Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion (Critical Studies on Islam Series) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The cornerstone of Hizbu'llah's intellectual structure is the Islamic state ideal..." (more)
Key Phrases: South Lebanon, Islamic Resistance, Children of Israel (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Until the emergence of bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, Hizbu'llah was probably the most reviled Islamic organization in the world, blamed for everything from kidnapping Americans in the 1980s to the bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina. This, the first book-length treatment of Hizbu'llah, tells a somewhat different story of the radical political party. It is something of an against-all-odds tale: a radical political group comprising a religious minority (Shi'a Muslims) manages to drive an occupying force of overwhelming military superiority (the Israelis) out of southern Lebanon. It's the story you are not likely to hear in the West, and Ghorayeb's analysis of Hizbu'llah's political and religious development, and its current structure, is often fascinating. The book was developed from Ghorayeb's doctoral thesis, and unfortunately, with dry writing and the presumption that the reader has a working knowledge of the contemporary Islamic world, it reads like one. Still, more readers are likely to wade into such daunting prose since September 11, making this an appropriate choice for larger collections. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

CHOICE 2002 OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC BOOK"Saad-Ghorayeb has written the most detailed and scholarly analysis to date of the ideology of the Lebanese Shi'a radical Hizbu'llah (literally, Party of God). He presents Hizbu'llah's reasoning with understanding rather than condemnation. That said, he tackles head on the issues that Westerners may find least attractive in Hizbu'llah's politics. For instance, he shows that Hizbu'llah sees democracy as, in the end, a less valid form of government than the guardianship of the religious jurisprudent, as preached by the leader of the Iranian revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Much of Saad-Ghorayeb's book is devoted to Hizbu'llah's struggle with the West and Israel. He explains its rejection of Western culture and its resistance to Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon and analyzes in detail its rejection of the very existence of Israel. Further, he explains that "Hizbu'llah's anti-Judaism [is] as intrinsic a part of its intellectual structure as is its anti-Zionism," with Jews regarded as deceitful, treacherous aggressors cursed by God, following a counterfeit and deviant religion, to use its leaders' words. Saad-Ghorayeb's account is about ideology, with relatively little about Hizbu'llah's activities and structure. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above." --- P. Clawson, Washington Institute for Near East Policy in CHOICE"The value of this book lies in the author's reconstruction of Hezbollah ideology as gleaned from interviews, party speeches, publications, and the daily press. Readers will find especially compelling chapters on the underpinnings of Hezbollah's anti-Western and anti-Israeli stance." -- Foreign Affairs" A youngShiite scholar named Amal Saad-Ghorayeb has advanced what in Lebanon is a controversial argument: that Hezbollah is not merely anti-Israel but deeply "theologically" anti-Jewish. Her new book, Hezbollah: Politics and Religion" dissects the anti-Jewish roots of Hezbollah ideology. Hezbollah, she argues, believes that Jews, by the nature of Judaism, possess fatal character flaws. In her book, she argues that Hezbollah's Koranic reading of Jewish history has led its leaders to believe that Jewish theology is evil. (She) is hesitant to label Hezbollah's outlook anti-Semitism, however. She prefers the term "anti-Judaism," since in her terms anti-Semitism is a race-based hatred, while anti-Judaism is religion-based. Hezbollah, she says, tries to mask its anti-Judaism for "public relations reasons," but she argues that a study of its language, spoken and written, reveals (the) underlying truth." -- The New Yorker"Said-Ghorayeb's brilliant study on Hizbullah is a must read for any serious student of the Lebanese "Party of God." Most notably (the author) gives an exceptional persepective of Hizbullah's world vision." -- Middle East Quarterly"considers the political evolution that the Lebanese Islamist political party, Hizballah has undergone" -- Journal of Palestine Studies"Amal Saad-Ghorayeb's recently published and extensively researched study of the Lebanese Islamist group Hizbu'llah is a welcome addition to the literature on Islamist groups, especially given the present global climate& Saad-Ghorayeb offers us rare but thorough glimpse into "the political mind of Hizbu'llah," & [Saad-Ghoryeb] offers a more nuanced understanding of the organizatio's political thought that stresses both itsmoral consistency and its political flexibility, what she call it's 'artful' yet 'precarious' balancing act, in which political concessions are interpreted as 'calculated measures' designed to preserve its oveall intellectual foundation."--American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: Pluto Press (February 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0745317928
• ISBN-13: 978-0745317922
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #350,633 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Hizbu'llah, November 13, 2006

