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Hamas and Civil Society in Gaza
Many in the United States and Israel believe that Hamas is nothing but a terrorist organization, and that its social sector serves merely to recruit new supporters for its violent agenda. Based on Sara Roy's extensive fieldwork in the Gaza Strip and West Bank during the critical period of the Oslo peace process, "Hamas and Civil Society in Gaza" shows how the social service activities sponsored by the Islamist group emphasized not political violence but rather community development and civic restoration.
Roy demonstrates how Islamic social institutions in Gaza and the West Bank advocated a moderate approach to change that valued order and stability, not disorder and instability; were less dogmatically Islamic than is often assumed; and served people who had a range of political outlooks and no history of acting collectively in support of radical Islam. These institutions attempted to create civic communities, not religious congregations. They reflected a deep commitment to stimulate a social, cultural, and moral renewal of the Muslim community, one couched not only - or even primarily - in religious terms.
Vividly illustrating Hamas's unrecognized potential for moderation, accommodation, and change, "Hamas and Civil Society in Gaza" also traces critical developments in Hamas's social and political sectors through the Second Intifada to today, and offers an assessment of the current, more adverse situation in the occupied territories. The Oslo period held great promise that has since been squandered. This book argues for more enlightened policies by the United States and Israel, ones that reflect Hamas's proven record of nonviolent community building.
In a new afterword, Roy discusses how Hamas has been affected by changing regional dynamics and by recent economic and political events in Gaza, including failed attempts at reconciliation with Fatah.
Roy demonstrates how Islamic social institutions in Gaza and the West Bank advocated a moderate approach to change that valued order and stability, not disorder and instability; were less dogmatically Islamic than is often assumed; and served people who had a range of political outlooks and no history of acting collectively in support of radical Islam. These institutions attempted to create civic communities, not religious congregations. They reflected a deep commitment to stimulate a social, cultural, and moral renewal of the Muslim community, one couched not only - or even primarily - in religious terms.
Vividly illustrating Hamas's unrecognized potential for moderation, accommodation, and change, "Hamas and Civil Society in Gaza" also traces critical developments in Hamas's social and political sectors through the Second Intifada to today, and offers an assessment of the current, more adverse situation in the occupied territories. The Oslo period held great promise that has since been squandered. This book argues for more enlightened policies by the United States and Israel, ones that reflect Hamas's proven record of nonviolent community building.
In a new afterword, Roy discusses how Hamas has been affected by changing regional dynamics and by recent economic and political events in Gaza, including failed attempts at reconciliation with Fatah.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 21, 2023
I really liked the history in the beginning of the book - albeit not new info - but the remainder was rather dry and predictable - and rather apologetic to the Israeli/US position - for me. I have read a lot about the Occupation of Palestine, mostly from a non-Israel/non-US angle, which affords me much more in the way of facts and multifaceted analysis. There is nothing special in this or in me doing it, since anyone can do the same. But if you don't know the history from the Palestinian, Arab, or Islamic side, then you don't know the truth (or don't want to), only the lies Israel and the USofA want you to know.
Anyway.
The entirety of the regional timeline is fascinating, as it stretches nearly all of recored human history.
I digress.
I disliked the apologetics for the oft-repeated Israel/US/WesternCiv misreadings of Islam and Arab culture. I also disliked strongly the idea that Israel or the US has any sort of democracy (ask Black Americans, American females, any LGBTQIA+ member, Arab-Israelis, Palestinians, Arabs...), and that somehow the Arab states have to constantly explain themselves and their culture/politics/right-to-exist to their "betters". I am not saying Roy as overt with these things, but the tone was quite deferential, at the very least, to Israel and the USofA as their ardent supporter/manipulator.
There wasn't much new here for me excepting some details that did nothing to change my disdain for Israel Occupation of Palestine, or the global blank check Israel has to commit atrocities and somehow improve their moral standing as a result.
The political maneuverings that Roy explains were fascinating, especially as they show how the depth of the lies, misdirections, and backdoor scheming that Israel has done to undermine any attempt to bring about peace. Because, of course, Israel does not want peace, nor does the USofA. Israel wants the entirety of Palestine for their state - along with the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip - AND the annihilation of the Palestinian people. The USofA wants continued, managed, instability in the region. This allows them to appear as an impartial observer-negotiator all the while they allow Israel to amass weapons (and yes, Israel has nuclear weapons, never forget that) and provide them billions in aid. As a result, Israel has outsized regional influence - and no recognized international borders - and the USofA has an unfettered military-berserker nation to utilize until they no longer need them. Which may be all too soon, much to the dismay of both countries.
