Holt, M.C. 2015. Women, Islam and War in Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories. in: Kendall, E. and Stein, E. (ed.) Twenty-First Century Jihad: Law, Society and Military Action London & New York I.B. Tauris. pp. 216-232
| Chapter title | Women, Islam and War in Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories |
|---|---|
| Authors | Holt, M.C. |
| Editors | Kendall, E. and Stein, E. |
| Abstract | The war between Israel and Hamas that started at the end of December 2008 highlighted again in the eyes of the international community the face of Islamic resistance as that of a young man, a “terrorist”. As in the July 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah, the resistance was portrayed as male, violent and irrational. But this image fails to do justice to Islamic resistance movements in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. In reality, these movements reflect the diversity and complexity of Palestinian and Lebanese societies, including – importantly – the voices and activities of women. In 2007, I conducted a research project into the effects of Islamic resistance in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, during which I interviewed a wide range of women, both those who support or are part of the resistance and others who are more critical. My research raised a number of key questions: What is the meaning of “resistance”? How does Islamic resistance incorporate the efforts of women? How does it meet the needs of women during times of violent conflict? What implications does the involvement of women in Islamic resistance movements have for future state-building in Lebanon and Palestine? In this chapter, I argue that Islamic resistance movements have successfully mobilized all segments of society. The efforts of women have been crucial to the success of these movements and, far from being solely a male endeavour, Islamic resistance is an unsurprising response to the perceived powerlessness of Israeli invasion and occupation. |
| Keywords | Women, Islam, resistance, Lebanon, Palestinian territories |
| Book title | Twenty-First Century Jihad: Law, Society and Military Action |
| Page range | 216-232 |
| Year | 2015 |
| Publisher | I.B. Tauris |
| Publication dates | |
| Published | 30 Jun 2015 |
| Place of publication | London & New York |
| ISBN | 9781780769165 |