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Hamas: A Beginner's Guide
The U.S. views Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Yet, to the great surprise of many, Hamas swept to victory in the 2006 Palestinian Authority elections. Hamas is now a democractically elected political party.
This is the first beginner's guide to this controversial political organisation. Explaining the reasons for Hamas's success, this book provides the key facts that are so often missing from conventional news reports. It's a one-stop guide that gives a clear overview of Hamas's history, key beliefs, and its political agenda.
Written by a leading Al-Jazeera journalist and Cambridge academic, this unique book provides a refreshing perspective that gets to the heart of the reasons behind Hamas's victory.
It provides a critical overview of Hamas's attitudes to Israel, including religious beliefs and suicide bombings, its attitude to the PLO and its programme of grassroots social work within Palestine.
The reality of Hamas's victory means that the West will now have to engage with it more seriously if there is to be peace in the Middle East. This book provides the first essential step towards a better understanding of the challenges and suprises that the future may hold.
Praise for Khaled Hroub's previous book, Hamas: Political Thought and Practice: '[Hroub's] in-depth and dispassionate presentation of the Hamas doctrine is masterful.' Foreign Affairs
'The best-researched and most objective study.' Joseph Massad, Columbia University
274 pages, Paperback
First published July 20, 2006
34 people are currently reading
371 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 22, 2023
this is a good introduction book on hamas although slightly outdated since it was published december 2006 and hamas as the PA was ousted in mid 2007. but the info in the book about the founding, the principles, and relations of hamas is a good start to learning abt it
May 14, 2024
The book has no references, was updated in 2010, author mentions it in intro right away. It is somewhat outdated, but it does helps establish the background of the movement from an unbiased perspective.
Its written in a QnA form, each chapter is a Question. And within it are sub-questions.
The author uses terminology and dichotomy of a secularist, that is, from start on, he separates religion/politics, which can be understandable if the book is written for a western/non-muslim audience.
Because islam is definitely not a subject to be limited in a single sphere of life.
And it is the only organisation which is succeeding.
According to book:
Hamas is an adjunct organisation birthed in 1987 with a specific mission of confronting the occupation.
It’s a smaller, specific, sophisticated, definite part of a larger movement.
It is only anti-Zionist.
Its pragmatism is definitely something worth taking lessons from. It doesn’t budge from its principles.
There were other Secular and Communist movements working before inception of Hamas, in 1940-1970s. But they went terribly wrong, drenched in corruption, became docile when they initiated to recognise Israel.
But in 2006, for sake of pragmatism, Hamas joined elections(proposed by Oslo Accords, that is, by Israel) to have legitimate say in legislation, and it unanimously won by 60% of votes in whole of post-1967 Palestine, that is Gaza & West Bank. Even they weren’t expecting such a victory.
The victory was an immediate superficial-hoax-threat for the secular Palestinians, and a definite threat for Occupation.
It backfired onto West. And West went berserk, they refused to accept results of their own placed democracy. And imposed heavy sanctions. Blocking all aid, just like they did now in Afghanistan in 2021.
***Ben Bot, the Dutch foreign minister, voiced the justification of this move when he said, 'The Palestinian people have opted for this government, so they will have to bear the consequences.***
***Hamas leaders point to the Arab Summit Peace Initiative adopted in Beirut in 2002, which offered Israel full and collective Arab recognition and normalization of relations in return for accepting the two-state solution according to UN resolutions. Their point is that when Israel refuses such a collective Arab recognition, how and why would Hamas's recognition of Israel change Israel's attitudes and positions?***
It’s inspiring to read that all the Hamas’s top leadership, has grown up in refugee camps, and they still live among, and like the ordinary Palestinians, unlike the secularists.
This gains Hamas much popularity and support from Palestinians.
It’s an organisation still standing firm, persevering, even after betrayals and immediate-losses.
It will rise.
————————
After reading the book, Do I condemn them?
NO!
Its written in a QnA form, each chapter is a Question. And within it are sub-questions.
The author uses terminology and dichotomy of a secularist, that is, from start on, he separates religion/politics, which can be understandable if the book is written for a western/non-muslim audience.
Because islam is definitely not a subject to be limited in a single sphere of life.
And it is the only organisation which is succeeding.
According to book:
Hamas is an adjunct organisation birthed in 1987 with a specific mission of confronting the occupation.
It’s a smaller, specific, sophisticated, definite part of a larger movement.
It is only anti-Zionist.
Its pragmatism is definitely something worth taking lessons from. It doesn’t budge from its principles.
There were other Secular and Communist movements working before inception of Hamas, in 1940-1970s. But they went terribly wrong, drenched in corruption, became docile when they initiated to recognise Israel.
