Hamas and the clans: from Islamisation of tribalism to tribalization of Islamism?

ABSTRACT To explain how the Islamic resistance movement Hamas has remained in power in Gaza for nearly two decades, the police state argument, ruling through the use of force, is insufficient. One also needs to look at Hamas’ relation to Gaza’s ubiquitous kinship groups. Gazans’ trust in kinship institutions is deeply rooted, as is confirmed by a survey presented in the article. After seizing power in Gaza in 2007 Hamas approached the kinship sector with the aim of curbing the strong clans and restructure important kinship institutions. Yet, over the years, engaging with the kinship institutions, especially the informal law sector, also had an impact on Hamas itself. The use of informal law and conflict resolution mechanisms thus became a distinctive feature of the “soft” dimension of the Hamas form of rule. The policy has been appealing to the kinship groups and narrowed the cultural distance between the two. The focus on kinship and local culture is relevant for the wider field of rebel governance research, I contend. In order to understand insurgent governments’ success or lack of success in winning civilians’ hearts and minds, how the rulers adjust to local culture must be analysed.