Between Islam and the System

Abstract

This study tests whether a hypothesis explaining popular support for Middle Eastern fundamentalist movements adequately describes the grassroots appeal of Hizballah, Lebanon's radical Shiite organization. Using 1993 survey data, the study found that Hizballah adherents were less likely than expected to be deeply religious, to have a low socioeconomic status, and to have a strong political alienation. Results suggest that Hizballah is not the vehicle of radical Shiites and that other factors underlie its organizational growth and encourage its evolution as a mainstream party. The study also suggests that constraints imposed on Islamic goals by Lebanon's pluralist society and its powerful neighbor Syria have influenced the moderate trend of Hizballah. The study concludes that Islamist success in carving a niche in a community still seeking self-identity and adequate national representation means that Islamists are unlikely to lose external backers' support should Middle East peace negotiations reduce Hizballah's resistance role.