But in 2006, for sake of pragmatism, Hamas joined elections(proposed by Oslo Accords, that is, by Israel) to have legitimate say in legislation, and it unanimously won by 60% of votes in whole of post-1967 Palestine, that is Gaza & West Bank. Even they weren’t expecting such a victory.
The victory was an immediate superficial-hoax-threat for the secular Palestinians, and a definite threat for Occupation.
It backfired onto West. And West went berserk, they refused to accept results of their own placed democracy. And imposed heavy sanctions. Blocking all aid, just like they did now in Afghanistan in 2021.
***Ben Bot, the Dutch foreign minister, voiced the justification of this move when he said, 'The Palestinian people have opted for this government, so they will have to bear the consequences.***
***Hamas leaders point to the Arab Summit Peace Initiative adopted in Beirut in 2002, which offered Israel full and collective Arab recognition and normalization of relations in return for accepting the two-state solution according to UN resolutions. Their point is that when Israel refuses such a collective Arab recognition, how and why would Hamas's recognition of Israel change Israel's attitudes and positions?***
It’s inspiring to read that all the Hamas’s top leadership, has grown up in refugee camps, and they still live among, and like the ordinary Palestinians, unlike the secularists.
This gains Hamas much popularity and support from Palestinians.
It’s an organisation still standing firm, persevering, even after betrayals and immediate-losses.
It will rise.
————————
After reading the book, Do I condemn them?
NO!
August 29, 2025
A very light read. Not complicated. It is at it says for beginners. 💯
August 6, 2018
Karl Mark Meets Jihad
Let me begin by saying that this is a clearly written book that gives an honest summary of Hamas as an organization and a summation of its points of view. The author comes from a secular Marxist perspective and organizes his material in an understandable fashion. He is sympathetic to his subject and while he has some trepidation with Hamas' religious orientation he is able to reassure that a Hamas government would respect the rights of Christians and secular Muslims.
Here are some of Hamas' views, as seen by the author:
ON WHY MARXISTS CAN EMBRACE A FUNDAMENTALIST RELIGIOUS GROUP
Hamas' fight is not against against any national regime but against colonial foreign occupation. It's national liberation substance is no less potent than its religious creed. pp100
I have a different perspective: I see the root of the conflict as an attempt to legitimize xenophobic immigrant bashing, a not uncommon ailment of the early 20th century. Jews were the target of a dominant subgroup of Palestinian bourgeoisie who were afraid of losing their grip on a submissive peasant class. Jews migrated in large numbers, bought land from land owners (many of whom publicly condemned Zionism while privately lining their pockets) and compensated tenant farmers allowing them to monetize their assets and escape perpetual debt to the landed class.
ON IMPOSING FUNDAMENTALIST PRACTICES:
Hamas would never think of imposing fundamentalist practice - unless of course they were given popular consent to do so. pp73
ON USING POWER TO COERCE OBEDIENCE TO RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
Without intending to the book also reveals how Hamas uses the lever of aid distribution to coerce people.
"An unveiled woman for example would not think to apply for help from Hamas before veiling herself" This could be considered an indirect 'benign or paternal' imposition of practices." pp 73
ON DEMOCRATIC INSTINCTS
Hamas holds elections for all positions. Even cabinet ministers are selected by a vote. pp64. However 2 pages later Hamas appoints a Christian of Minister of Tourism and its only female cabinet member as Minister of Woman's affairs. Not a big democratic deficit IMHO as most governments appoint rather than elect cabinet members, but the author's initial statement was untrue.
My take: Even though Christians have been forced by Muslims out of Bethlehem they still need a front man to bring in the tourists. They also need a woman to explain Hamas policy towards women. Even Hroub is disappointed in this token appointment. The internecine war between Fatah and Hamas in 2007 should be a lesson as to how shallow the commitment to democratic instincts are here.
ON ACCEPTING JEWS
"With the creation of Israel in 1948, a wide shock of humiliation reverberated across the Muslim world. The Jews occupied more than two-thirds of Palestine and Jerusalem and were but a few steps from from the Al Aqsa Mosque." pp5, see also pp35.
Ummm, Jews near a mosque? Disgraceful!?? Yeah, right - who's that supposed to resonate with - the Ku Klux Klan?
ON MUSLIM SUPREMACY
In the consciousness of many Muslims, the identity of the ruler of Palestine indicates the strength or weakness of Islam and Muslims. If Palestine is ruled and controlled by foreigners and non-Muslims - from the Crusaders of the medieval ages to the Zionists of the 20th century and the present - then Islam and Muslims perceive themselves to be weak and defeated. pp3
So the Mideast conflict reduces to Muslim fear of appearing weak. It's all about Arabic male ego.
