Islamic Group (Lebanon)

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Islamic Group الجماعة الإسلامية
Abbreviation	JI
Leader	Sheikh Mohammed Takkoush
Founder	Faysal Mawlawi, Fathi Yakan
Founded	1964; 60 years ago (1964)
Headquarters	Beirut
Armed wing	Al-Fajr Forces
Ideology	Sunni Islamism Pan-Islamism Social conservatism Anti-Zionism
Political position	Centre-right to right-wing
Religion	Sunni Islam
International affiliation	Muslim Brotherhood
Parliament of Lebanon	1 / 128
Website
Official Site
Politics of Lebanon Political parties Elections

The Islamic Group (Arabic: الجماعة الإسلامية Al-Jama'ah Al-Islamiyah) abbreviated as the acronym JI is a Sunni Islamist political party in Lebanon. Jamaa Islamiya was founded in 1964 as the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. In fact, it was established by young members of 'Ibad al Rahman (or the Worshipers of the Merciful). Its origins, as documented by Nizar Hamzeh, go back to the height of Gamal Abdel Nasser's efforts at Arab unity in the mid-1960s.^[1] It supports the idea of establishing a legal order in Lebanon that is based on Islamic shari'a. As a local branch it closely follows the doctrines of the Muslim Brotherhood.^[1] Fathi Yakan was the group's grandfather and main ideologue who is a veteran Islamist scholar and preacher from Tripoli.^[1]

Its ex-leader is Ibrahim Al-Masri, who succeeded its former leader Faisal Mawlawi due to sickness. The party entered the 2009 Lebanese general election beside the Future Movement in Beirut's 3rd electoral district. Currently they have 1 seat in the Lebanese Parliament.^[2][3][4]

The Islamic Group's armed wing, the al-Fajr Forces, launched missiles into Israel during the 2023 Israel-Lebanon border clashes,^[5][6][7] in what The National called a "resurgence... after almost 20 years of relative inactivity."^[8] Bassem Hammoud, the deputy head of the Islamic Group's political bureau, clarified that his party was "not in complete alignment with Hezbollah... [b]ut we are with them in terms of resistance against Israel."^[8] On 10 March 2024, three members of the Islamic Group were killed after an Israeli strike on the town of Aqroub.^[9] On April 26, an Israeli drone strike on a car in Meidoun killed two Islamic Group members, including senior commander Mosab Khalaf.^[10][11] On 18 July 2024, an IDF strike on a car in Ghazzeh, eastern Lebanon killed Mohammad Hamed Gebara, an Islamic Group commander who planned and conducted attacks in collaboration with Hamas.^[12]

In 2008, members of the Islamic Group formed al Fajr Radio which offers educational and religious programs. It is equally shared by multiple members of the party.^[13]

• List of Islamic political parties
• Hezbollah
• Lebanese Civil War
• Islamic Unification Movement

• Islamic Group official site