In the Path of Hizbullah

by Ahmad Nizar Hamzeh

Book Overview

Of the many Islamist groups that have emerged within the Muslim world over the last two decades, perhaps none has had so great an impact on Middle Eastern and International affairs as Hizbullah, the Party of God. This group of mainly Lebanese Sh?te Muslims gained both infamy and fame by its resort to militancy mixed with political pragmatism in the pursuit of its goals. The oscillation between these two extremes has left most scholars and policymakers...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0815630530
• ISBN13: 9780815630531
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Syracuse University Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Essential for understanding Hezbollah

With "In the Path of Hizbullah," Ahmad Nizar Hamzeh has produced one of the most detailed and in-depth accounts of what is quite possibly the most powerful force in Lebanon today. Hamzeh forgoes the history surrounding Hezbollah's formation and immediately dives into the mechanics of the group. What you'll find here is an up-close look at how Hezbollah operates and how it is organized. Hamzeh's main thesis states that Hezbollah's goal of establishing on Islamic order in Lebanon has not changed from the group's inception. What has changed however, are the methods employed by the group to achieve this goal. Hamzeh shows that when conditions are favorable, the group will employ more militant methods. This was the case during the relative chaos of the 80s. When militant methods become ineffective, as they did in the 90s and continuing presently, Hezbollah adopts a more pragmatic approach. Through this analysis, Hamzeh shows that the Lebanese political structure is the only factor that can really affect Hezbollah's range of action. If the state is strong enough to contain Hezbollah, the group becomes less effective. On the other hand, if the state is weak or nonexistent, Hezbollah can get away with much more. Hamzeh also provides a wealth of information on how the group is structured. He provides an inside look at the chain of command, committees, financial organization, as well as the impact of third party influences such as Iran and Syria. Hamzeh's book is not for the novice. A prior understanding of Hezbollah and its history is required before getting into the specifics provided here. As such, Norton's short history of Hezbollah is a good place to start before moving on to Hamzeh. These two books taken together go a long way in shedding light on what type of group Hezbollah is and what to expect from the group in the future. Hamzeh leaves his personal feelings out of his work, which is commendable, and the end result is much more helpful and more balanced in tone than Harik's book.

'...informitive and analytical' - Abukhail

The book states something analogous to "simplicity is not the objective" in the preface, and indeed, I was occasionally re-reading pages just to understand the point being made. I actually had to visit Ahmad Nizar Hamzah (Lecturer at the AUK and author of this book) once just to clarify a few points. I have also sensed an overtone of 'one sidedness' despite the objective statistics and fact mentioning; specifically speaking, the descriptions of Israeli losses are "graphic" more so than Hezbollah's. Critiquing aside, the book is very informative regarding the topic, covering everything concerning Hezbollah; from status, roles and objectives in the area, to the ideology and mindsets of the demographies concerned. An excellent read.

The Most Comprehensive Book on Hezbollah

(Ignore the transliteration - the writer is spelling the title with an Arab name vs. its Farsi variant which Hezbollah uses on its own website) This is an EXCELLENT study on Hezbollah. In fact, this is probably the best. It uses a solid methodology to examine the group. NOT an exciting book, but if you want to study Hezbollah and the genesis of political Shiism, this is the book to own.

Welcome contribution to contemporary Middle Eastern studies

Associate professor of political science Ahmad Nizar Hamzeh presents In The Path Of Hizbullah, a thorough examination of the history and present-day situation of the Islamist group known as Hizbullah, or the Party of God. Consisting of mainly Lebanese Shiite Muslims, Hizbullah is well known for using both militant and moderate tactics to pursue its goals. Indeed its changing back and forth between extremes has puzzled those who would study it or those who are forced to confront it. In The Path Of Hizbullah details the crises that led to Hizbullah's emergence, its clerical leadership and hierarchical structure, and examines its shifts between militancy and gradualist pragmatism. Research, statistics, and tables flesh out the close scrutiny of Hizbullah's activities, in this unbiased examination of all that Hizbullah is and speculation upon what Hizbullah will become. A welcome contribution to contemporary Middle Eastern studies shelves.

Well done

A book in long making that discovers the truth of all the facets of the hizbullah. Fairly edited although, some of the material is outdated, but extremely well written by author. This book is for all thoses who study experts of terrorism; for a study guide, and for those interested in the middle east saddest factor of life.