Jamaa Islamiyya

Publication Date: 
February, 2015

Jamaa Islamiyya

Founding Date: 
January, 1964
Founder: 
Fathi Yakan, the first General secretary, and other founders Fayez Iaaly, Mohammad Karima, Mohammad Drii, Ibrahim el Masri.*
HQ: 
The official headquarter is in Beirut,*** and branches exist in Saida,**** Tripoli and Bhamdoun.*****
Origins: 
Jamaa Islamiyya is a Sunni Islamist group established in 1964 by young members of ‘Ibad al-Rahman (a.k.a. the Worshipers of the Merciful). The origins of the group go back to the height of Gamal Abdel Nasser’s efforts at Arab unity in the mid-1960s. However, it is worth noting that its precursor al-Ikhwan al-Muslimûn group (The Muslim Brotherhood), was founded in Beirut by Mohammad Omar Al Daaouk in 1950. The grandfather and main ideologue of Jamaa Islamiyya is Fathi Yakan, an influential Islamist scholar and preacher in Tripoli. As a disciple of the radical Egyptian Islamist thinker Sayyid Qutb, he opposed secularist and communist ideology and he considered Islam to be the basis of the sociopolitical order. In the wake of the 1967 Arab–Israeli war, Yakan joined Sa’eed Hawwa of Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood to advocate jihad against the West and Israel. He also co-led Jamaa Islamiyya during the Lebanese civil war and fought on the side of the leftist-Islamic coalition in Tripoli.** In this manner, the group can legitimately be framed as the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Leader 

Ibrahim Al-Masri;

Former: Sheikh Faysal al-Mawlawi.

Spokesman

Alaa Mouhyi al Din holds both roles spokesman and media and communication director in Baghdad.1

Ideology & Goals

Jamaa Islamiyya believes in establishing an Islamic order in Lebanon based on the Shari’a law. As argued by Sheikh Faysal al-Mawlawi, the group thinks “that Islam can be through any modern system of governance, as long as it abides by the rulings of Islam and Islamic 'Shari'a'. We also think that the people are the source of power, and Islamic rule should not be imposed upon the people, it must be through their own choosing".2 Until now, Jamaa Islamiyya has shown moderation in its understanding of Islam and stays committed to the book of God and tradition of its Prophet. As argued by Sheikh Faisal Mawlawi, the doctrine followed by Jamaa Islamiyya is that people are advocates rather than judges and that if the rule of atonement is applicable to some regimes hostile to Islam existing in that time, it does not affect the individuals in the society. As a result of this, the group’s understanding of true Islam became loyal to the idea of Mr. Qatb and other thinkers of the Islamist Movement.

Strategy

In the context of the Syrian revolution, the party insists that it lends its support through humanitarian assistance, political backing, and information campaigns solely. No fighters or weapons have been provided by the group, and it has not been involved in any border crossing or smuggling of any kind.However, al-Akhbar has accused the party of taking up arms and sending troops to fight against the regime in Syria.It has been said that Jamaa Islamiyya’s attitude shifted from condemning the repression at the beginning of the strife, to joining sides in the conflict, while other hinted that it is unlikely they only took up arms only because of Syria.3

In Lebanon, Jamaa Islamiyya is said to recruit youth through mosques, schools, and in the North through the Iman boys’ scouts. Former leader, Sheikh Faysal al-Mawlawi said that they considered themselves as representing popular sentiments, and therefore do not adopt any organizational mobilization. They rely more on "popular support" away from any organized outreaching call, i.e. no recruitment. The Youth are in general those who are active on the ground." In Lebanon, it also has a strong record for supporting Palestine.4

Allies

Future Movement; March 14th Coalition;5 Hezbollah (only pertaining to relations towards Israel).6

Regionally, Jamaa Islamiyya has relationships and policies  in line with the Muslim Brotherhood, in Turkey, Libya, and most certainly Syria and Saudi Arabia.7

Sphere of influence

The approximate number of followers in Lebanon: 5,000 in the north and 3,000 in other parts of the country. 8

Due to its organic growth, it now has one seat in the Lebanese Parliament.

Funding

Self-funding through donations from members and investments.

Number of troops

The party claims to be non-military.

