Hezbollah: A Charitable Revolution

摘要

The militant Lebanese Shia Group Hezbollah (Party of God) has evolved into the largest and most professional terrorist group in the Middle East. The political wing has been successful at placing several representatives in the Lebanese Parliament while the military wing has been training, recruiting, fighting and conducting terrorist attacks within the Levant and globally against American, Israeli, and European interests. Since 2000, the popularity of the organization has continued to grow throughout southern Lebanon since the evacuation of Israeli troops from that region and Hezbollah's recent victory in the 2006 war with Israel. Though seldom discussed, a major factor in Hezbollah's success has been the use of social services to garner the support of the Lebanese population. Hezbollah's social service program is vital to its success and survival. This monograph examines the evolution of Hezbollah in Lebanon and its organizational structure, funding sources, and social service achievements. The monograph will provide an understanding of how the organization morphed from a resistance movement into a stateless government that meets the needs of the Lebanese Shia population. The monograph also addresses how Hezbollah's social service model -- through which it gained popular support and became a significant bloc in Lebanon's legislature -- may be emulated by other Islamist organizations in obtaining political legitimacy. Hezbollah has cells in Africa, Latin America, North America, Europe and Asia. Fledgling Hezbollah cells use the same methods used in Lebanon. They use subtle infiltration techniques to gain access to an area without drawing attention, they gain the trust of the populace by conducting charity activities, and they use that trust to recruit locally to start new cells. Cells would not be able to operate without a popular support base. The danger is that the Hezbollah model is unique, proven, and exportable.