Hamas wants Israel gone. From Palestine. Simple as that. Israel are land thieves, and ethnic cleansers. Simple as that.
Hamas is not a terrorist group. Or, if they are, then the State of Israel is too. As is the USofA. Simple as that.
Hamas, much like other militant political groups in the region, want Israel to give them back their land, their rights, and their lives. Until this happens, they will continue to fight. To fight not only the Israelis, but the lies the Israelis craft to hide their atrocities.
Ask yourself what you would do if another country stole your land, killed your family, and then blamed you for it?
Hamas is providing an answer, one you may not like, but one that is easy to understand and support.
Remember, Israel is a (thieving, murderous) nation, Hamas is a social-political GROUP (there is no Palestine, only Occupied Palestine, and the Palestinians have a name but no nation, state, or rights). How does the world accept that Israel is waging war in 2023 against Hamas??
Anyway.
The entirety of the regional timeline is fascinating, as it stretches nearly all of recored human history.
I digress.
I disliked the apologetics for the oft-repeated Israel/US/WesternCiv misreadings of Islam and Arab culture. I also disliked strongly the idea that Israel or the US has any sort of democracy (ask Black Americans, American females, any LGBTQIA+ member, Arab-Israelis, Palestinians, Arabs...), and that somehow the Arab states have to constantly explain themselves and their culture/politics/right-to-exist to their "betters". I am not saying Roy as overt with these things, but the tone was quite deferential, at the very least, to Israel and the USofA as their ardent supporter/manipulator.
There wasn't much new here for me excepting some details that did nothing to change my disdain for Israel Occupation of Palestine, or the global blank check Israel has to commit atrocities and somehow improve their moral standing as a result.
The political maneuverings that Roy explains were fascinating, especially as they show how the depth of the lies, misdirections, and backdoor scheming that Israel has done to undermine any attempt to bring about peace. Because, of course, Israel does not want peace, nor does the USofA. Israel wants the entirety of Palestine for their state - along with the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip - AND the annihilation of the Palestinian people. The USofA wants continued, managed, instability in the region. This allows them to appear as an impartial observer-negotiator all the while they allow Israel to amass weapons (and yes, Israel has nuclear weapons, never forget that) and provide them billions in aid. As a result, Israel has outsized regional influence - and no recognized international borders - and the USofA has an unfettered military-berserker nation to utilize until they no longer need them. Which may be all too soon, much to the dismay of both countries.
Hamas wants Israel gone. From Palestine. Simple as that. Israel are land thieves, and ethnic cleansers. Simple as that.
Hamas is not a terrorist group. Or, if they are, then the State of Israel is too. As is the USofA. Simple as that.
Hamas, much like other militant political groups in the region, want Israel to give them back their land, their rights, and their lives. Until this happens, they will continue to fight. To fight not only the Israelis, but the lies the Israelis craft to hide their atrocities.
Ask yourself what you would do if another country stole your land, killed your family, and then blamed you for it?
Hamas is providing an answer, one you may not like, but one that is easy to understand and support.
Remember, Israel is a (thieving, murderous) nation, Hamas is a social-political GROUP (there is no Palestine, only Occupied Palestine, and the Palestinians have a name but no nation, state, or rights). How does the world accept that Israel is waging war in 2023 against Hamas??
January 11, 2023
Delivers exactly what the title and introduction promise it will deliver! Read for my dissertation but I’d recommend to anybody. It isn’t as dry as a lot of academic stuff.
August 9, 2024
I know people might not like it but they are my freedom fighters. I get it. Who spent really if you think hard about it. Everyone has the right. 🩷
October 15, 2022
I went into this book being more Hamas critical. A Palestinian friend moved me towards reading political works on Hamas so of course I decided to read it.
I think generally it provides a good general history of the Islamic Resistance Movement and how it originated from a more Islamic reformist movement oriented towards the Muslim Brotherhood (in response too the nationalist orientation of Fatah) too the militant politics it has now.
