Hizbullah's Identity
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The London School of Economics and Political Science Hizbullah’s Identity: Islam, Nationalism and Transnationalism Mohanad Hage Ali A thesis submitted to the Department of Government at the London School of Economics and Political Science for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, London, September 30 2015 1 Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare that my thesis consists of 87,021 words. 2 Abstract This thesis draws on the debates in nationalism studies to address the question of how Hizbullah’s identity is produced, and investigates the further questions of how modern is this identity, what are its main pillars, and who produces it and to what end. By analysing the findings of fieldwork observations and interviews, and applying discourse analysis to a range of official and unofficial party publications, and internal notes or memos, the thesis argues that Hizbullah, employing its transnational links, has constructed a revised identity among the Lebanese Shiʿa and overhauled traditional forms of Shiʿi practice through the various institutions it has established and expanded over the past two decades. The thesis examines how Hizbullah manages its identity dissemination through these numerous institutions by tailoring the Shiʿi identity it embodies to suit different audiences, while simultaneously keeping a tightly centralised control over their work through its Central Cultural Unit. The thesis further argues that Hizbullah’s re-creation of Shiʿi identity entails reconstructing the community’s history. The organisation’s historical narratives are based on twentieth-century Shiʿi histories – accounts that are mostly attributed to uncorroborated oral sources, but which nevertheless created novel notions of a historical ‘ʿAmili people’ and ‘ʿAmili resistance’. Such concepts are central to Hizbullah’s re-creation of Lebanese Shiʿi identity. The organisation’s main historical accounts, while partially based on these earlier histories, have also constructed new narratives, attributing these to fresh oral accounts, and suggesting continuity with Shiʿi history. This approach bears similarities to the efforts of nationalist intellectuals, who reconstruct historical accounts focused on establishing the historical origin and continuity of their nation. Hizbullah-affiliated publications incorporate advantageous supernatural accounts of its contemporary battles against Israeli occupation. These supernatural narratives build upon a Safavid tradition in Shiʿi theology, reintroduced by the Islamic Republic in Iran and Hizbullah in Lebanon. The last chapter in the thesis looks at the interplay between the organisation’s transnational ideological links and its national politics, and argues that it uses these relations to support its political identity project for the Shiʿi community in Lebanon. 3 To my son Jad whose life started with the first days of this thesis 4 Acknowledgements Many people contributed, helped and supported me in the duration of this thesis. My supervisors Zhand Shakibi and Steffen Hertog were very helpful and understanding throughout this process, and I am indebted to their effort, patience and support. This thesis would not have been possible without the support of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). I am thankful for my wife's vital support throughout this process. On the first month of my PhD, my son Jad was born, his presence became my greatest motivation; I dedicate this thesis to him. My gratitude extends to my lawyers Nizar Saghieh and Ghida Frangieh for their defence and effort granted me the freedom to continue my work. At LSE, I want to express my appreciation to many friends and colleagues including Iavor Rangelov, Ali Ali, Navid Nekouei, Isabella Correa, Karabekir Akkoyunlu, Philip Decker, Juergen Braunstein and Pon Souvannaseng. All the people above made this journey meaningful and gratifying 5 Contents 1. Introduction: The Construction of Hizbullah’s Identity ................................................. 10 1.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................... 10 1.2 Hizbullah: A Literature Review ................................................................................... 16 1.3 Hizbullah and Identity Construction: Nationalism at Work ......................................... 23 1.4 Institutionalisation: Identity Dissemination .................................................................. 28 1.5 Nationalism and Religion: Shiʿi Nationalists? ............................................................. 31 1.6 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 39 2 The Role of Hizbullah’s Institutions in the Reconstruction of Shiʿi Identity .................. 41 2.1 Institutional Conventions and Rules ............................................................................. 42 2.2 Non-State Institutions ................................................................................................... 44 2.3 The Invention of Tradition: A New Ashura ................................................................. 45 2.4 Redefining Parties: the Party of God vs the Party of Satan .......................................... 48 2.5 Hizbullah’s Organisational Structure: Ancient Islam or Leninism? ............................ 51 2.6 The Role of Language, the Media and Educational Institutions .................................. 62 2.7 Al-Jarha (the Foundation of the Wounded) .................................................................. 70 2.8 The Consultative Centre for Studies and Documentation ............................................ 75 2.9 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 76 3. The Reconstructed History of the Lebanese Shiʿa ........................................................... 78 3.1 Writing Lebanese History ............................................................................................. 82 3.2 Geography, Economy and Classes ............................................................................... 87 3.3 The Myth of Shiʿi Origins ............................................................................................ 89 3.4 Ottoman Rule: ‘Direct’ and ‘Indirect’ Phases .............................................................. 93 3.5 Arab Nationalism in Jabal ʿAmil .................................................................................. 98 3.6 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 103 4. Hizbullah’s Reconstruction of History ............................................................................ 105 6 4.1 Source Materials ......................................................................................................... 106 4.2 Potential Limitations ................................................................................................... 107 4.3 Hizbullah’s Historians: Inventing Continuity ............................................................. 108 4.4 Making History: The ‘Divine’ Continuity .................................................................. 139 4.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 142 5. The Supernatural in Hizbullah’s Identity ....................................................................... 144 5.1 Supernatural Narratives as a Political Tool ................................................................ 145 5.2 Islam and Supernatural Narratives ............................................................................. 151 5.3 Supernatural Narratives in Hizbullah’s Propaganda .................................................. 163 5.4 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 184 6. Transnational Wilayat al-Faqih ....................................................................................... 186 6.1 The Clergy and the State ............................................................................................ 187 6.2 Internal Shiʿi Tensions ................................................................................................ 201 6.3 The Invention of Tradition: ‘Two Images of Husayn’ ............................................... 206 6.4 Transnational and National Shiʿi Tensions ................................................................ 209 6.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 226 7. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 229 References