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Hamas: A History from Within
revised and updated edition/ a key resource in English for any serious assessment of the PalestinianIsraeli conflict.Publishers Weekly (starred review)/One must understand Hamas in order to understand the current state of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. Hamas: A History from Within provides an unrivaled account of Hamass history, structure, and objectives, largely in its own words. A grassroots organization that commands wide respect among Palestinians for its incorruptibility, Hamas is divided into two main sections: one is responsible for establishing schools, hospitals, and religious institutions; the other for military action and terror attacks carried out by its armed underground wing the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades. Tamimis longtime relationships and extensive interviews with Hamass leading members allow him to create a more intimate portrait of Hamas, in its own words and from its own members, than has yet been available in English.
392 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 14, 2021
I wrote my Master's thesis on Hamas years ago, so I have read quite a bit of books, scholarly articles, interviews and material produced by the movement itself. I would say that for anyone truly interested in trying to understand Hamas, Dr. Tamimi's book is absolutely indispensable. Pro-Israelis to this day love to bring up the Hamas charter, and Tamimi spends a chapter describing how it was written and why it doesn't represent the movement.
That Tamimi holds a positive view of Hamas is no secret, but at least he's upfront with his bias. This book can be viewed as a corrective to books highly critical of Hamas, like Jonathan Schanzer's Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle For Palestine or Matthew Levitt's Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad, Jewish American writers tied to the US government with strong anti-Palestinian bias. Both authors are highly dependent on second hand sources and reports from intelligence agencies. It's unclear if either of them have ever even met anyone from Hamas.
Tamimi on the other hand offers an inside perspective. Other books which do the same are for example Jeroen Gunning's Hamas in Politics: Democracy, Religion, Violence and Khaled Hroub's Hamas: A Beginner's Guide and Hamas: Political Thought and Practice, all three of them excellent books.
That Tamimi holds a positive view of Hamas is no secret, but at least he's upfront with his bias. This book can be viewed as a corrective to books highly critical of Hamas, like Jonathan Schanzer's Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle For Palestine or Matthew Levitt's Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad, Jewish American writers tied to the US government with strong anti-Palestinian bias. Both authors are highly dependent on second hand sources and reports from intelligence agencies. It's unclear if either of them have ever even met anyone from Hamas.
Tamimi on the other hand offers an inside perspective. Other books which do the same are for example Jeroen Gunning's Hamas in Politics: Democracy, Religion, Violence and Khaled Hroub's Hamas: A Beginner's Guide and Hamas: Political Thought and Practice, all three of them excellent books.
August 13, 2014
Just like IRA,INA,Vietcong guerrillas, mukti bahini and French resistance,which where termed as "Terrorist organizations" during their times,Hamas is a group of people fighting for their rights,their land and honour.
Final victory is for Hamas because it represents the truth,whether you believe it or not,truth is out there.
Final victory is for Hamas because it represents the truth,whether you believe it or not,truth is out there.
September 5, 2024
Islamic Resistance Movement
The book starts from 1930s, when seeds of the movement were planted on the Palestinian soil, by the martyrdom of Izz al Din Qassam, in the British Mandate and French Occupation of the land.
It gives in depth detailed accounts of the ups and downs of the movement, the people, the rights and the wrongs. The strategic wins and setbacks. It explains how the movement evolved from Ikhwan ul Muslimeen, Palestinian Branch. How its an intellectual movement as much as a political and resistance movement.
“The day Hamas won the Palestinian democratic elections the world’s leading democracies failed the test of democracy.”
The book shows the data of how the “international community” wants to water down Islam, how Islam is the real problem for them, how they rush to shower secularists with money, security, trainings, aid.
**“Do policymakers in Washington and Europe ever feel ashamed of their scandalous double standards? Before and since the Palestinian elections in January, they have continually insisted that Hamas comply with certain demands. They want us to recognise Israel, call off our resistance, and commit ourselves to whatever deals Israel and the Palestinian leadership reached in the past.”**
This a beautiful case study to be used for Islamist movements in other parts of the world. As it rejects hasty armed action, and focuses on planting seeds of ideology first.
