Against the Consensus: Oppositionist Voices in Hamas

Despite its dogmatic image, Hamas has a tradition of debate in its ranks. It is shown below through critical articles and manifestos composed in the years 1993–2007 by senior members of the movement. The common denominator among all these documents is their critique of the consensus in Hamas. Oriented pragmatically rather than theologically, the writers cover Hamas' most important issues and are diverse in their styles and structures. By analyzing these documents we can peer into Hamas' ‘political-ideological kitchen'.     

Hamas in Politics: Democracy,Religion, Violence

Ahmed Midhat Efendi, a nineteenth century Turkish author, maintained that it was necessary to establish customs duties and other barriers against foreign sellers in order to convince them to produce locally in the Ottoman Empire. This would be a way to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to a country in need of capital and technology. However, today, liberals around the world as well as in Turkey see a free trade environment as a prerequisite for FDI. This study tries to find out whether a relationship existed between free trade and FDI inflows in Turkey during a period when the Turkish foreign trade and financial markets were almost completely liberalized.     

俄罗斯与哈马斯对话的背景与影响

哈马斯在第二届巴勒斯坦立法会选举中的胜利给中东和谈既带来危机又带来转机。俄罗斯主动与哈马斯对话是其重振大国地位和重返中东的外交战略的体现。俄罗斯的介入有助于增强巴以和谈的公正性,促成哈马斯的进一步温和与务实,也可能刺激美国重新重视和谈。但俄罗斯所能发挥的影响终究是有限的。     

Beyond Fateh Corruption and Mass Discontent: Hamas,the Palestinian Left and the 2006 Legislative Elections

The unanticipated victory of Hamas in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections was a defining moment in the study of Islamist politics; the results were a startling surprise to all parties, not least Hamas. Much of the literature that assesses the electoral success of Islamists focuses on the distinct characteristics of Islamist groups, paying less attention to the complex interplay of factors that may account for their success. Examining Hamas's performance in the 2006 legislative elections, this article endeavours to: (1) challenge pervasive analysis which asserts the distinctiveness of Islamist political organisations; (2) situate the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections within a broader discussion of opposition politics in the Arab world; and (3) highlight the significance of long-term organisational trajectories and election campaign strategies in accounting for Islamist electoral performance. Findings in this article have important implications for how we understand Islamist and leftist opposition politics in light of the Arab Spring.     

Interview: Haider Abdul-Shafi

Dr. Abdul-Shafi is a former chief Palestinian negotiator in talks with Israel. The following interview was done in his office at the Red Crescent Society in Gaza City on November 18, 1997, by Roger Gaess, a free-lance journalist based in New York.     

Interview: Gary Hart

Gary Hart was a U.S. senator from Colorado, 1975–87. Sen. Hart was a Democratic presidential candidate in 1984 and 1988. He co-chaired, with Sen. Warren Rudman (R-NH), the U.S. Commission on National Security for the 21st Century (1998–2001). The following interview was conducted by Gareth Porter, an independent historian and foreign-policy analyst, on October 12, 2005 (see his article "A Responsible Exit Strategy" in Middle East Policy , Vol. XII, No. 3, fall 2005).     

Interview: Fatma Khafagy

Dr. Khafagy is a women's rights activist in Egypt, where she currently works as a policy expert for the German Cooperation Agency. Prior to that she was a legal/policy expert for the European Commission Project on the Economic Role of Women in the Mediterranean Region and also headed the Office of Ombudsperson for Gender Equality at Egypt's National Council for Women. She worked for 15 years for the United Nations, including as head of the Gender and Development Program of UNICEF in Egypt. Dr. Khafagy has long been associated with various NGOs and is currently a board member of the Alliance for Arab Women. She was interviewed for Middle East Policy by Roger Gaess ( AQABA9@aol.com ) and Eva Soriano, freelance journalists based in New York.