By	L. Taylor (OC, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In her well-written book Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion, author Amal Saad-Ghorayeb explains the historical and contemporary development of Hizbu'llahs' political, social, and religious ideologies. Though she shows pro-Hizbu'llah, pro-Shiite, pro-Lebanese bias she attempts to present a fair and balanced study of an extremely controversial organization. Gleaning her information from an assortment of articles, interviews, newspapers she argues that since it's inception, the party has evolved and changed to meet the challenges political and social challenges both in Lebanon and throughout the Islamic world. She focuses primarily on the a close examination of the parties theological arguments concerning its purpose or role in the conflict against the West and the "Zionist/Jewish entity."
Ghorayeb begins her study with a brief, but thorough discussion of the formation and early development of Hizbu'llah from a Jihadi or "resistance force" to a major political power in Lebanon. She argues that myriad Shiite political movements in Lebanon originated in the 1960s and 1970s, but failed to merge until the 1978 and 1982 Israeli invasions and subsequent occupations of Lebanon by Israel. She states that Shiites suffered the greatest number of casualties in the Lebanese civil war and Israeli occupation. Within that claim she also asserts that one third of those killed in Sabra and Chatila were Shiites who had fled the Israeli occupation. In fact, her claims might be true. Regardless, she presents a convincing argument for the existence of an organization like Hizbu'llah in Lebanon.
However, biased or objective her argument, Ghorayeb offers an intimate glimpse into mind of Islamic fundamentalism. She stresses the predominately Shiite theology that defends the protection and defense of the weak and oppressed peoples, both Muslim and non-Muslim, as a central to the ideology of Hizbu'llah. The concept labels the United States, Britain, and France as the primary European oppressors under the subtle control of Israel. Essentially the conflict between Islam and the West lies phenomenon of globalism and the effects of Western hegemony, primarily American, in Middle Eastern politics and Muslim culture. The two chapters on Hizbu'llahs' anti-Westernism and anti-Americanism offer a glimpse into Islamic socio-religious thought and are essential in understanding today's world.
Unfortunately, many who read this book will condemn it based solely on Ghorayeb's constant condemnation of Israeli actions and the American blockade of United Nation censor of Israel. Though she addresses Hizbu'llah's terror activities, she refuses to label the group as a terror organization. However, she demonstrates a profound understanding of the Islamic jurisprudence and reasoning concerning violence against civilians. In that sense, this book is an apologetic that defends the legitimacy of Hizbu'llah and the organizations right to struggle against Israeli oppression. She explains the party's view that Israel remains illegitimate and Jews are evil and cannot be trusted. Some reviewers argue that she needs to include a section explaining the Zionist argument for the legitimacy of Israel. I disagree; this is a book about Hizbu'llah written by a Lebanese Shiite who returned to live in Lebanon. We should accept it and try to learn from it. There are plenty of books that come from the other end of the spectrum.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amal Saad Ghorayeb's psychological profile of The Party of God:, May 26, 2008

By	BlackJack21 "BlackJack21" (Connecticut/USA) - See all my reviews

First I would like to state, "Everyone should read this book."

Recently Hezbollah has become very popular in the Middle East since the July 12, 2006 conflict with Israel that leveled Beirut and killed thousands of innocents, and we can't discount the Israelis who were traumatized by this sanguineous circumstance.
This conflict for many people (like myself) begged the answer to a million dollar question... why are the Lebanese and Israelis fighting?
I'm not going to discuss the conflict here because this is a book review about Ghorayeb's book, which was written prior to the July War, even still this book is a pertinent read.

But what's really striking about "Hizbu'llah Politics Religion" is that it provides the historical answers needed to properly ascertain the many scenarios leading from the Israeli twenty-two year occupation of Lebanon to the present. Ghorayeb's analysis also provides a carefully crafted psychological profile of this political party that the United States and Israel deem to be a terrorist organization. But are they really Terrorist, or as George Galloway surmised it "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter!"

It is interesting to note that one of the syllogisms that Ghorayeb writes was that, "Notwithstanding the fact that Israel's occupation of Lebanese territory was the main impetus for the formation of Hezbollah, the occupation is not the sole basis of the party's conflict with Israel or execration of it."
Furthermore, Ghorayeb writes, "Hezbollah's reluctance to grant Israel recognition is rooted in rendition of the origins of the Israeli state, which it unequivocally portrays as a `rape or `usurpation' of Palestinian land, thereby rendering it a state, which is originally based on aggression. Therefore, Hezbollah does not know of anything called Israel. It only knows a land called occupied Palestine. In fact, the party (Hezbollah) never refers to the state of Israel as such"...(meaning a recognized country.)