From 1948 onwards, it were only secular groups who were doing armed resistance against Israel, the Islamic groups at that time were focusing on reforming the minds first, reviving the islamic identity. By 1987, some 20 years of hardwork! Islamic groups launched and publicised their armed resistance. And it was relentless, vigorous, honourable! Unlike the secularist who bended like water, became sell-outs, because the ideology of theirs was not a rooted one.
This book is recommended for those who may want to learn about Hamas as a case study for forming and developing Islamist movements in other parts of the world, because it goes into too many details, uptill 2007 only. If you just want to have an unbiased idea about Hamas, one can just read Hamas: A Beginners Guide by Khaled Hroub.
“Those who threaten to impose sanctions on our people are the same powers that initiated our suffering and continue to support our oppressors almost unconditionally.”
Palestinians are among the most politicised and educated people in the world. When they went to the polls, they were well aware of what was on offer and those who voted for Hamas knew what it stood for. They chose Hamas because of its pledge never to give up the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and its promise to embark on a programme of reform. There were voices warning them, locally and internationally, not to vote for an organization branded by the US and EU as terrorist because such a democratically exercised right would cost them the financial aid provided by foreign donors.
“The movement considers military action the real expression of the legitimacy of rejecting the occupation and resisting its existence on Palestinian soil. This legitimacy derives from Divine religions, international norms, and human history.”
Here is a snapshot from israeli Prison, about Sheikh Ahmed Yassin:
**”Ismail Haniyah, who was one of the members of Hamas closest to Sheikh Yassin, reported that he saw the sheikh in detention being severely abused by his interrogators and by the prison guards. He was one of several Hamas detainees who were brought from their cells to see that ***the sheikh had been apprehended and that therefore the movement had been broken.*** He saw prison guards turn the sheikh around in his wheelchair and push him forward until he fell. He was left on the floor for hours before he was picked up again and restored to his chair. Haniyah also reported that the sheikh had the hair of his beard plucked and his testicles squeezed until they were swollen.”**
The book starts from 1930s, when seeds of the movement were planted on the Palestinian soil, by the martyrdom of Izz al Din Qassam, in the British Mandate and French Occupation of the land.
It gives in depth detailed accounts of the ups and downs of the movement, the people, the rights and the wrongs. The strategic wins and setbacks. It explains how the movement evolved from Ikhwan ul Muslimeen, Palestinian Branch. How its an intellectual movement as much as a political and resistance movement.
“The day Hamas won the Palestinian democratic elections the world’s leading democracies failed the test of democracy.”
The book shows the data of how the “international community” wants to water down Islam, how Islam is the real problem for them, how they rush to shower secularists with money, security, trainings, aid.
**“Do policymakers in Washington and Europe ever feel ashamed of their scandalous double standards? Before and since the Palestinian elections in January, they have continually insisted that Hamas comply with certain demands. They want us to recognise Israel, call off our resistance, and commit ourselves to whatever deals Israel and the Palestinian leadership reached in the past.”**
This a beautiful case study to be used for Islamist movements in other parts of the world. As it rejects hasty armed action, and focuses on planting seeds of ideology first.
From 1948 onwards, it were only secular groups who were doing armed resistance against Israel, the Islamic groups at that time were focusing on reforming the minds first, reviving the islamic identity. By 1987, some 20 years of hardwork! Islamic groups launched and publicised their armed resistance. And it was relentless, vigorous, honourable! Unlike the secularist who bended like water, became sell-outs, because the ideology of theirs was not a rooted one.
This book is recommended for those who may want to learn about Hamas as a case study for forming and developing Islamist movements in other parts of the world, because it goes into too many details, uptill 2007 only. If you just want to have an unbiased idea about Hamas, one can just read Hamas: A Beginners Guide by Khaled Hroub.
“Those who threaten to impose sanctions on our people are the same powers that initiated our suffering and continue to support our oppressors almost unconditionally.”