I think Sara Roy makes a very convincing argument. Hamas is a very reformist, pro democracy org who’s support isn’t because the population is heavily Islamist but because of its expansive social sector and its politics during the Oslo period. Also its interesting how it points out a lot about Fatah’s anti-democratic behavior especially wrt the 2006 elections. I think definitely they are some form of bourgeois nationalists akin to perhaps Pakistan which makes me less skeptical of them. Overall very good book.
I think generally it provides a good general history of the Islamic Resistance Movement and how it originated from a more Islamic reformist movement oriented towards the Muslim Brotherhood (in response too the nationalist orientation of Fatah) too the militant politics it has now.
I think Sara Roy makes a very convincing argument. Hamas is a very reformist, pro democracy org who’s support isn’t because the population is heavily Islamist but because of its expansive social sector and its politics during the Oslo period. Also its interesting how it points out a lot about Fatah’s anti-democratic behavior especially wrt the 2006 elections. I think definitely they are some form of bourgeois nationalists akin to perhaps Pakistan which makes me less skeptical of them. Overall very good book.
April 10, 2024
One cannot really comprehend the current genocide being committed in Palestine without reading Roy's work.
November 17, 2012
Sara Roy’s book examined the Islamist social sector in Gaza during the period between Oslo Accords and the outbreak of the Second Intifada. Conducted primarily through ethnographic fieldwork, Dr. Roy interviewed the staff at these social organizations, as well as Hamas officials and Gazans who made use of them to discover how these organizations function (sources of funding, ideological content, etc) as well as their relationships to other organizations and Hamas’ political movement. Dr. Roy assessed and refuted the prevalent view that Islamic civil societies in Gaza were but “recruiting tools” for militancy, a method to channel international funding to Hamas’ military apparatus, or sites of ideological indoctrination to legitimize its politics. She concludes that the religious civic communities in Gaza during this time functioned more as civil society that seeks to improve life in the community, rather than being driven primarily by imposing its ideology. Through its work in the social sector during this period, Hamas gained legitimacy and was able to build a broad popular base that led to its electoral victory in 2006.
Dr. Roy was careful to unpack the notion of the “Islamic social sector” through her fieldwork. With each organization she profiled, she explored what made it an “Islamic”, and what role ideology played in its daily functions. She found that most of them were civic communities that operated in a vaguely religious framework - for example, upholding customary notions of modesty in staff’s dress, providing female doctors for female patients in hospitals, etc - but without making ideology or support for Hamas a condition for obtaining their services. Furthermore, Dr. Roy argues that the ISIs during this time period were not highly politicized and functioned autonomously, without much coordination with each other or with Hamas’s political arm in order to fulfill some strategic agenda. During this nineties, Palestinians were more concerned with obtaining a functioning statehood rather than abstract notions of an Islamic state, and consequently Hamas had to adapt to the prevailing mood in order to garner popular support.
However, circumstances have evolved in the past decade, and Hamas’ strategic interests may have shifted as they are faced with the duty of governing Gaza and as the political stalemate continued. Developments from this weekend made this an especially timely read given that the Israel-Palestine conflict had been overshadowed by the Arab Spring and discussions on Iran for the past two years. I am interested (but also apprehensive) in seeing how this perennial conflict will play out in today’s reconfigured political landscape.
Dr. Roy was careful to unpack the notion of the “Islamic social sector” through her fieldwork. With each organization she profiled, she explored what made it an “Islamic”, and what role ideology played in its daily functions. She found that most of them were civic communities that operated in a vaguely religious framework - for example, upholding customary notions of modesty in staff’s dress, providing female doctors for female patients in hospitals, etc - but without making ideology or support for Hamas a condition for obtaining their services. Furthermore, Dr. Roy argues that the ISIs during this time period were not highly politicized and functioned autonomously, without much coordination with each other or with Hamas’s political arm in order to fulfill some strategic agenda. During this nineties, Palestinians were more concerned with obtaining a functioning statehood rather than abstract notions of an Islamic state, and consequently Hamas had to adapt to the prevailing mood in order to garner popular support.
However, circumstances have evolved in the past decade, and Hamas’ strategic interests may have shifted as they are faced with the duty of governing Gaza and as the political stalemate continued. Developments from this weekend made this an especially timely read given that the Israel-Palestine conflict had been overshadowed by the Arab Spring and discussions on Iran for the past two years. I am interested (but also apprehensive) in seeing how this perennial conflict will play out in today’s reconfigured political landscape.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews