| ID | 168894 |
| Title Proper | Hamas as a Wasati (Literally: Centrist) Movement |
| Other Title Information | Pragmatism within the Boundaries of the Sharia |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Polka, Sagi |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This article examines Hamas as a test case for the struggle within Islam between two rival ideological streams: wasatiyya, whose principles were formulated by Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi (b. 1926), and Salafi-jihadism, which is the wellspring of global jihad. Hamas is a wasati movement, and its wasati principles serve as the basis for its polemic with Salafi-jihadists, who accuse both it and al-Qaradawi of heresy. The article also shows how the principles of wasatiyya afford Hamas flexibility and allow it to adopt pragmatic positions by distinguishing between immutable long-term goals and flexible means of pursuing them. Hamas translates the principles of wasati jurisprudence into practical political and military ones. |
| `In' analytical Note | Studies in Conflict and Terrorism Vol. 42, No.7-9; Jul-Sep 2019: p.683-713 |
| Journal Source | Studies in Conflict and Terrorism Vol: 42 No 7-9 |
| Key Words | Hamas ; Wasati ; Boundaries of the Sharia |