Hamas: A Beginner's Guide |
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Khaled Hroub
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Pages: 192 (Paperback)
ISBN: 0745325904
Pub: Pluto Press
Pub date: 2006-09-29
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 15548
Reader Reviews:
Incisive, knowledgeable, balanced, clear and well written (1/6 people found this helpful)
Khaled Hroub's intimate knowledge of Hamas may well be connected to the fact that he is a Palestinian, born in a refugee camp in Gaza. There is no sign in this book though that he is biased towards or against Hamas.
He praises its positive actions but equally points out the effects of suicide bombings in terms of lost lives and damage to the Palestinian cause at the international level. He acknowledges that Hamas has given some freedoms to women and allied with Christians - while pointing out the tokenism of some of their actions (e.g including only one woman in their initial 2006 government - and making her minister for womens' affairs).
His account of Hamas is concise, clearly laid out, includes historical background and skilfully provides well thought out answers to many of the common questions about Hamas and how to respond to it.
Hroub points out that the focus on Hamas' charter calling for the destruction of Israel is misplaced since most Hamas leaders never refer to the charter and even more so because Hamas (and probably the entire Arab or even Muslim world combined) would lack the power to destroy Israel even if they wanted to. Most Hamas leaders are more pragmatic than many caricatures of them have suggested and Hroub provides much evidence of this.
His quotes from Hamas leaders on their ultimate aim - either a binational state or a Swiss-style confederal republic of Jewish and Palestinian cantions - are fascinating.
This book was fascinating and a pleasure to read.
(My only criticism, as no expert on Hamas, is that the author didn't include sources. He writes in the introduction that he has considerable personal knowledge of and contacts with Palestinians including Hamas members and has provided sources in previous books on the same subject. I don't doubt either claim for a moment but sourcing all the book's claims (and i know how tedious it can be to have to do it!) would have made it harder for others to discount it.)
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Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> History -> World History
Books -> Subjects -> History -> Religious History -> Other Religions
Books -> Subjects -> History -> General
Books -> Subjects -> Society, Politics & Philosophy -> Government & Politics -> Countries & Regions -> Middle East
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