ON WHY THE ARABS FAILED TO EXTINGUISH ISRAEL IN 1948
The Arabs had been outmanoeuvered by Zionist might and its British collusion. This defeat was astounding and the disgrace cut deeply into the psyche of Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims. pp5
My note: Neither side had much love for the British and the British did much more to help the Arab side in the 1940s by stemming Jewish immigration. Arab appeasement was the rule in the 1920s which included giving 70% of the Mandate over to an Arab only/Jew free entity (Trans-Jordan) up until the Arab Revolt of 1936-1939 - in that period British interests were more on the side of the Jews and the segment of the Arab population that wanted to maintain a civil society. The Jews won because they had no place else to go - great motivation. Of course if the Jews lost there'd be no Jews left in Israel and this would be a purely academic discussion because the Arab program was pretty blatant about their goals at time.
However the basic complaint again comes down to an ethos of shame and disgrace that emerges from losing a place of dominance. The mistake here is that a democratic society inverts and reinvents much more complex power relationships - its not a simple rule or be ruled dichotomy.
ON RECOGNIZING ISRAEL
It is not inconceivable that Hamas would recognize Israel ... unless Israel capitulates to ALL of Hamas' demands it is inconceivable that Hamas would recognize Israel. (paraphrase from pp42) That's like saying I'll respect you only when you are dead and gone. (see also pp35.)
Overall not a bad book to learn about Hamas' point of view in the sense one could learn about fascism by reading a book sympathetic to Mussolini or Franco.
Armed with the insights gained here I'm finding Matthew Levitt's Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad a much better read.
Let me begin by saying that this is a clearly written book that gives an honest summary of Hamas as an organization and a summation of its points of view. The author comes from a secular Marxist perspective and organizes his material in an understandable fashion. He is sympathetic to his subject and while he has some trepidation with Hamas' religious orientation he is able to reassure that a Hamas government would respect the rights of Christians and secular Muslims.
Here are some of Hamas' views, as seen by the author:
ON WHY MARXISTS CAN EMBRACE A FUNDAMENTALIST RELIGIOUS GROUP
Hamas' fight is not against against any national regime but against colonial foreign occupation. It's national liberation substance is no less potent than its religious creed. pp100
I have a different perspective: I see the root of the conflict as an attempt to legitimize xenophobic immigrant bashing, a not uncommon ailment of the early 20th century. Jews were the target of a dominant subgroup of Palestinian bourgeoisie who were afraid of losing their grip on a submissive peasant class. Jews migrated in large numbers, bought land from land owners (many of whom publicly condemned Zionism while privately lining their pockets) and compensated tenant farmers allowing them to monetize their assets and escape perpetual debt to the landed class.
ON IMPOSING FUNDAMENTALIST PRACTICES:
Hamas would never think of imposing fundamentalist practice - unless of course they were given popular consent to do so. pp73
ON USING POWER TO COERCE OBEDIENCE TO RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
Without intending to the book also reveals how Hamas uses the lever of aid distribution to coerce people.
"An unveiled woman for example would not think to apply for help from Hamas before veiling herself" This could be considered an indirect 'benign or paternal' imposition of practices." pp 73
ON DEMOCRATIC INSTINCTS
Hamas holds elections for all positions. Even cabinet ministers are selected by a vote. pp64. However 2 pages later Hamas appoints a Christian of Minister of Tourism and its only female cabinet member as Minister of Woman's affairs. Not a big democratic deficit IMHO as most governments appoint rather than elect cabinet members, but the author's initial statement was untrue.
My take: Even though Christians have been forced by Muslims out of Bethlehem they still need a front man to bring in the tourists. They also need a woman to explain Hamas policy towards women. Even Hroub is disappointed in this token appointment. The internecine war between Fatah and Hamas in 2007 should be a lesson as to how shallow the commitment to democratic instincts are here.
ON ACCEPTING JEWS
"With the creation of Israel in 1948, a wide shock of humiliation reverberated across the Muslim world. The Jews occupied more than two-thirds of Palestine and Jerusalem and were but a few steps from from the Al Aqsa Mosque." pp5, see also pp35.
Ummm, Jews near a mosque? Disgraceful!?? Yeah, right - who's that supposed to resonate with - the Ku Klux Klan?
ON MUSLIM SUPREMACY
In the consciousness of many Muslims, the identity of the ruler of Palestine indicates the strength or weakness of Islam and Muslims. If Palestine is ruled and controlled by foreigners and non-Muslims - from the Crusaders of the medieval ages to the Zionists of the 20th century and the present - then Islam and Muslims perceive themselves to be weak and defeated. pp3
So the Mideast conflict reduces to Muslim fear of appearing weak. It's all about Arabic male ego.