Palestinians are among the most politicised and educated people in the world. When they went to the polls, they were well aware of what was on offer and those who voted for Hamas knew what it stood for. They chose Hamas because of its pledge never to give up the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and its promise to embark on a programme of reform. There were voices warning them, locally and internationally, not to vote for an organization branded by the US and EU as terrorist because such a democratically exercised right would cost them the financial aid provided by foreign donors.
“The movement considers military action the real expression of the legitimacy of rejecting the occupation and resisting its existence on Palestinian soil. This legitimacy derives from Divine religions, international norms, and human history.”
Here is a snapshot from israeli Prison, about Sheikh Ahmed Yassin:
**”Ismail Haniyah, who was one of the members of Hamas closest to Sheikh Yassin, reported that he saw the sheikh in detention being severely abused by his interrogators and by the prison guards. He was one of several Hamas detainees who were brought from their cells to see that ***the sheikh had been apprehended and that therefore the movement had been broken.*** He saw prison guards turn the sheikh around in his wheelchair and push him forward until he fell. He was left on the floor for hours before he was picked up again and restored to his chair. Haniyah also reported that the sheikh had the hair of his beard plucked and his testicles squeezed until they were swollen.”**
December 4, 2024
Regarding the credibility and accuracy of Tamimi's research, this book earned a five out of five. Tamimi supports his narrative and analysis of Hamas with varied primary and secondary sources from Western, Muslim, and Arab perspectives.
Regarding bias, the book earned a four out of five, as it's clear that Tamimi wrote this book with sympathy for Hamas. However, it doesn't help that Fatah was clearly serving the interests of the US, Israel, and the UK, which Hamas refused to do. The negative views that Palestinians continue to harbor about Fatah, the PLO, and the PA today arose from the knowledge that they were deliberately harming the Palestinian cause in exchange for personal wealth, power, and a western support.
Too many people are going to pick up this book knowing that they're not interested in understanding the origins and mission of Palestinian resistance movements. If that's the case, reading this will be a waste of their time. The US, the UK, and Israel have the money, influence, and control over our collective memory when it comes to the history of Palestine and Hamas. We're taught to believe that Hamas is like some one-dimensional cartoon supervillain that plans to blow up the center of the Earth even though it would end up killing them, too. They're violent just for the sake of being violent, huh? C'mon now... Once more people are willing to push that ludicrous argument from their minds, they'll have the bandwidth to realize that slogans like #SaveGazaFromHamas are white savior-y and contradict the will of the Palestinians. They have always been able to speak for themselves to demand a Free Palestine.
Regarding bias, the book earned a four out of five, as it's clear that Tamimi wrote this book with sympathy for Hamas. However, it doesn't help that Fatah was clearly serving the interests of the US, Israel, and the UK, which Hamas refused to do. The negative views that Palestinians continue to harbor about Fatah, the PLO, and the PA today arose from the knowledge that they were deliberately harming the Palestinian cause in exchange for personal wealth, power, and a western support.
Too many people are going to pick up this book knowing that they're not interested in understanding the origins and mission of Palestinian resistance movements. If that's the case, reading this will be a waste of their time. The US, the UK, and Israel have the money, influence, and control over our collective memory when it comes to the history of Palestine and Hamas. We're taught to believe that Hamas is like some one-dimensional cartoon supervillain that plans to blow up the center of the Earth even though it would end up killing them, too. They're violent just for the sake of being violent, huh? C'mon now... Once more people are willing to push that ludicrous argument from their minds, they'll have the bandwidth to realize that slogans like #SaveGazaFromHamas are white savior-y and contradict the will of the Palestinians. They have always been able to speak for themselves to demand a Free Palestine.
May 13, 2015
One of the best books regarding the Palestinian organization
December 12, 2023
A re-read from college. A little dense but a worthwhile read.
