Hamas: A Beginner's Guide - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 186914113X ISBN 13: 9781869141134

Synopsis

This beginner's guide to Hamas has been fully revised and updated. It now covers all the major events since the January 2006 elections, including the conflict with Fatah and Israel's brutal offensive in Gaza at the end of 2008. Explaining the reasons for Hamas's popularity, leading Al-Jazeera journalist and Cambridge academic Khaled Hroub provides the key facts that are so often missing from conventional news reports. It's a one-stop guide that gives a clear overview of Hamas's history, key beliefs, and its political agenda. This unique book provides a refreshing perspective that gets to the heart of Hamas.

About this title

Review:

This short, timely introduction provides a history of the movement, a rundown of key policies and sketches of key figures. (Guardian)

This book could not be timelier. Drawing on his deep understanding of politics and religion in Palestine, Hroub expertly answers every important question about Hamas. (James Piscatori, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.)

A very useful summary of the Hamas movement’s origins, evolution, and key positions. ... The book’s question-and-answer format yields clear and concise positions, and Hroub deftly expands on these as he explains the nature of Hamas’ discourse on resistance, its views of Israel, what he sees as religious and nationalistic currents in Hamas, the problematic language of its Charter, association with suicide bombings, and the impact on Palestinians of Fatah’s and Hamas’ polarization. (CHOICE)

Synopsis:

The U.S. views Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Yet, to the great surprise of many, Hamas swept to victory in the 2006 Palestinian authority elections. Hamas is now a democratically elected political party. This is the first beginner's guide to this controversial political organisation. Explaining the reasons for Hamas's success, this title provides the key facts that are so often missing from conventional news reports. It's a one-stop guide that gives a clear overview of Hamas's history, key beliefs, and its political agenda. This title provides a refreshing perspective that gets to the heart of the reasons behind Hamas's victory. It provides a critical overview of Hamas's attitudes to Israel, including religious beliefs and suicide bombings, its attitude to the PLO and its programme of grassroots social work within Palestine. The reality of Hamas's victory means that the West will now have to engage with it more seriously if there is to be peace in the Middle East. This title provides the first essential step towards a better understanding of the challenges and suprises that the future may hold.

About this edition

• ISBN 10: 186914113X
• ISBN 13: 9781869141134
• Binding: Paperback