The Role of Hizbullah’s Institutions in the Reconstruction of Shiʿi Identity

Abstract

The following chapter highlights the role that Hizbullah’s institutions play in the production of a sense of sectarian identification. These various institutions mix the delivery of welfare with the promotion of religious identity, and are specifically targeted at Lebanon’s Shiʿi community. By illustrating the way Hizbullah uses these institutions to disseminate the idea of a collective Shiʿi identity, the chapter provides further evidence in support of the contention that Islam, in this context, performs a function similar to that of nationalism. Nationalists also use institutional means to spread their picture of a unitary national community, reproducing a sense of national belonging in myriad ways in order to sustain its influence. In this regard, Hizbullah uses its different institutions to create forms of Shiʿi identity that are tailored to suit specific audiences, whether they are school children, the injured, or the families of Hizbullah ‘martyrs’. Through an analysis of the way Shiʿi identification with Hizbullah (as manifest in its institutionalised form) is promoted, the chapter argues that this collective identity is a modern creation, which Hizbullah reinvents for its different audiences.