Intellectuals and political power in social movements : the parallel paths of Fadlallah and Hizbullah
Date
08/04/2014Author
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Abstract
This article examines the intellectual impact of Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah (1935–2010) on Hizbullah's political behaviour. Many depicted Fadlallah as the ‘spiritual guide’ and ‘oracle’ of Hizbullah, while others accentuated his socio-political independence and the potential he represented as an ‘alternative’ to Hizbullah and Iran. This study argues that Fadlallah directly influenced Hizbullah's political worldviews, but the Islamic movement's socialisation in Lebanon, its dependence on Iran and its war with Israel have led it to pursue a separate path from Fadlallah. But despite the separation, the Ayatollah shared a common world vision with Hizbullah and the Islamic Republic, and would not have formed an alternative. The article is divided into two sections. The first examines the socio-political origins of Fadlallah and Hizbullah as an intellectual and a political movement, respectively, and conceptualises the discursive and political fields that motivate the behaviour of the two actors. The second section assesses the impact of Fadlallah's ideas on Hizbullah by focusing on three main themes: (1) Islamic liberation and resistance against injustice; (2) the Islamic state and Lebanon; and (3) Wilayat al-Faqih and Islamic Iran.
Citation
Saouli , A 2014 , ' Intellectuals and political power in social movements : the parallel paths of Fadlallah and Hizbullah ' , British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies , vol. 41 , no. 1 , 2 , pp. 97-116 . https://doi.org/10.1080/13530194.2014.878509
Publication
British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1353-0194Type
Journal article
Rights
This is an accepted manuscript of an article published in British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. The definitive publisher-authenticated version [volume 41, issue 1 (2014), pp.97-116] is available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/13530194.2014.878509
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