ON WHY THE ARABS FAILED TO EXTINGUISH ISRAEL IN 1948
The Arabs had been outmanoeuvered by Zionist might and its British collusion. This defeat was astounding and the disgrace cut deeply into the psyche of Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims. pp5
My note: Neither side had much love for the British and the British did much more to help the Arab side in the 1940s by stemming Jewish immigration. Arab appeasement was the rule in the 1920s which included giving 70% of the Mandate over to an Arab only/Jew free entity (Trans-Jordan) up until the Arab Revolt of 1936-1939 - in that period British interests were more on the side of the Jews and the segment of the Arab population that wanted to maintain a civil society. The Jews won because they had no place else to go - great motivation. Of course if the Jews lost there'd be no Jews left in Israel and this would be a purely academic discussion because the Arab program was pretty blatant about their goals at time.
However the basic complaint again comes down to an ethos of shame and disgrace that emerges from losing a place of dominance. The mistake here is that a democratic society inverts and reinvents much more complex power relationships - its not a simple rule or be ruled dichotomy.
ON RECOGNIZING ISRAEL
It is not inconceivable that Hamas would recognize Israel ... unless Israel capitulates to ALL of Hamas' demands it is inconceivable that Hamas would recognize Israel. (paraphrase from pp42) That's like saying I'll respect you only when you are dead and gone. (see also pp35.)
Overall not a bad book to learn about Hamas' point of view in the sense one could learn about fascism by reading a book sympathetic to Mussolini or Franco.
Armed with the insights gained here I'm finding Matthew Levitt's Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad a much better read.
December 30, 2024
A concise and clear introduction to the Palestinian Hamas and its history and politics. Definitely a "beginner's guide", in that it is simple and concise and written for easy readability. But its also somewhat polemical, in that it is very clearly a kind of defense of Hamas, or at least, is determined to paint a more nuanced and sympathetic picture of Hamas than what you typically get via mainstream news; so this is not gonna convince anybody who isn't already sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. At the same time, it doesn't shy away from problems and negative aspects of Hamas. Overall, a good, quick, colorful read.
February 12, 2025
While the author uses an academic tone and voice that can be engaging to some (and pretentious to others) there are glaring overt instances of bias and misrepresentation of objective facts.
Additionally, there is a noticeable lack of references and the author wields his opinions as objective truth which is extremely concerning.
There are also often repetition of points already discussed, in some cases whole paragraph reworded and plopped in another chapter that only slightly mentions the concept. (Example- the conflict with Hamas and Fatah was rehashed again and again and again with no new information. It was unnecessary and irritating to reread the same points over and over as if there was a specific word count that needed to be met.
All on all, there are shorter, more objective and vastly more engaging podcasts that provide the same information without the glamorization of academia.
(Also, some random spelling and editorial errors which was odd to see.)
Additionally, there is a noticeable lack of references and the author wields his opinions as objective truth which is extremely concerning.
There are also often repetition of points already discussed, in some cases whole paragraph reworded and plopped in another chapter that only slightly mentions the concept. (Example- the conflict with Hamas and Fatah was rehashed again and again and again with no new information. It was unnecessary and irritating to reread the same points over and over as if there was a specific word count that needed to be met.
All on all, there are shorter, more objective and vastly more engaging podcasts that provide the same information without the glamorization of academia.
(Also, some random spelling and editorial errors which was odd to see.)
July 21, 2014
Excellent book for who is looking to gain basic and structured knowledge of this islamic movement history and ideology.
It spoke in detail about the worldview of the movement and it's evolution, from the underground resistance movement to the elected political party who rule Gaza since 2006, along with a clear explication of the movement relation in the internal and external political game.
It's complete but yet easy to read.
It spoke in detail about the worldview of the movement and it's evolution, from the underground resistance movement to the elected political party who rule Gaza since 2006, along with a clear explication of the movement relation in the internal and external political game.
It's complete but yet easy to read.
April 14, 2024
Good introduction for someone unfamiliar with Hamas, the only issue is its a bit outdated as it stops at the 2006 elections - would still suggest picking it up but remember that what happened in 2007 in Gaza between Fateh and Hamas has changed the trajectory of so many things.
September 9, 2010
This is a superb concise book about Hamas, as there are two bloodlines in it [secular nationalist & religious], I'm wondering can Hamas be called "civil religion /movement"?
