The Hizbullah phenomenon : politics and communication / Lina Khatib and Dina Matar and Atef Alshaer.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Khatib, Lina (Lina H.), author.

Contributor:

Matar, Dina, editor.

Alshaer, Atef, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political parties--Lebanon.

Political parties.

Lebanon--Politics and government.

Lebanon.

Hizballah (Lebanon).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (240 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Oxford, [England] ; New York, New York : Oxford University Press, 2014.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Hizbullah is not only a leading political actor in Lebanon and a dynamic force in the Middle East, but it is also distinguished by a sophisticated communication strategy. From relatively humble beginnings in the 1980s, Hizbullah's political clout and its public perception have followed an upward trajectory, thanks to a political programme that blends military, social, economic and religious elements and adapts to changes in its environment. Its communication strategy is similarly adaptive, supporting the group's political objectives. Hizbullah's target audience has expanded to a regional and global viewership. Its projected identity, too, shifted from an Islamist resistance party opposed to Israel's presence in Lebanon to a key player within the Lebanese state. At the same time, Hizbullah's image has retained fixed features, including its image as an ally of Iran; its role as a resistance group (to Israel); and its original base as a religious party representative of the Lebanese Shiites. The authors of this book address how Hizbullah uses image, language and its charismatic leader, Hassan Nasrallah, to legitimise its political aims and ideology and appeal to different target groups"-- Provided by publisher.

"Hizbullah's management of its image and identity are scrutinised by the authors alongside analysis of the movement's communication strategy, political behaviour and performance"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Cover

Half-title

Title

Copyright

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction: Hizbullah's Communication and Political Evolution

Communication and Politics

Hizbullah's Communication Strategy

1. Hizbullah's Political Strategy

Hizbullah's long-term political aims

The interplay between agency and structure

Components of Hizbullah's political strategy

Engaging in pragmatism

Cultivating an image of credibility and exaltation

Using Israel as a benchmark

Cultivating Shiite loyalty

Sustaining political power through coercion

Creating a framework of necessity and self-defence

Staying one step ahead in the PR game

Conclusion

2. From the Invasion to the Liberation: Communicating Hizbullah's Political Repertoire, 1982-2000

A mediated political evolution

The pillars of Hizbullah's image

The alliance with Iran

Commitment to Palestine

Resistance as identity and image

Hizbullah as the legitimate Shiite leader

Hizbullah's mediated landscape of martyrdom and sacrifice

Hizbullah's political and communication evolution

Presenting Hizbullah's expanded political repertoire

The visual turn in Hizbullah's communication machine

Hizbullah's media wars

A regime of truth

3. Hizbullah in the Twenty-First Century: The Struggle for Political Survival, 2000-12

From a national to a regional force

The challenge of the Cedar Revolution

The 2006 war: visual and discursive spectacle

Hizbullah as a brand

The personified image

The Divine Victory

A new era of challenges: Hizbullah and the Lebanese state

From a challenge to an opportunity

Mleeta: Defiant self-presentation

Courting the Shiites

The return to victimisation

The challenge of the Arab Spring

4. The Poetry of Hizbullah

Poetry as political practice.

Beginnings in oaths and sacrifice

The seeds of Hizbullah's poetry

Political and poetic milestones

The expansion of Hizbullah's poetic repertoire

The 'Lebanonisation' of Hizbullah in poetry

Themes in Hizbullah's poetry

5. Hassan Nasrallah: The Central Actor in Hizbullah's Political Communication Strategies

Nasrallah: on the path to leadership

The political transformation of Nasrallah

Constructing Nasrallah's image and charisma

Institutionalisation of Nasrallah's persona

Mediating Nasrallah's image of presence

The power of mediation

Rising challenges to Nasrallah's charismatic image

Conclusion: Hizbullah at a Crossroads

The challenge of the Syrian crisis

The trajectory of Hizbullah's political communication strategies

Notes

Index.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780190257583

019025758X

9780190257309

019025730X

OCLC:

903975010