The fact of the matter is Hezbollah refers to Israel as "the Zionist entity." And does not recognize nor will it ever recognize Israel as a legitimate nation. Moreover, Israel's subjugation of the Shebaa Farms, which Hezbollah recognizes as their own territory, is continuing to fuel the flames of antagonism. The Shebaa Farms was lost in "The Six Day War" and today is recognized by the United Nations and Israel as Israeli territory usurped from Syria in 1967, but the truth is "both the Lebanese government and Syria maintain that the Farms belong to Lebanon."
Plus, Hezbollah holds on to the notion that they will someday defeat Israel and rightfully claim the so-called holy city of Jerusalem on behalf of the Palestinian people.

(For further reading on the origins of the Israeli state please read Frederic Morton's "The Rothschilds a Portrait of a Dynasty.")

Nevertheless, the truth is in 2006, Hezbollah has successfully transformed itself (with the help of Syria and Iran) from a radical Muslim faction to a political party that may indeed be a serious contender on the Middle Eastern main-stage thanks to Israeli aggression, which seems to be aided by the U.S. and European lobbyist. This is a result of Palestinian and Lebanese political and military prisoners in Israel, plus the captured Israeli soldiers in Lebanon. {To determine who is at fault should be left up to the reader.}

In retrospect, Israel has made Nasru'llah's "Party of God" look like heroes in variance to Western rapaciousness. Ghorayeb writes that. "Hezbollah defines itself first and foremost as a jihadi movement or a party of resistance whose paramount function is the liberation of the Lebanese territory from Israeli occupation by means of armed resistance. It is a role which represents the core of Hezbollah's political and organizational concerns, and which therefore constitutes its fixed and invariable dossier." Her comments coincide with Noam Chomsky's "Attitudes toward Hezbollah are illustrations. Hezbollah has gained considerable support in Lebanon, particularly in the south, where its candidates won 80 percent of the vote in [the] June 2005 elections."
Ghorayeb also said, "As Hezbollah initial raison d'être, its resistance to the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon and West Biqá constitutes the very backbone of its intellectual structure. It is the one pillar of Hezbollah political thought that is not amenable to any form of temporization or accommodation of Zionism, but also by virtue of the pure logic of armed resistance, as opposed to non-violent means of confrontation."
She then adds, "The invariable nature of Hezbollah resistance is also a function of the party's commitment to fulfill its religious legal obligation to wage a defensive jihad, in the cause of God (Allah)."

I hope everyone reading this review is objective enough to realize that this isn't an indictment of Israel. As a matter of fact this book is about Hezbollah's contemplations and reactions to what's transpiring in their neck of the woods. It's about how they envisage the issues that underline their tribulations.

Also, Ghorayeb's book succinctly yet academically deciphers Islamic etymology, which will help the reader easily ascertain the pontifical rhetoric and ideas of this ambiguous yet eclectic people. It is also interesting to note (according to Ghorayeb) that even though Hezbollah is a radical religious political party it doesn't impose its views on others in Lebanon.
I must reiterate that "Hizbu'llah Politics Religion" can be summed up as a psychological and sociological profile of a political party more so than a diatribe that takes one bias perspective over another.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough, Empathetic But Educational Must Read of Islamic Studies, March 29, 2006

By	Encompassed Runner (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

Not an outsider's misrepresentation or caricature of this foreign group, 'Hizbu'llah' is an empathetic perspective of the Islamist socio-political-religious worldview. However this bias is not disguised, so the reader is on alert to use discernment and doublecheck its assertions. Though the focus is Hizbu'llah in particular, the book more broadly valuable to understanding the Islamist movement at large, clarifying distinctions and interrelations between Shi'a Islam and Sunni (for instance, different ways of dividing the world: Muslim/nonMuslim or oppressed/oppressors). The writing is engaging, comprehensive, and not vague--specific religious bases are given to explain hostility to Israel, the different types of jihad are detailed, etc. This book has greater global significance than its title portrays. For example, understanding Hizbu'llah's concern for oppressed peoples helps the reader to realize the inroads being made by Hizbu'llah (and thus Iran) in outreach to nonIslamic or at least non-Shi'a groups and nations perceived as oppressed by the West. Furthermore, the Hizbu'llah model serves as an example to recognize when observing the transformation (at least external) of other Islamist groups. (Don't like Hizbu'llah?--this book's still helpful: "know thy enemy.")