Hamas: A Further Exploration of Jihadist Tactics
Abstract
This essay will explore Hamas literature and delve into its Bayanat (proclamations, leaflets, or broadsheets) and military-political objectives. First published during the 1987 Palestinian Intifadah (Uprising), the Bayanat are two-page leaflets that encouraged grassroots Palestinian activism, dictating events such as business strikes and the conduct of demonstrations. Hamas has published these broadsheets in four volumes in 1991. They are available in the Library of Congress and titled, "Wathaiq Harakah Al-Muqawama Al-Islamiyah (Hamas): Min Wathaiq Al- Intfadah Al-Mubaraka" (Documents of the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas": Documents of the Blessed (Palestinian) Uprising). This essay will touch on the first three years of Hamas Bayanat. The impact of Bayanat can still be seen today, when such tools are used along with the Internet, and Arab satellite television. As U.S. forces and allies confront Islamic militant groups, it is important to study the mass of literature produced by such organizations as Hamas and Hizbullah. These books are available through the Library of Congress Middle East Collections and contain a treasure trove of information on tactics, ideology and their vision of the future. Analyzing Hamas leaflets give a clear picture of how the organization controls the tempo of riots and violence in Palestinian urban centers, a lesson that may be useful to the current American experience in Iraq.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA521542
Entities
People
- Youssef Aboul-enein
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School