Islam and Political Violence in the Charter of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Palestine

Abstract

While recent debates on the connection between religion and violence have focused on analyses of actions of the groups employing religion to mobilize and sanction violence, much less scholarly attention is paid to what these groups profess in their own publications. This article aims to relate how one such group, the Islamic Resistance Movement of Palestine (Hamas), justifies political violence within a framework of Islam. By examining the charter of Hamas and the attendant historical context in which Hamas arose in Palestine, I argue that political violence is justified by three related processes: authorization, dehumanization and shame. The shame/aggression complex that results from these processes lies at the heart of the justification of political violence in the charter of Hamas and is vivified by a constant reinterpretation and assimilation of the memories of suffering, redemption, martyrdom and resistance throughout Islamic history.