Hizbullah's Identity Construction

"Hizbullah’s identity construction is an intelligent contribution to the academic debate on the dynamics of change in the political identity of Islamist movements; a process which is far from being concluded. Alagha’s reliance on a robust empirical basis and his analysis also of the most recent events make this study a valuable addition to the literature on this subject." -- Filippo Dionigi, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK “Since its birth in the early 1980s, Hizbullah has emerged not only as the preeminent Shia organization in Lebanon and the Arab world, but also as the most effective link in the chain of ‘resistance’ to Israel and pro-Western Arab forces. For an organization that is so outwardly radical, it is extraordinary that it also behaves so pragmatically – joining the Lebanese government, on the one hand, and cultivating close links with militant Lebanese Maronite elements, on the other. Hizbullah then is an enigma, and its ability to successfully navigate the Middle East’s complex power relationships is mystifying. Hence the importance of Joseph Alagha’s new book on Hizbullah, for in this major new study he provides the most comprehensive account of the rise and staying in power of Hizbullah to date. This is a compelling read which demystifies Hizbullah and also the Middle East’s apparently contradictory relationships. A must read.” -- Anoush Ehteshami, Professor of International Relations, Durham University "Joseph Alagha remains one of the most thorough and careful analysts of Hizbullah’s political ideology and practice. Scholars, analysts, and policy makers will find in this work a veritable treasure trove of research and insights into this complex organization." --Michaelle Browers, Associate Professor of Political Science, Wake Forest University, North Carolina, USA. "Alagha offers a comprehensive analysis of a socio-religious movement whose importance both within the larger field of Lebanese political and social life and with regard to continued conflict and the chances for peace in the Middle East cannot be overstated. The book has the potential to become a reference work on Hezbollah and socio-religious movements more broadly across the Middle East." --Professor Armando Salvatore, Sociology Chair, School of Islamic Studies, Oriental Studies University, Naples, Italy "Joseph Alagha’s Hizbullah’s Identity Construction is a fresh perspective on Hezbollah, whose hydra-like nature has perplexed and confounded laymen and scholars alike. Based on an expansive, impressive use of primary and secondary sources, the study offers an in-depth analysis, in theory and practice, on Hezbollah’s construction and reconstruction of its identity unrivalled in its minute details and exposition." -- Robert G. Rabil, Florida Atlantic University, author of Syria, the United States and the war on Terror in the Middle East and Embattled neighbors: Syria, Israel, Lebanon "Alagha offers a nuanced and sophisticated look at how Hizballah's ideology and political tactics have evolved. His work sheds light on an important, but to Western audiences mysterious and opaque, political force in Lebanon." -- Daniel L. Byman, professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University ŸJoseph Alagha’s latest book is a major contribution to the understanding of Hizballah’s position not only in Lebanon or the Shi‘ite world, but also in world politics. It combines the mastery on Hizballah’s ideology through its major thinkers and its relation to the Shi‘ite intellectual production in Iran and elsewhere. It shows in particular the change within Hizballah’s major political and ideological stances and their flexibility in terms of modernization, opening up the Islamic views to many modern ones, which were once thought as antagonistic to Islam. Alagha displays a rare mastery of ideological and socio-political analysis, combining them in a scholarly view that