Hamas is best-known to outsiders as a military organisation. Its political wing has received less attention, and it is often assumed that the schools, hospitals and universities it runs are merely instruments for the dissemination of a jihadist ideology. Following its surprise victory in the 2006 Palestinian elections, it is more important than ever to understand its politics. How serious is its commitment to democracy? Did people vote for Hamas in spite of or because of its Islamic agenda? Drawing on extensive fieldwork in Gaza, Michael Irving Jensen addresses these questions, and offers the first multidimensional portrait of this complex organisation. Based on interviews with the leadership, the rank-and-file, and ordinary Palestinians, Jensen shows how Hamas's officially stated goals relate to the social and political realities of the West Bank and Gaza. In doing so he lays the groundwork for a more accurate way of understanding the organisation, and the direction in which its war with Israel is travelling.
Author(s): Michael Irving Jensen
Edition: 1
Publisher: I. B. Tauris
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 217
Contents......Page 6
Preface and Acknowledgements......Page 8
Abbreviations......Page 12
1. Islamism in Palestine and the Quest for the Sound Muslim......Page 14
2. The Context: the Development of Palestinian Islamism and the Relationship with the Palestinian Authority during the 'Old Order'......Page 24
3. The Islamists' Understanding of Islam: Their View of History and the Need to Engage in Civil Society......Page 60
4. Football and Islamism in the Gaza Strip......Page 74
5. The Islamic Universality of Gaza, the Students and Islamism......Page 110
6. Conclusion......Page 154
Appendix: Notes on the Fieldwork and Methodology......Page 166
Notes......Page 174
Bibliography......Page 196
Glossary......Page 210
Index......Page 214