November 12, 2015
Decent primer on Hamas, fascinating to see how differently things turned out from Hroub's predictions
November 9, 2023
The first thing I did with this book was read the quick little blur about the author, which clued me into that this specific book was going to be at least somewhat biased. It turned out that this book was not only super biased, but could serve as outright propaganda for Hamas. There is a lot of cherry picking, misinformation, and a misrepresentation of both history and religion in this book. As both a historian and anthropologist I think that this was actually one of the most blatant examples of bad information I have seen in all of my years doing research. I was super disappointed that a person that would try to pass off this book as factual would work at Cambridge University. It lowered this school in my opinion and I don't even know if you can that them or the people that work for them seriously now.
In the first part of the book he tries to make an argument that Hamas only has issues with the people they see as Jewish colonizers of their land and that they say that they will not carry out attacks outside of this focus. This directly goes against what we have seen in the recent attacks the Hamas have done. They attacked a concert with civilians and also took Americans hostage and killed Americans. Also while watching NHK (2:05pm on 10/12/23) they were also talking about Tai citizens being killed and injured. Tai workers are common in agriculture in Israel. This shows Hamas just openly killing everyone and don't even follow their own moral code of just focusing on the Palestine/Israel issue. They have proven themselves killers of everyone and a danger to humanity globally for they are not attacking military targets, but common people and tourists. He also kept talking of a Zionism push to control the thinking of the rest of the world. Conspiracy theories do not make for any real life facts. This could only hold ground if most of the world had converted to Judaism and that the world had no free thinkers. It shows how little he thinks about the mental capabilities of non-Muslims. Historically he glazes over the whole reason why the British took over Palestine was because Palestine had sided with the Nazis during the war. This is a major thing that he just quickly mentions then moves on instead of digging into how Palestine is responsible for what happened to itself and the rise of Israel. He tries to divert blame to the West instead of how horrible it was that Palestine took up the Nazi cause. This is a form of classic cherry picking.
Chapter 3 was a real mess since Hroub was trying to play off what anti-Semitism/anti-Jew meant to the point that he was trying to justify their discrimination of people. He said that they couldn't be anti-Semite because they were Semite. Wrong, yes some of the Jewish beliefs/practices are a part of their faith, but everything else is warped and changed to a point that it is a different religion. Also he defeats his own argument then about the Jews being colonizers if they are the same as the Muslims. Also by recognizing that Islam came from the Jewish faith it would show that the Jewish people also have older rights to the land that they are 'occupying' and that these rights are older then any Islamic right. This is a key thing that he avoids addressing since it could strip away any argument that the Hamas might have about land control.
I would say only read this book if you want a glimpse of how distorted the perception is of those that support Hamas. It could also be good as a study on propaganda trying to pass as fact. I say it is important to read books like this just so that you can be aware of what is out there.
In the first part of the book he tries to make an argument that Hamas only has issues with the people they see as Jewish colonizers of their land and that they say that they will not carry out attacks outside of this focus. This directly goes against what we have seen in the recent attacks the Hamas have done. They attacked a concert with civilians and also took Americans hostage and killed Americans. Also while watching NHK (2:05pm on 10/12/23) they were also talking about Tai citizens being killed and injured. Tai workers are common in agriculture in Israel. This shows Hamas just openly killing everyone and don't even follow their own moral code of just focusing on the Palestine/Israel issue. They have proven themselves killers of everyone and a danger to humanity globally for they are not attacking military targets, but common people and tourists. He also kept talking of a Zionism push to control the thinking of the rest of the world. Conspiracy theories do not make for any real life facts. This could only hold ground if most of the world had converted to Judaism and that the world had no free thinkers. It shows how little he thinks about the mental capabilities of non-Muslims. Historically he glazes over the whole reason why the British took over Palestine was because Palestine had sided with the Nazis during the war. This is a major thing that he just quickly mentions then moves on instead of digging into how Palestine is responsible for what happened to itself and the rise of Israel. He tries to divert blame to the West instead of how horrible it was that Palestine took up the Nazi cause. This is a form of classic cherry picking.
Chapter 3 was a real mess since Hroub was trying to play off what anti-Semitism/anti-Jew meant to the point that he was trying to justify their discrimination of people. He said that they couldn't be anti-Semite because they were Semite. Wrong, yes some of the Jewish beliefs/practices are a part of their faith, but everything else is warped and changed to a point that it is a different religion. Also he defeats his own argument then about the Jews being colonizers if they are the same as the Muslims. Also by recognizing that Islam came from the Jewish faith it would show that the Jewish people also have older rights to the land that they are 'occupying' and that these rights are older then any Islamic right. This is a key thing that he avoids addressing since it could strip away any argument that the Hamas might have about land control.
I would say only read this book if you want a glimpse of how distorted the perception is of those that support Hamas. It could also be good as a study on propaganda trying to pass as fact. I say it is important to read books like this just so that you can be aware of what is out there.
