Description
Book SynopsisThis book tells the story of the Lebanese Shi’a and their development from a marginalized, discriminated minority to a highly politicized community that has given birth to Hezbollah, one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the contemporary Middle East. It explores the Arab-Israeli conflict through the lens of Shi’a intellectuals and scholars from South Lebanon, and chronologically reflects on trending perceptions of Palestine, the Zionist movement, and the Jewish community in Lebanon.
The monograph illustrates how Zionism and the establishment of Israel played a decisive role in the intellectual revival of early Muslim perceptions of Jews. It demonstrates how political conflicts after 1948 have impacted the work of scholars such as Musa as-Sadr and Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, and have triggered the formation of social and Islamist movements. It also shows how Hezbollah’s leaders have used religious sources and Western anti-Jewish narratives to construct a deep-rooted ideology to support their struggle for South Lebanon and Palestine. The combination of social needs, religious beliefs and political interests forms the core of the analysis. This text appeals to students and researchers working within the convergence of politics and Middle Eastern religions.
Table of ContentsPreface vAcknowledgements viiAbout this Book viiiAbout the Author xiiiNotes on Transliteration xivList of figures xvChapter 1: Introduction: The Shi‘a and the Power of Ideology 11.1. Origins: Traditional Shi‘i Narratives of Jews 51.2. Between the Frontlines: The Lebanese Shi‘a and Their Search for Identity 111.3. Ancient Tales and Modern Challenges: Islamist Narratives about Jews and Zionism 141.4. About this Book 19References 21Chapter 2. Lebanese Shi’i Scholars and the Rise of Zionism 262.1. Shi‘i Intellectual Life in Jabal ‘Āmil 262.2. Early Perceptions of the Jewish Community 312.3. The Emergence of Zionism 382.4. From the 1936-39 Revolt to the Division of Palestine 462.5. The Years of the Great War 512.6. The Challenges of the 1948 “Catastrophe” 572.6.1. Publications about the Nakba 582.6.2. Perceptions of Jews and Judaism 612.7. Orientation After the Nakba 67References 73Chapter 3. Mūsā aṣ-Ṣadr: Palestine and the Struggle for South Lebanon 773.1.Ṣadr and the Challenges of Jabal ‘Āmil 773.2.Pursuing Christian-Muslim Unity 813.3.The Palestinian Cause as a Lebanese Concern 843.4.Addressing a Non-Arab Audience 873.5. The Dilemma of the Palestinian Resistance 903.6. Shi‘i Doctrines as a Tool for Social Mobilization 933.7. The 1975-1976 War and the Rise of Amal 983.8. The Struggle to Save the South 1013.9. Facing the First Israeli Invasion 105References 110Chapter 4. Faḍlallah’s Discourse between Dialogue and Jihad 1124.1. The Shi‘i Framework of the Struggle for Social Justice 1124.2. Dialogue with the “People of the Book” 1174.3. On Early Muslim-Jewish Relations 1224.4. Jewish History Revisited 1284.5. Jihad and the Struggle for Palestine 1324.6. Israel and the West 1374.7. From Karbala to Palestine 140References 144Chapter 5. Naṣrallah and the Power of Martyrdom 1475.1. The Birth of the Islamic Resistance 1475.2. The Israeli Invasion and Shi‘i Reactions 1555.3. The Ideological Foundation of the Islamic Movement 1585.4. Ḥusayn in Palestine: Naṣrallah’s Ideological Approach to Anti-Zionism 1635.5. Merging Anti-Zionism and Anti-Jewish Thought 1695.6. A Strategy of Adaptation 1745.7. The May 2000 “Victory” and its Consequences 1815.8. Playing with Fire: Towards the 2006 War 1905.9. Risking the Future of Lebanon 1975.10. Hezbollah’s Game of Deterrence 2035.11. Saving the “Shi‘i axis” – Naṣrallah and the War in Syria 210References 216Conclusions: Anti-Jewish Narratives in the Service of Political Agendas 222Index 231
