HAMAS: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE

by Khaled Hroub

Book review:
The U.S. views Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Yet, to the great surprise of many, Hamas swept to victory in the 2006 Palestinian Authority elections. Hamas is now a democractically elected political party and the West now need to engage with it more seriously if there is to be peace in the Middle East.

This is the first beginner’s guide to this controversial political organisation. Explaining the reasons for Hamas’s success, this book provides the key facts that are so often missing from conventional news reports. It’s a one-stop guide that gives a clear overview of Hamas’s history, key beliefs, and its political agenda.

Written by a leading Al-Jazeera journalist and Cambridge academic, this unique book provides a refreshing perspective that gets to the heart of the reasons behind Hamas’s victory. It is the first es-sential step towards a better understanding of the challenges and suprises that the future may hold.

Author Biography:
Khaled Hroub is a Palestinian, born into a refugee camp in Bethlehem, and now part of the di-aspora of educated intellectuals. Hroub is currently director of the Arab Media Project at Cam-bridge University, hosts a weekly book review programme for Al-Jazeera TV, and has written three previous books.