Winning Hearts and Minds; The new war in Lebanon is a propaganda battle--and Hizbullah is coming out on top. Some tips from a master.

Byline: Kevin Peraino

It's a cliche to say that Islamists are skilled at winning Mideast hearts and minds. But even some Israeli officials acknowledge that they're being outmaneuvered by Hizbullah in the ongoing battle for international public opinion. Remember those made in the u.s.a. banners that sprouted everywhere amid the rubble of southern Lebanon right after this summer's fighting? That was just the opening salvo--and some Israelis worry that they're still not fighting back. "We're simply not there," says one senior Israeli security official, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on the record. "And [Hizbullah leader Hassan] Nasrallah is extremely adept."

Part of the Islamists' new strategy: a $100,000 advertising blitz called "Divine Victory," featuring more than 600 billboards around Beirut and southern Lebanon touting Hizbullah's exploits during the 34-day war. (Cleverly, the slogan is almost a literal translation of Nasrallah's last name.) The panels line the road to Beirut from the city's international airport, and the new buy includes slogans like "America and its tools have been defeated"--in English. Last week the group expanded the campaign, adding dozens more billboards, and Nasrallah himself made an appearance at a massive rally in Beirut, standing in front of one.

Who are the masterminds behind all this? Meet Idea Creation, a Beirut ad agency and design firm that works for both the Islamists and a handful of other Lebanese clients. Thirty-year-old Mohammad Kawtharani, the company's wiry and affable creative director, says he's never met Nasrallah; the group works from a few broad guidelines the leader suggests and then submits them for approval. A former philosophy and architecture student, Kawtharani says he sympathizes with Hizbullah but doesn't consider himself a member. On the eve of the Beirut rally, NEWSWEEK spoke with Kawtharani about his campaign strategy. He offered a few tips:

Lower your "message density": Islamist propaganda was once known for its densely impenetrable Arabic, peppered with quotes from the Qur'an. But Kawtharani says that in this campaign, Hizbullah has made an effort to get "straight to the point" with its slogans. The international public ...