November 9, 2025
all glory to the resistance. they are fighting the most honorable fight. nothing but complete respect and honor for any indigenous people who must pick up arms in defense of their homeland from the occupation and settler violence of racist colonizers
fuck the US’ racist, settler-colonial base which creates an even more bigoted and misinformed superstructure of citizens, who hold so much islamophobia and dehumanization that most wouldn’t even begin to acknowledge let alone sympathize with the depth of pain and terror we have thrust on the Arab world
“The movement's motivation for struggle has been expressed by its founder and leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin: ‘the movement struggles against Israel because it is the aggressing, usurping and oppressing state that hoists the rifle in the face of our sons and daughters day and night.’
The prospect of the movement initiating, or accepting, dialogue with Israel is non-existent at present because of the skewed balance of power between the Palestinians and the Israelis. In Sheikh Yassin's own words: ‘There can be no dialogue between a party that is strong and oppressive and another that is weak and oppressed. There can be no dialogue except after the end of oppression.’
Hamas is aware of the fact that the balance of power in the world today is not in its favor, but does also realize that this has always been the case whenever an oppressed people started their long-term struggle for freedom from foreign occupation and tyranny. It is therefore our firm belief that eventually the Israelis will come to terms with reality and realize that they have no option but to deliver the Palestinian people from the servitude imposed on them by an occupation that violates all known international conventions and declarations including the various UN Security Council resolutions on this issue.”
(excerpts from late 1990s Hamas memo)
fuck the US’ racist, settler-colonial base which creates an even more bigoted and misinformed superstructure of citizens, who hold so much islamophobia and dehumanization that most wouldn’t even begin to acknowledge let alone sympathize with the depth of pain and terror we have thrust on the Arab world
“The movement's motivation for struggle has been expressed by its founder and leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin: ‘the movement struggles against Israel because it is the aggressing, usurping and oppressing state that hoists the rifle in the face of our sons and daughters day and night.’
The prospect of the movement initiating, or accepting, dialogue with Israel is non-existent at present because of the skewed balance of power between the Palestinians and the Israelis. In Sheikh Yassin's own words: ‘There can be no dialogue between a party that is strong and oppressive and another that is weak and oppressed. There can be no dialogue except after the end of oppression.’
Hamas is aware of the fact that the balance of power in the world today is not in its favor, but does also realize that this has always been the case whenever an oppressed people started their long-term struggle for freedom from foreign occupation and tyranny. It is therefore our firm belief that eventually the Israelis will come to terms with reality and realize that they have no option but to deliver the Palestinian people from the servitude imposed on them by an occupation that violates all known international conventions and declarations including the various UN Security Council resolutions on this issue.”
(excerpts from late 1990s Hamas memo)
October 24, 2024
While there are a good amount of Hamas history books, I had been looking for one from an ideological standpoint and so I was glad I came across Azzam Tamimi's work. I had documented a bit of it on Instagram so I don't think I want to go over it again here. But all in all, it was a really good book.
I did prefer the first half more, simply because it delved more into the group's ideology and infancy. I have absolute reverence towards Ahmed Yassin Allahu yarhamuh, for what he strove to achieve, as well as the youth who joined the ikhwan. For the youth to be so ambitious is incredibly inspiring and eye-opening. I had always seen teenage supremacy in media when I was younger but it was fictional or something juvenile. But there's a lot to unpack about the youth's role in the development of the Ikhwan.
Chapter 6 (I think it was titled 'Out of Jordan') was humorous, for lack of a better word, to say the least. The way Jordan wanted to rid itself of Hamas and went to incredible lengths to do so was ridiculous and laughable.
The second half was more government-focused with a concentration on Hamas' relationship with Fatah, so my interest did wane. Plus, there was a whole chapter on 'martyrdom operations'. The author, although I don't think stated his stance out right on such operations, clearly favoured it. While I have a ton load of respect for Tamimi, I did not like how, to present the opposing side, he only cited Islamic scholars who may have been government-backed, thus undermining the position. Ultimately, if one were to read this book, do remember that this is not a piece of Islamic scholarship. Don't take your Islam from here. Nevertheless, it is an excellent, excellent chronicle of a Muslim movement. May Allah free Palestine, bless the resistance, keep them on the haqq and forgive them all.
