The Shifts in Hizbullah's Ideology: Religious Ideology, Political Ideology, and Political Program (Amsterdam University Press - ISIM Dissertations)

381 Pages·2006·3.03 MB·English

by  Joseph Alagha

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TH E SHI FTS I N HI ZBULLAH’S IDEO LO GY

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The Lebanese Shi‘ite resistance movement, Hizbullah, is going through
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a remarkable political and ideological transformation. Hizbullah was
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founded in 1978 by various sectors of Lebanese Shi‘ite clergy and cadres, Z
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and with Iranian backing as an Islamic movement protesting against social
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and political conditions. Over the years 1984/85 to 1991, Hizbullah became
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a full-fledged social movement in the sense of having a broad overall L
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organization, structure, and ideology aiming at social change and social
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justice, as it claimed. Starting in 1992, it became a mainstream political
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party working within the narrow confines of its pragmatic political S

program. The line of argument in this dissertation is that Hizbullah has I
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been adjusting its identity in the three previously mentioned stages by E
shifting emphasis among its three components: (1) from propagating O
an exclusivist religious ideology (2) to a more encompassing political L
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ideology, and (3) to a down-to-earth political program.
G
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JOSEPH ALAG HA

THE SHIFTS IN
Joseph Alagha is Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies at the Lebanese
American University. Alagha received his M.Phil. degree in Islamic
Studies from the ISIM in 2000. As a Ph.D. candidate at ISIM from 2001 to HIZBULLAH’S IDEOLOGY
2005, he conducted research on the changing role of Hizbullah in the S
Lebanese public sphere and its contribution to the integration processes. N
His research interests include the impact of the democratisation and O RELIGIOUS IDEOLOGY,
the liberalisation processes on Islamic movements in the Middle East,
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surveying the role of core and peripheral states.
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J A POLITICAL IDEOLOGY, AND
ISBN-13 978 90 5356 910 8 O
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ISBN-10 90 5356 910 3 E
P R
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POLITICAL PROGRAM
A E
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D Joseph Alagha

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www.aup.nl I I
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THE SHIFTS IN
HIZBULL AH’S IDEOLOGY
RELIGIOUS IDEOLOGY,
POLITICAL IDEOLOGY, AND
POLITICAL PROGR AM
Joseph Elie Alagha
isim dissertations
isim / leiden
amsterdam university press
Cover illustration: The painted picture, across the side of a huge building in Tehran, depicts
Iman Khumayni’s 20-million-soldier army for the liberation of Jerusalem. The same picture, with
the same Qur’anic substantiation, is employed by Hizbullah in Lebanon. Picture taken by Serge
Veldhuisen in 2002.
Cover design and lay-out: De Kreeft, Amsterdam
ISBN-13 978 90 5356 910 8
ISBN-10 90 5356 910 3
NUR 741 / 717
© Joseph Elie Alagha / ISIM / Amsterdam University Press, 2006
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the written permission of both the copyright owner and the author of the book.
V R I J E U N I V E R S I T E I T
The Shifts in
Hizbullah’s Ideology:
Religious Ideology, Political Ideology,
and Political Program
A C A D E M I S C H P R O E F S C H R I F T
ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor aan
de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam,
op gezag van de rector magnificus
prof. dr. T. Sminia,
in het openbaar te verdedigen
ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie
van de faculteit der Godgeleerdheid
op vrijdag 10 februari 2006 om 10.45 uur
in de aula van de universiteit,
De Boelelaan 1105
door
Joseph Elie Alagha
geboren
te Beirut,
Libanon
Promotor: prof. dr. A. Wessels
To my wife and child

Contents
A Note on Transliteration 8
Acknowledgements 9
Prologue 11
Preface 13
1. A Survey of Hizbullah’s History 19
(1978-2005)
2. The Saliency of Hizbullah’s Religious Ideology 69
(1978-1984/5)
3. The Prominence of Hizbullah’s Political Ideology 115
(1984/5-1990)
4. Primacy to Political Program 149
(1991 to 2005)
5. A Specific Perspective on the General Shifts 191
6. Epilogue: Conclusion and Implications 207
7. Appendices 221
A Map of Lebanon 221
B Hizbullah’s Statements 223
C Parliamentary Elections Programs 247
D 2004 Municipal Elections Program 271
E Chronology of Events (1975-2005) 279
F Glossary 297
G Selected Bibliography 301
Notes 317
English Summary 373
Dutch Summary (Nederlandse samenvatting) 377
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A Note on Transliteration
The transliteration of Arabic words into English in the dissertation is
in conformity with the transliteration system of the International Journal of
Middle East Studies, with a few modifications.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to extend my deepest gratitude and appreciation to the
Chairs, the Academic Director, Prof. Dr. Asef Bayat, the Executive Director,
Prof. Dr. Dick Douwes, staff, and colleagues of the International Institute
for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM), without whom none of
this research would have been possible. I am very grateful to ISIM’s gener-
ous financial and academic support throughout my M. Phil. and Ph.D. years.
I started my research with Prof. Dr. Martin van Bruinessen of Utrecht Univer-
sity on “The Effects of the Liberalization Process in Iran on Hizbullah’s Grad-
ual Integration in the Lebanese Public Sphere”. After two and a half years,
I changed the topic of my research to studying “The Shifts in Hizbullah’s Ide-
ology”, concentrating specifically on the Lebanese dynamic. I would like to
profusely thank my promotor Prof. Dr. Antonie Wessels of the Free University
and co-promotor Drs. Paul Aarts of the University of Amsterdam who gener-
ously and patiently guided me in my endeavours to write a coherent dis-
sertation and transform it into a book in less than two and a half years. Their
rightful guidance, unwavering support, and systematic dedication coupled
with their much-appreciated help and guidance resulted in this book. Never-
theless, I take full responsibility of any shortcoming in the final product.
I would like to wholeheartedly thank my colleagues and friends who
took the time to read and comment on earlier drafts of this manuscript,
especially Dr. Frank Peter and Dr. Vahid Behmardi who conveyed their non-
abating assistance in spite of the heavy load of their work. I am indebted to
all my colleagues – especially Egbert Harmsen, Nadia Sonneveld, Mujibur-
rahman, Sindre Bangstad, Caco Verhees, and Robbert Woltering – who have
sacrificed their precious time in order to render themselves of service to
me and my research, and all those whom I failed to remember. Also, special
thanks to Dennis Janssen for his logistical, computer, and technical assist-
ance. I am very grateful to my friend Serge Veldhuizen, who has supplied
the photo for the book cover, and who has helped me in collecting sources.
Last but not least, I would like to convey my gratitude to the people whom
I have interviewed, to the Hizbullah people who helped me piece things up
and who gave me access to their archive material and activities.
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