Reconstructing Jihad amid Competing International Norms

Halim Rane’s Reconstructing Jihad breaks new ground on some of the most crucial issues of the twenty-first century: the role of religion in international affairs, the use of armed force, and the achievability of a just peace. In the context of international norms and identity factors Rane presents a contemporary methodology for the reconstruction of jihad from a doctrine based on the use of armed force to one that gives ‘Islamic’ legitimacy to non-violent resistance. Using the Israel-Palestine conflict as a case study, this book explores the impact of competing international norms in the process of conflict resolution. Combining a constructivist perspective of international relations with contextualist and objective-oriented (maqasid) approaches of Islamic Studies, the author examines the conditions under which a just resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict is possible. Based on extensive research and statistics, Rane demonstrates why Palestinian nonviolence would be more conducive to their liberation struggle than violent resistance and how this is a legitimate and authentic form of jihad consistent with the higher objectives of Islam – a necessary realization for Islamic militants if the conflict is to find a just resolution. With the continued failure of the conventional ‘peace process’ and the increasing intractability of the conflict, this book makes a timely contribution to resolving one of the world’s most enduring dilemmas.