April 5, 2024
Obviously could use some serious updates. First few chapters are a little hard to trudge through—a lot of obfuscation of the complexities of Jewish immigration and British colonialism. The book does a good job highlighting the religious fundamentalism inherent to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, but extends far, far too much good faith toward the care given by the organization to distinguish between Zionists, Israelis, and Jews. I found it interesting that Hroub noted how tolerant Hamas’ Islamic perspective is of Christians in the region, but has absolutely no mention of engagements with Jews. It’s only in regard to Zionist Jews or Israeli Jews.
I found it a bit troubling when the author noted early on much of his knowledge is from talking to Palestinians so he wouldn’t be citing sources, but there’s a good “further reading” list which I presume probably functions halfway as a bibliography. I don’t mind the lack of sources when he details current events and positions of the organization, but in describing the origins of the conflict and the turmoil between Jewish refugees aiming to integrate into Palestine in the midst of British colonialism… sources are quite necessary.
Good introduction overall to Hamas as a political party. Would absolutely recommend, with those above asterisks.
I found it a bit troubling when the author noted early on much of his knowledge is from talking to Palestinians so he wouldn’t be citing sources, but there’s a good “further reading” list which I presume probably functions halfway as a bibliography. I don’t mind the lack of sources when he details current events and positions of the organization, but in describing the origins of the conflict and the turmoil between Jewish refugees aiming to integrate into Palestine in the midst of British colonialism… sources are quite necessary.
Good introduction overall to Hamas as a political party. Would absolutely recommend, with those above asterisks.
March 22, 2025
Boka er litt utdatert og man merker det selv, dette er jo forventet i med at boka ble skrevet på tidlig 2000-tallet rett etter PLC (Palestinian Legislative Council) valget i 2006 og dermed var det ikke mulig å forutse alt som var til å komme. Innholdet omgir seg en analyse av organisasjonen, dens bakgrunn samt overblikk av dens handlinger. Hvert kapittel har diverse små emner basert på spørsmål fulgt med svar, som man ofte har hørt før eller muligens lurer på.
Fra hva man hører til daglig, bidrar boka med å gi et mer grunnleggende perspektiv av Hamas sin funksjon i det palestinske samfunnet, dens kamp mot rivaler og relasjon til verden. Uansett om visse ting er utdatert så er mye av den generelle informasjonen om Hamas sin historie og eksistens relevant og relativt nåværende. Alt fra dens struktur, evner, og posisjon og annet er presentert her. Det jeg syns var særlig tiltalende var forandringene og forskjellen mellom Hamas i 1987 og Hamas i 2006 (nå dagens). Jeg har nådd en større interesse for saken rundt Levant områdene enn tidligere og diverse andre steder i verden, så hvorfor ikke lese seg litt opp på en av regionens kjente grupper? Jeg spaserer bare litt her og der🐥
Fra hva man hører til daglig, bidrar boka med å gi et mer grunnleggende perspektiv av Hamas sin funksjon i det palestinske samfunnet, dens kamp mot rivaler og relasjon til verden. Uansett om visse ting er utdatert så er mye av den generelle informasjonen om Hamas sin historie og eksistens relevant og relativt nåværende. Alt fra dens struktur, evner, og posisjon og annet er presentert her. Det jeg syns var særlig tiltalende var forandringene og forskjellen mellom Hamas i 1987 og Hamas i 2006 (nå dagens). Jeg har nådd en større interesse for saken rundt Levant områdene enn tidligere og diverse andre steder i verden, så hvorfor ikke lese seg litt opp på en av regionens kjente grupper? Jeg spaserer bare litt her og der🐥
March 23, 2025
Meh. It is what it says on the cover: “A Beginners Guide.” For that I can’t really fault it except that it’s pretty explicitly polemical (which I get but not my favorite) and is pretty outdated in 2025. My copy was from 2006 so is written from the perspective of it being only shortly after their victory in the PA elections. No Fatah coup, no rule in Gaza, almost no post-founding generation leadership. It’s not the fault of the book but if you’re looking for something today, I’d look elsewhere. It was written in an accessible Q&A format which was nice and contained some interesting portions about Hamas funding, relations to broader militant Islamism, and its roots in the Muslim Brotherhood.
A very very firm 3/5.
A very very firm 3/5.
June 5, 2025
Second reading after reading many years ago. While the analysis is rooted in the events of the mid-2000s, it is still very much relevant and much of the same inaction regarding the occupation of Palestine remains today - in more severe ways. It is important for people to understand that Hamas isn’t the racist, orientalist caricature that the West makes them out to be. This book is a good foundational book for digging into Hamas, but the 2nd edition of this book was written right before Obama took office. So its relevance is both historical and a commentary of what we see today.
