Foreword to Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine
Reader comment on item: Foreword

Submitted by Fazal Habib Curmally (Pakistan), Nov 11, 2008 at 23:53

Yasser Arafat and the PLO became the recognised Palestinian movement by all the Islamic countries in 1974 Islamic Conference held at Lahore Pakistan. At that point of time, an Islamic point of view was overtaking other western ideologies that were beginning to lose their hold but this hold was not strong nor could it be easily dismissed or supressed. A more enlightened islam was being searched for a an alternative.

Sheikh Abdullah Azzam the chief ideologue of the militant Jihad in modern times and of the AfghjanJihad against the Soviets, helped in the creation of Hamas. One needs to refer to the Ghost Wars by Steve Coll to see this. The 1979 was an milestone year. There was the Iranian Revolution, The storming of the Holy Mosque in Saudi Arabia to do away with a pretender mahdi and most of all the Afghan Jihad against the Soviets had begun. Islam had come out of its dormant stage.

Most countries have begun to reject the Western concept of Democracy and secular thought for an Islamic democracy or better still using the Quran e karim and the other legal texts as their mainsprings fo an ideology to live by because of a disenchantment with the secular West and Communism. This way a pan-Islamiism of sorts can come about.

Hamas was essentially Islamic and PLO stood for a more secular approach. After the USA denigrated Yasser Arafat and the PLO, Hamas was the answer most Palestinians understood.. Hamas never captured Gaza they won Gaza in an open vote. Once the West realised that a bigger problem in the shape of Hhamas was a reality and they had failed to break Arafat, so they pumped up Abu Mazen as the sole representative of the palestinians which is essentially crap.The Hamas had swept the polls.

There will be no peace in Palestine because the palestinian are not united and as and when they unite, then they have to negotiate with Israel. Israel represents the jews and they have a place in the world. This place has been denied to them because they were the Christ Killers of old. The Jews are Human beings too and have as much right to life and liberty to live as they choose. What the Muslims are up against is Zionism. It is this ideology that created the Argun and the Stern gang and not Jews. The Prophets of Jews are our Prophets. The State of Israel is a reality and is here to stay. When will Palestine become a reality? Until and unless there is a spirit of give and take. future generations will be given up to war and they will not be able to live their lives as they choose as free men and women.

I say all this as a proud practising Muslim.

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