The recent conflict in Gaza between the state of Israel and Palestinians led by
Hamas has again brought the question of Palestinian statehood to the attention of the
international community. Religion has often been mentioned as a cause for the conflict
between the two, as well as a reason for the perceived instability of the Middle East. It is
within this frame of reference that this study takes place. This study attempts to use this
emergence in current events as the starting point for the interaction between religion and
resistance movements, examining the incorporation of Islamic doctrine into the actions
towards Israel of the resistance movements Hamas and Hezbollah.
In an attempt to determine the incorporation of Islam into resistance movements,
this study will undertake case studies on two leading Islamic resistance movements,
Hamas and Hezbollah. The Islamic doctrine to be investigated in these studies is that of
the Umma, the worldwide community of Muslim believers. These case studies will
examine how the doctrine of umma affects the two resistance movements, as well as
variations in its interpretation in the two movements. This will allow for both an
understanding of religious influence in resistance movements, but will also examine the
differentiation of understanding of doctrine in Islam, as Hamas is primarily a Sunni
organization, while Hezbollah is primarily Shiite. In this, a greater understanding of each
of these concepts and their interaction will be gained.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:USF/oai:scholarcommons.usf.edu:etd-4810 |
| Date | 16 April 2010 |
| Creators | Lawson, Matthew |
| Publisher | Scholar Commons |
| Source Sets | University of South Flordia |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Graduate Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | default |
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