December 30, 2025
I read the 3rd Edition (2025) so very up to date. Clear and concise, and a balance to a mostly one-sided view we often get. I'm surprised no elder statesmen or well known figure has reviewed it; only The Guardian tells us it a "timely introduction". It would be nice to imagine some US statesmen have read it and thought about the conflict from both sides. I think this recent war in Gaza has happened on our watch and I'm deeply saddened. I suspect somehow we fear to engage with what is happening in sufficient detail. Thank-you for this book.
April 7, 2024
Very comprehensive history and description of all aspects of Hamas. I learned so much. It is by a professor at Columbia University and very credible and quite objective. It is great to learn the reality of Hamas versus what the mainstream news says which is so shallow and inaccurate and political.
June 9, 2024
An excellent book though obviously much that's left hanging about the future is now firmly overtaken by events. I think the book is important to read if you want any reasonable context on the genocide in Gaza and why we have arrived here.
Who on earth believes the question "do you condemn Hamas?" is a valid or useful addition to anything.
Who on earth believes the question "do you condemn Hamas?" is a valid or useful addition to anything.
February 18, 2025
A helpful and informative introduction that is sadly held back by its basic and annoying format. It is also unfortunately tremendously outdated - I think Pluto are bringing out a new edition soon, which will hopefully fix much of that issue.
October 25, 2025
lol when the west says "hold free elections" and then is all like "wait hang on we didnt mean elect people who we don't like" and israel is like "but this gives us lots of opportunities to do genocide with impunity"
long live palestine
long live palestine
January 12, 2026
While the secularism/theocracy discussion can get old quickly, there is some interesting historical information here on Hamas' development out of the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood, and their turn to armed resistance from a more educational theological stance.
Read
January 14, 2021Formatted well and expertly detailed but written rather dryly.
June 1, 2024
Antisemitic death cult or legitimate anti-colonial resistance movement? The author clearly leans toward the latter view. His thesis throughout is that Hamas is less radical and more pragmatic than most people assume. Is he right? Read it for yourself.
August 16, 2025
how things could be if middle eastern studies scholars worked to deconstruct orientalist narratives rather than perpetuating them (such german scholars of 'oriental studies').
first and foremost, the book is extremely accessible. it is structured like a question-and-answer catalog and goes into great detail about hamas's role in the palestinian resistance movement. it covers, for example, hamas's relationship with other islamist groups (islamist in the sense that they want to establish an islamic system as a government), with other arab and muslim countries, why it militarily took over the gaza strip in 2007, the relationship between hamas's political and military branches, and how they sometimes know little about each other's operations, etc. in short: it really addresses everything.
all of this without strictly taking a side. unfortunately, the liberal scholars of our country, who ‚love‘ science and truth and despise black-and-white thinking, can only hope for the nuance contained in this book. while the tone may seem relatively positive toward hamas, hroub doesn't shy away from highlighting the resistance group's negative aspects, such as its indirect imposition of religious morals and hamas's embarrassing first charter.
i was sometimes irritated by how hroub gives too much credit to the west, saying that if a dialogue were conducted with the (democratically elected!) hamas, they could protect the palestinians from further radicalization. equally irritating is the lack of references (even in citations!).
but the book nevertheless opened my eyes. to be honest, i wasn't even aware of how willing hamas was to compromise in its statements, even to the point of indirectly recognizing israeli borders if that's what the palestinian population wants.
i also appreciate the chapters emphasizing how well hamas has held up during the two years of genocide, despite israel and the us doing everything they can to destroy the group. this point also goes against those who cynically accuse hamas of defeat.
but most important to me was the emphasis that all hamas attacks so far have been in response to israeli aggression or non-compliance with international law. hamas's motto is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and yet there's a strong emphasis on the need for no civilian casualties and the need to uphold international law. something israel completely ignores. the al-qassam brigade's statements on october 7 are truly eye-opening in this context, important for those who don't want to realize the significant role hamas plays in protecting the al-aqsa mosque, which many muslims like to refer to while denouncing hamas.
finally, the epilogue on yahya sinwar was very important. portrayed by israeli propaganda as the "butcher of gaza," hroub shows how important international law and peaceful forms of protest were to sinwar. how willing to compromise and yet empathetic he was. sinwar's final moments, when he defended himself with a stick with his last strength against israeli drones, will remain etched in my mind. netanyahu, who hides in his bunker every time there's an alarm and lets his people die, wouldn't understand such a thing.
the book dispels many misconceptions and is definitely a must-read!
