ABSTRACT
Political pragmatism has been identified as being central to the consolidation and success of Hezbollah’s emergence as a non-State actor of influence in Lebanon and the Middle East. Michael Thomas Jackson argues that the Party’s successful transition from domestic fringe actor to quasi-legitimate national and regional actor is due to its politically pragmatic decision-making that has allowed the Party to simultaneously maintain and grow its support base in Lebanon while expanding their political activities in the region. This chapter will further explore the role of political pragmatism in Hezbollah’s success as a politico-resistance movement. I will provide examples of Hezbollah’s use of ijtihad when issuing taklif shari and through the practice of taqiyya to facilitate an in-depth discussion on Hezbollah’s hybrid political-religious identity. Focus will also be given to Hezbollah’s uses of religious tools to consolidate its position in the Lebanese political system and to maintain a credible reputation as a national resistance movement.
