Reaching wa‘y

This book is a case study of Islamist women activists in Hizb al-Tahrir al-Islami (the Islamic Liberation Party), a transnational Islamist organization aiming at re-establishing the historic Islamic Caliphate which is seen as the only legitimate form of state. The case study was conducted in Beirut, Lebanon. Given the scarcity of analytical studies on Hizb al-Tahrir, this study contributes by asking what mobilizes collective action in Hizb al-Tahrir and how far the established social movement theories can lead to an understanding of social mobilization in Hizb al-Tahrir. Using participant observation as the primary research method, the study finds that elements of social movement theory can account for mobilization and recruitment in Hizb al-Tahrir. However, given the group’s emphasis on ‘wa‘y‘ (awareness), the role of ideology for social mobilization in Hizb al-Tahrir is also proven to be central.