ABSTRACT
Concepts derived from Islamic studies such as fatwa, ijtihad, and taqiyya have been central to Hezbollah’s use of religion in politics. This chapter will explore how religion is employed by Hezbollah as a non-State actor in the Middle East for domestic and regional political purposes. I will explore how the Party’s use of fatwas has been central to its structure and operations, and the way in which religion, as employed in its political strategy, has been essential to its success. In doing so, this chapter will demonstrate how Hezbollah’s use of religious tools is an overarching element in its political identity and has been the foundation of its adaptiveness and transition to political pragmatism.
