Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000010253912 | JQ1850.A91 W54 2010 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
Eventually, most terrorist and guerrilla groups are defeated by governments or gradually die off - sometimes becoming political parties, democratically participating in the non-violent governance of their states. Yet some terrorist and guerrilla groups maintain military capabilities, using violence and democratic participation simultaneously. Here, Krista E. Wiegand examines the different political strategies that Islamist terrorist and guerrilla groups use to achieve their political objectives. Focussing on Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine, Wiegand skilfully reveals the factors that determine why Islamist militant groups become involved in governance as political parties, how mainstream governments may or may not accept them as legitimate, why some groups like al- Gama'a al-Islamiya in Egypt renounce guerrilla tactics, and how some groups govern whilst employing political violence. Bombs and Ballots is a valuable contribution to the study of state-society relations in the Middle East, exposing the blurred line between terrorist activity and governance.
Author Notes
Krista E. Wiegand is an Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, USA
Reviews 1
Choice Review
This perceptive study by Wiegand (Georgia Southern Univ.) argues that movements using guerrilla/terrorist tactics can become "legitimate political parties." On the basis of her study of the Palestinian Hamas and the Lebanese Shi'a Hezbollah, she shows that not only can such groups change when "rational considerations" so dictate but also that it is possible simultaneously to engage in both violence and electoral politics. Based partly on field research going back to 1994, her book provides a well-informed general introduction to militant Islamist groups in general and to Hamas and Hezbollah in particular. This is a solid scholarly study. It is highly readable and accessible to a wide range of readers. Anyone wanting simply to understand the author's arguments would find it easy to do so just by reading the preface and short introduction. Wiegand carefully defines key terms such as "terrorist" and "guerrilla" but sometimes gets bogged down in distinguishing what is "legitimate" from what is not without regard to varying criteria for such judgments. The volume will occupy a significant place in the literature not just on Islamist movements but more broadly on political violence and democratization. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels. G. E. Perry emeritus, Indiana State University
