Many in the United States and Israel believe that Hamas is
nothing but a terrorist organization, and that its social sector
serves merely to recruit new supporters for its violent agenda.
Based on Sara Roy's extensive fieldwork in the Gaza Strip and West
Bank during the critical period of the Oslo peace process, "Hamas
and Civil Society in Gaza" shows how the social service activities
sponsored by the Islamist group emphasized not political violence
but rather community development and civic restoration.
Roy demonstrates how Islamic social institutions in Gaza and the
West Bank advocated a moderate approach to change that valued order
and stability, not disorder and instability; were less dogmatically
Islamic than is often assumed; and served people who had a range of
political outlooks and no history of acting collectively in support
of radical Islam. These institutions attempted to create civic
communities, not religious congregations. They reflected a deep
commitment to stimulate a social, cultural, and moral renewal of
the Muslim community, one couched not only--or even primarily--in
religious terms.
Vividly illustrating Hamas's unrecognized potential for
moderation, accommodation, and change, "Hamas and Civil Society in
Gaza" also traces critical developments in Hamas's social and
political sectors through the Second Intifada to today, and offers
an assessment of the current, more adverse situation in the
occupied territories. The Oslo period held great promise that has
since been squandered. This book argues for more enlightened
policies by the United States and Israel, ones that reflect Hamas's
proven record of nonviolent community building.
In a new afterword, Roy discusses how Hamas has been affected by
changing regional dynamics and by recent economic and political
events in Gaza, including failed attempts at reconciliation with
Fatah.
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