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Hamas in Gaza: History, Doctrine, and Practice

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Hamas in Gaza: History, Doctrine, and Practice HAMAS IN GAZA: HISTORY, DOCTRINE, AND PRACTICE THESIS Presented to the Graduate Council of Texas State University-San Marcos in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of ARTS by Jennifer Cooke, B.A. San Marcos, Texas December 2011 HAMAS IN GAZA: HISTORY, DOCTRINE, AND PRACTICE Committee Members Approved: __________________________ Arnold Leder, Chair __________________________ Robert Gorman __________________________ Ken Grasso Approved: ___________________________________ J. Michael Willoughby Dean of the Graduate College COPYRIGHT by Jennifer Cooke 2011 FAIR USE AND AUTHOR’S PERMISSION STATEMENT Fair Use This work is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, section 107). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of this material for financial gain without the author‟s expressed written permission is not allowed. Duplication Permission As the copyright holder of this work I, Jennifer Cooke, refuse permission to copy in excess of the “Fair Use” exemption without my written permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would to thank Dr. Leder for teaching me about Islamic law and for your support through this process. Thank you for your continual support through the years. I would also like to thank Dr. Gorman for teaching me about international law and for your support in my independent studies. I would additionally like to thank Dr. Grasso for your support and participation in this thesis. I would especially like to thank my wonderful husband for keeping me sane through the process. Without your support I could not have completed this. This manuscript was submitted on October 18, 2011. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...................................................................................................v ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................1 II. SHAPING PALESTINE .........................................................................................3 Palestinian Uprisings Begin .........................................................................8 Muslim Brotherhood ....................................................................................9 III. CREATION OF ISRAEL .....................................................................................11 The 1948 War ............................................................................................11 Palestinian Liberation Organization ..........................................................13 Six Day War ...............................................................................................14 Sheikh Ahmed Yassin ................................................................................15 The Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza Split .....................................................16 IV. THE RISE OF HAMAS .......................................................................................18 The First Intifada........................................................................................18 Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiya ..........................................................19 V. HAMAS INTERNAL STRUCTURE ...................................................................23 Structure .....................................................................................................23 Dawa System .............................................................................................24 vi VI. IZZ AL DIN AL-QASSAM BRIGADES ............................................................27 Funding HAMAS .......................................................................................29 VII. DOCTRINE OF HAMAS ...................................................................................33 HAMAS Covenant .....................................................................................34 VIII. ISLAMIC SOURCES ........................................................................................43 The Holy Qur‟an ........................................................................................43 Violence in the Qur‟an ...............................................................................46 IX. AHADITH ............................................................................................................48 Classification of Ahadith ...........................................................................49 Rijal al-Hadith ............................................................................................50 Reference to Violence in the Ahadith ........................................................50 X. THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD ...........................................................................53 The Young Orphan ....................................................................................53 The Prophet Muhammad............................................................................55 The Prophet as Statesman ..........................................................................57 The Raids and Battles Begin ......................................................................58 The Battle of Badr ......................................................................................60 The Battle Uhud .........................................................................................61 XI. JIHAD ..................................................................................................................65 Jihad Interpreted.........................................................................................65 Martyrdom .................................................................................................66 Islamic Jurists‟ Interpretation of Jihad .......................................................67 Jihad in the Islamic Experience .................................................................71 XII. ISLAMIC EDUCATION ....................................................................................75 Educating the Young..................................................................................75 vii Education in Gaza ......................................................................................76 College in Gaza ..........................................................................................79 A HAMAS Summer Camp ........................................................................81 XIII. ISLAMIC LAW .................................................................................................83 What is Sharia? ..........................................................................................83 Sharia Law in Gaza ....................................................................................84 XIV. HAMAS‟S NEGOTIATIONS...........................................................................88 XV. JIHAD IN PRACTICE .......................................................................................93 Children and Jihad .....................................................................................94 Jihad Recruitment ......................................................................................96 Dying in the Way of Allah .........................................................................98 XVI. CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................100 LITERATURE CITED .............................................................................................104 viii ABSTRACT HAMAS IN GAZA: HISTORY, DOCTRINE, AND PRACTICE by Jennifer Cooke, B.A Texas State University-San Marcos December 2011 SUPERVISING PROFESSOR: DR. ARNOLD LEDER HAMAS asserts that it derives its doctrine and practices from Islam. Its interpretation includes violent acts against its enemy. What Islamic sources justify such actions? The Islamic sources include and are not limited to the Qur‟an and Ahadith. The Qur‟an is the holy book for the Islamic faith and gives Muslims direction on how to live their lives. The Ahadith gives a narrative about the teachings and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet Muhammad is considered the perfect example of how Muslims should live their lives. These sources together provide a framework for how Muslims should live and how an Islamic society should be governed. These sources include references to violence that seem to suggest fighting through jihad against an enemy. The Prophet Muhammad‟s participation in battles and raids appears to suggest that jihad is a physical act of violence against non-Muslims. Several Muslim jurists describe jihad as an ix action taken against an enemy on the battlefield. They provide rules for warfare against non-believers. This explanation of jihad is similar to HAMAS‟s interpretation. HAMAS‟s interpretation of Islam includes the use of violence against Israel. Islamic doctrine and history suggests that HAMAS‟s practices in Gaza are a continuation of Islamic tradition. x CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Generations of Americans have enjoyed religious freedom. Many Americans have the view that all religions are parallel in their doctrinal teachings. They are peaceful and contribute to the greater morale of a society. For many Americans, these perceptions dramatically changed after September 11, 2001 and, for
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