However, at the beginning of the Lebanese civil war, Jamaa Islamiyya formed a military structure, Al Mujahedun, which was to handle the defence of Islamic regions. It had a military presence first in Tripoli and the North and then in 1976 in Beirut and Sidon.9 

If applicable, type of weapons

Not applicable in the present. 

Soft power tools

The mosque milieu has been a primary ground for mobilisation for salafists, not only through Friday sermons, but also through religious lessons that some Sheikhs regularly give to their followers.

Furthermore, during the civil war, the group gained supporters through its establishment of specialised institutions sponsoring Islamic activities and providing help to people through education for youths, public services, relief during crises and creating medical institutions (clinics and medical centers). It also established the Association of Muslim students, the Women’s Social and Society Foundation, and a number of other charities throughout Lebanon. 10

Status

Active.
 
Website

www.al-jamaa.org

History & Politics

During the civil war, Jamaa Islamiyya, like most political parties at the time, established a military force - Al Mujahedun- which was to promote and defend the interests of Islamic regions. Following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the group joined the efforts of the Islamic Resistance. At that point, its political stance had matured, and the group argued it was further confirmed by the cohesion of the South Lebanese Islamic forces. Its participation - described on the group’s website as prominent - in the operations which led to the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Southern Lebanon in May 2000, allowed the Arab-Israeli conflict to rise as an essential element of the group’s political ideology and field work. Since then, the group has consistently encapsulated the Israelis as the enemy of the Lebanese State and its citizens, and has argued for the need to face it.11

In 2003, the group introduced the ‘Charter of the Islamic Work in Lebanon’ and called for national conference that was attended by more than 206 members of the Lebanese Islamic Association, and issued a final version of the Charter. The latter was well received, especially by Christian circles as it looked at the issues of sectarian coexistence and terrorism.12

During the 2006 war, some members of the group fought alongside Hezbollah in the towns close to the Israeli border.13 In these operations, the group abided to Hezbollah as they could not match the group militarily.14

Before and during the 2009 parliamentary campaign, Jamaa Islamiyya sided with the March 14th coalition as the two factions shared goals, including the furthering of the interests of the Sunni community and the success of the uprising in Syria in removing President Bashar Assad, as well as providing assistance to Syrian refugees.

Bassam Hammoud, the Jamaa political bureau chief in south Lebanon said, however, his party was not allied with the Future Movement but dealt with it in the same manner as other parties.15 Furthermore, cool ties are maintained with Hezbollah (despite the similarity of their thoughts towards Israeli, their respective position on the events in Syria differ, which has led the two groups to grow apart for the time being).16

Since the 2009 parliamentary elections, the group holds a seat in Parliament.

Notable events

1972: Jamaa Islamiyya’s first parliamentary electoral experience, with the overarching aim of spreading their Islamist view on current events, allowed its candidate, the lawyer Mohammad Ali Dannawi to win one seat in Tripoli.17

1982-2000: Jamaa Islamiyya was integrated within the Islamic Resistance’s operations, and as such participated in the liberation of Southern Lebanon in May 2000.18

 

 

* “Al Jamaa in brief”, The official website of Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiyah, Arabic, available at: http://www.al-jamaa.org/pageother.php?catsmktba=15 [last accessed January 14th, 2015].

** Bilal Y. Saab, “Securing Lebanon from the Threat of Salafist Jihadism”, Magnus Ranstorp, English, available at: http://democracyinlebanon.org/Documents/CDL-World/SalafistJihadism%28SaabandRanstorp07%29.pdf [last accessed January 14th, 2015].

*** “Al Jamaa in brief”, The official website of Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiyah, Arabic, available at: http://www.al-jamaa.org/pageother.php?catsmktba=15 [last accessed January 14th, 2015].

**** “Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya in Sidon: Where is the status of the state after the terrorist attack in Taamir Ain Al-Hilweh”, The official website of Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiyah, Arabic, December 12th, 2014, available at: http://www.al-jamaa.org/play.php?catsmktba=4066 [last accessed January 14th, 2015].

***** “Al Jamaa in brief”, The official website of Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiyah, Arabic, available at: http://www.al-jamaa.org/pageother.php?catsmktba=15 [last accessed January 14th, 2015].

 

[Last updated on February 27th, 2015]