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Hizbullah, Al-Qaeda, and IS. Robert Andrew Hodges

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Ideological Foundations of Jihadist Organizations: Hizbullah, al-Qaeda, and IS. Robert Andrew Hodges Thesis submitted to the faculty of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts In Political Science Bettina Koch Ilja Luciak Yannis Stivachtis June 27, 2017 Blacksburg, Virginia Keyword: Jihadist organization, ideology, religion, socio-political, Hizbullah, al- Qaeda, ISIS Copyright 2017, Robert Andrew Hodges Ideological Foundations of Jihadist Organizations: Hizbullah, al-Qaeda, and IS. Robert Andrew Hodges ABSTRACT This thesis explores the ideological foundations of three jihadist organizations, Hizbullah, al- Qaeda, and Islamic State (IS). All three are categorized as international terrorist organizations but their goals differ. Hizbullah seeks to alter the government within Lebanon, al-Qaeda seeks to eliminate Western influences in Muslim inhabited territories, and IS seeks to create a caliphate within a large portion of the Middle East. The similarities and differences of these three organizations will be illuminated through this examination. The primary focus of the examination focuses on their religious teachings and discourse, as this is a critical aspect of their ideologies. Through this examination, the differences in discourse coinciding with the differing goals of each organization is presented. The discourse of each organization facilitates their goals, recruitment of fighters, and explanation of their actions. Self/other identification is a commonality of all three ideologies but the identification of the other is different according to each organizations goals. This thesis will highlight this aspect and allow for further discussion of the three organizations in future research. The conclusion will allow for discussion as to who gains and maintains power and whether religion is a base or merely a tool for this power. Ideological Foundations of Jihadist Organizations: Hizbullah, al-Qaeda, and IS. Robert Andrew Hodges GENERAL AUDIENCE ABSTRACT This thesis examines the ideological foundations of three jihadist organizations. The jihadist organizations examined are Hizbullah, al-Qaeda, and ISIS. The ideological foundations are examined by identifying the influences and leaders of the organizations and their contributions to their organizations. The purpose of this examination is to provide the reader with a base understanding of three organizations ideological foundations. This thesis will discuss the varying use of self/other identification by each of the organizations and how it is altered to fit the goals of each group. Understanding how the goals and self/other discourse are related will allow for better understanding of how recruitment is conducted and how each group continues to exist while being battled by more advanced technology and trained militaries. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my committee members for their patience, guidance, and support during this time. Dr. Bettina Koch, my chairperson, provided outstanding feedback and encouragement to produce this thesis to my best abilities. Dr. Yannis Stivachtis, provided great support and kept me on track with a positive attitude. Dr. Ilja Luciak, gave me great support during my proposal and early stages of the research process. This committee has my unending gratitude and deep appreciation for all they have done to support me in this educational process of producing an academic writing on a deep subject. I need to thank so many professors and staff of the Political Science department. The encouragement and support I received was invaluable and I could not have survived without their consistent words of encouragement. To my close friends and class family Katie Steffy, Chelsea Manning, and Allison Miller, your support made the entire Master’s program days seem not too bad. We had lots of struggles and laughs but we did it. To my wife Dana and four daughters (Sarah, Kelly, Amy, and Rachel), your love and support was my foundation. You gave me a reason to keep going every day. I love you all with all my heart and cannot thank you enough for standing with me during this. iv Table of Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1: Hizbullah: Goals and Ideological Foundation .....................................................15 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 15 Shi’i Islamist Movement and the Lebanese Clerics .......................................................................... 16 Socio-political conditions .............................................................................................................23 Amal and its importance to creating Hizbullah ...............................................................................26 The Emergence of Hizbullah .........................................................................................................29 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................35 Chapter 2: The Influences and Ideological Foundations of al-Qaeda ...................................37 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 37 The origins of al-Qaeda’s religious foundation ...............................................................................40 Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab, Muhammad ibn Sa’ud and the creation of Saudi Arabia….............44 The Influence of Sayyid Qutb .......................................................................................................48 Abdullah Azzam and the Global Jihad ...........................................................................................53 Ayman al-Zawahiri and the Use of the Martyr ................................................................................58 Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda .....................................................................................................63 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 66 Chapter 3: The Islamic State and Its Separation from al-Qaeda............................................68 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 68 Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi and His Religious Ideology .................................................................69 Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, AQI, and the Emergence of ISIS ................................................................74 The Rise of ISIS............................................................................................................................ 76 v Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 77 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................78 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................83 vi Introduction: This thesis will explore and examine the ideological foundations of three Jihadist organizations, Hizbullah, al-Qaeda, and ISIS. The purpose of this study is to understand their ideological foundations. Preliminary readings lead to the suggestion that the socio-political is based on religious ideology. To clarify, the creation of an Islamic state based on Shari’a law or the restoration or creation of a new caliphate is founded on a particular reading of the Islamic religion and based on fundamental or extremist interpretations of the Qur’an. To further the discussion, the religious ideology is used to legitimize a self-other identification and this identification is created by personal experiences of the primary figures who are instrumental in the creation of the three organizations examined. This thesis will examine this process of how religious and socio-political factors based on self-other identification helped to create the ideological foundations of Jihadist organizations. These organizations are chosen for the thesis as they are contemporary and internationally recognized jihadist organizations. The differences in these organizations is relevant to their selection. Hizbullah follows the Shi’i sect of the Islamic faith but al-Qaeda and ISIS are Sunni, more specifically followers of Wahhabi or Salafi Islam. A discussion of these forms of the Islamic faith will occur as the groups are discussed. The persons relevant to the establishment of their respective organization will be examined as to experiences that led to their self-other identification. The use of their specific religious ideology will be examined as it pertains to their self-other identification. Then the use of religion to legitimate their socio- political ideology will be discussed. By understanding these concepts, one can gain a clearer understanding as to the goals and reasons for actions by these Jihadist organizations. 1 The subject of this thesis is the outcome of much misinterpretation by US news and political discussions concerning the reasons for Jihadist
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