01-05-2005, 03:27 AM
For all their differences, Israeli, Palestinian secularists and Americans consider the Islamic Resistance Movement an obstacle to their vested interests. This major Islamic resistance group’s name in Arabic is Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, nicknamed Hamas.
Unlike the secular Palestinian Authority, which is trying to negotiate a ‘Bantu-state’ on the 20 percent of Muslim Palestine, the religion-based Hamas wants to liberate all of Palestine, not just the Occupied Territories. It considers Palestine to be a waqf (holy inheritance) and the presence of Zionists therein is an affront to Allah.
"The question of the liberation of Palestine is bound to three circles: the Palestinian circle, the Arab circle and the Islamic circle. Each of these circles has its role in the struggle against Zionism" (Art. 14).
To wage the struggle, Hamas encourages individual Muslims to join the jihad (struggle). Tactics include martyr bombings against Zionists and opposition to moderate Palestinians, like those of Yasser Arafat’s al-Fatah group, who want to negotiate a separate peace (piece?) with Israel.
Hamas militant resistance and absolute hostility toward Israel have caused the pro-Zionist mass-media to depict it along with the Hezbollah, al-Aqsa Martyrs, Brigade and Islamic Jihad as terrorist. Although this caricature is understandable, it is not accurate because it begs the questions of who is a terrorist and whether negotiations serve the Native Palestinian interest.
Despite scores of conferences, summits, resolutions and official statements, Israel still occupies Palestine, and Palestinians must endure humiliations and privations that beg allusion to the Nazis treatment of Jooooz, Gypsies, etc..
An examination of the historical records prove that Hamas is a legitimate resistance movement, and a more honourable champion of Palestinian rights than the Palestinian Authority.