first and foremost, the book is extremely accessible. it is structured like a question-and-answer catalog and goes into great detail about hamas's role in the palestinian resistance movement. it covers, for example, hamas's relationship with other islamist groups (islamist in the sense that they want to establish an islamic system as a government), with other arab and muslim countries, why it militarily took over the gaza strip in 2007, the relationship between hamas's political and military branches, and how they sometimes know little about each other's operations, etc. in short: it really addresses everything.
all of this without strictly taking a side. unfortunately, the liberal scholars of our country, who ‚love‘ science and truth and despise black-and-white thinking, can only hope for the nuance contained in this book. while the tone may seem relatively positive toward hamas, hroub doesn't shy away from highlighting the resistance group's negative aspects, such as its indirect imposition of religious morals and hamas's embarrassing first charter.
i was sometimes irritated by how hroub gives too much credit to the west, saying that if a dialogue were conducted with the (democratically elected!) hamas, they could protect the palestinians from further radicalization. equally irritating is the lack of references (even in citations!).
but the book nevertheless opened my eyes. to be honest, i wasn't even aware of how willing hamas was to compromise in its statements, even to the point of indirectly recognizing israeli borders if that's what the palestinian population wants.
i also appreciate the chapters emphasizing how well hamas has held up during the two years of genocide, despite israel and the us doing everything they can to destroy the group. this point also goes against those who cynically accuse hamas of defeat.
but most important to me was the emphasis that all hamas attacks so far have been in response to israeli aggression or non-compliance with international law. hamas's motto is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and yet there's a strong emphasis on the need for no civilian casualties and the need to uphold international law. something israel completely ignores. the al-qassam brigade's statements on october 7 are truly eye-opening in this context, important for those who don't want to realize the significant role hamas plays in protecting the al-aqsa mosque, which many muslims like to refer to while denouncing hamas.
finally, the epilogue on yahya sinwar was very important. portrayed by israeli propaganda as the "butcher of gaza," hroub shows how important international law and peaceful forms of protest were to sinwar. how willing to compromise and yet empathetic he was. sinwar's final moments, when he defended himself with a stick with his last strength against israeli drones, will remain etched in my mind. netanyahu, who hides in his bunker every time there's an alarm and lets his people die, wouldn't understand such a thing.
the book dispels many misconceptions and is definitely a must-read!
July 26, 2012
Hamas bukan saja sebuah parti mendukung pembebasan bumi Palestin daripada penguasaan Zionis Yahudi, tetapi merupakan gerakan pertubuhan memayung rakyat Palestin tercinta. Semenjak Hamas memenangi pilihan raya 2006 lalu, Hamas membuktikan merekalah pelindung kebajikan rakyat dan memperjuangkan isu-isu Palestin yang tidak pernah selesai. Menteri-menteri Hamas berkhidmat segala mungkin, memotong gaji dan mengenepikan pelbagai keistimewaan demi tanggungjawab kepada rakyat jelata melalui saat-saat ujian getir dalam meneruskan kehidupan serba mencabar. Memahami susur-galur perjuangan panjang Hamas dan mengikuti perkembangan saudara kita di sana perlu dihayati sebagai tanggungjawab kita sebagai saudara sesama Islam. Semoga mereka di sana terus cekal dan kita di sini terus utuh membantu apa yang perlu demi menyubur bumi Palestin dengan keamanan, jauh dari penjajahan dan terbela dari tekanan permasalahan. Semoga! Amin ya rabbal alamin.
September 1, 2011
Little more than a "whitewash" of Hamas' history, with the present (as of 2006, when written) being given the silk-purse/sow's-arse (er, ear) treatment.
Poorly written repetitive half-truths and doublespeak made for an irritating, difficult read. As the book is written by a Palestinian al-Jazeera reporter, it wasn't easy to go in with an open mind - but I swear, I tried. The book is presented in a "Q&A" fashion; I use the quotes because frankly the Q's were not the sort a real reporter would ask, and it just adds to the smell of propaganda that permeates this book.
I'm glad to be done with it, and look forward to reading another book I bought at the same time, Son of Hamas. I suspect there's more truth to be found there.
Poorly written repetitive half-truths and doublespeak made for an irritating, difficult read. As the book is written by a Palestinian al-Jazeera reporter, it wasn't easy to go in with an open mind - but I swear, I tried. The book is presented in a "Q&A" fashion; I use the quotes because frankly the Q's were not the sort a real reporter would ask, and it just adds to the smell of propaganda that permeates this book.
I'm glad to be done with it, and look forward to reading another book I bought at the same time, Son of Hamas. I suspect there's more truth to be found there.
July 28, 2011
An insight into a terrorist organisation that is a torn in the side of Israel. "Its ultimate goal in the coming years will be simply to preserve its own existence and avoid destruction, not to destroy others." (p42)
Read
June 6, 2010an eye opener!
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