I did prefer the first half more, simply because it delved more into the group's ideology and infancy. I have absolute reverence towards Ahmed Yassin Allahu yarhamuh, for what he strove to achieve, as well as the youth who joined the ikhwan. For the youth to be so ambitious is incredibly inspiring and eye-opening. I had always seen teenage supremacy in media when I was younger but it was fictional or something juvenile. But there's a lot to unpack about the youth's role in the development of the Ikhwan.
Chapter 6 (I think it was titled 'Out of Jordan') was humorous, for lack of a better word, to say the least. The way Jordan wanted to rid itself of Hamas and went to incredible lengths to do so was ridiculous and laughable.
The second half was more government-focused with a concentration on Hamas' relationship with Fatah, so my interest did wane. Plus, there was a whole chapter on 'martyrdom operations'. The author, although I don't think stated his stance out right on such operations, clearly favoured it. While I have a ton load of respect for Tamimi, I did not like how, to present the opposing side, he only cited Islamic scholars who may have been government-backed, thus undermining the position. Ultimately, if one were to read this book, do remember that this is not a piece of Islamic scholarship. Don't take your Islam from here. Nevertheless, it is an excellent, excellent chronicle of a Muslim movement. May Allah free Palestine, bless the resistance, keep them on the haqq and forgive them all.
October 4, 2014
I learned a bit about the group identified here from my studies in International Relations, perhaps more Comparative Politics (the semester after the next one), but this book solidified my foundation (since as it was, my notes are impossible to read so I just have in my mind a giant skull-and-crossbones sign over Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Palestinian Authority).
If I were going to more seriously study Arabic, I'd take more note from this, but as it is, there are so many cultures clamoring for my attention, and Persian has a similar essence without the similar dangerous feel.
I decided this book was stressing me out too much when I'm already trying to read Solzhenitsyn and the twenty-some others BESIDES watching the several international movies I got from the Library this week, so this book is getting the axe, even though I highly treasure the valid information Tamimi presents, hence the three-star rating.
My personal discomfort shrunk my opinion, though it's what is out there in the world and my colleagues adore discussing it.
Once again, I will stress this book seems valid and the bias is not anti-Semitic, which is better than the other American cheatsheet book about terrorism I recently reviewed, but HAMAS makes me panic, um, as is their job.
If I were going to more seriously study Arabic, I'd take more note from this, but as it is, there are so many cultures clamoring for my attention, and Persian has a similar essence without the similar dangerous feel.
I decided this book was stressing me out too much when I'm already trying to read Solzhenitsyn and the twenty-some others BESIDES watching the several international movies I got from the Library this week, so this book is getting the axe, even though I highly treasure the valid information Tamimi presents, hence the three-star rating.
My personal discomfort shrunk my opinion, though it's what is out there in the world and my colleagues adore discussing it.
Once again, I will stress this book seems valid and the bias is not anti-Semitic, which is better than the other American cheatsheet book about terrorism I recently reviewed, but HAMAS makes me panic, um, as is their job.
September 3, 2014
I can't say I completely agree with everything that he says. However this book is a really good book on an aspect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a Palestinian perspective. This book is really carefully analyzed. He even goes in to detail about the ideology of the Hamas. What is interesting about the book is that it's focus is on Hamas and Palestinian-Israeli relationships and less on the international context of the conflict.
I recommend this book for anyone that wants to know why Hamas is the way it is and why Israel refuses to negotiate with the group.
I recommend this book for anyone that wants to know why Hamas is the way it is and why Israel refuses to negotiate with the group.
January 19, 2024
A very valuable book for understanding the motivations and history of Hamas from its own perspective--and to this Tamimi does a good job. This book should absolutely not be used as trustworthy source for the history of the conflict or the Middle East in general though, and his claims on the recency of antisemitism in the Middle East are not grounded in history.
July 28, 2008
Lots of detail, and footnotes. Helpful appendix.
September 20, 2009
Extremely sympathetic, almost an autobiography of the movement -- but very valuable as an insight into how Hamas views its own development.
October 17, 2013
informative and detailed. Also sympathetic and biased given the background of the author.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews