandate of Hizbullah (“Party of God”) is laid out here for the first time in English by a high-ranking insider.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Fascinating and unexpectedly frank.' Middle East Journal

Book Description

Hizbullah is one of the prominent political parties in Lebanon, and Sheikh Naim Qassem its deputy leader. Qassem offers an insider's view of the workings of the party--from its inception as a resistance movement to its current governmental role. Backed by Syria and Iran, Hizbullah forced Israeli troops to withdraw from Lebanon in 2000 after a 22-year occupation and has used suicide bombings, which have contributed to it being classified as a terrorist organization worldwide. This Shi'ite party has now turned to the political arena, its long-term aim being to establish an Islamic state.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Saqi Books (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0863565174
• ISBN-13: 978-0863565175
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #841,841 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > History > Middle East > Lebanon

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding the Pragmatic Philosophy of Hizbullah, February 28, 2008

By 

M. I. Tracker "jbello" (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hizbullah (Hezbollah): The Story from Within (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book that provides insight into the thinking of the actors rather than prejudicial interpretations. I struggled with the religious references, especially in the first charpter, but once I got to the history, I was fascinated. The discussion of Hizbullah's political strategies and their agenda is very solid.
I was surprised about how closely their political goals align with our ideas of democracy and a sort of Roosevelt society where institutions are in place to provide education, job equity, health care and generally a social safety net for all citizens regardless of race or ideology. This is the Hizbullah that is allied with Michel Aoun, a progressive populist as well as a Christian.