Ismael Haniya, the political leader of Hamas which pretends to be the voice of Palestinian Muslims living in the Gaza Strip, was quick to issue a statement denouncing the killing of master terrorist Osama Bin Laden.
Rather than denounce Bin Laden and the tragedy that he has brought upon not only all Muslims but on the Palestinian people, Hanieyh celebrated Bin Laden and praised him as a martyr.
“We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab holy warrior,” Haniyeh told reporters, according to Reuters. “We regard this as a continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood.”
In contrast, the Palestine National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, through his spokesman Ghassan Khatib, told Reuters, ”Getting rid of Bin Laden is good for the cause of peace worldwide, but what counts is to overcome the discourse and the methods — the violent methods — that were created and encouraged by Bin Laden and others in the world.”
Once again, Hamas and Haniyeh in particular show they care more about their religious views than they do the causes of justice, civil rights and the aspirations of Palestinians for nationhood.
Not surprisingly, the people who continually defend Hamas, which has used violence as a form of terrorism rather than resistance, have been silent on Haniyeh’s ignorant and stupid rantings. Haniyeh again shows how little concern he has for the people of Palestine and that the concern of Hamas is solely for the interests of Hamas and the religious revolution.
Osama Bin Laden was NEVER a martyr for Islam. He was a vicious murderer who intentionally killed innocent men, women and children rather than have the courage to face professional soldiers in battle. He was cowardly, brainwashing young people to destroy their lives for a tragic meaningless cause to commit acts of suicide bombings and suicide airplane hijackings and suicide attacks. Bin Laden was and never will be a role model for what Islam is really about. Bin Laden brought disgrace to Islam and to many Muslims, although the vast majority of Muslims have stood up to his vicious strategies of violence.
Bin Laden never cared for the Palestinian people so why should the head of any Palestinian organization bother to express any compassion for Bin Laden’s killing? Why not denounce Bin Laden who reportedly refused to surrender, but hid behind a woman as a shield to protect himself, actions that are typical of the terrorists leaders who send children to commit their crimes and live in their own luxury and maniacal self-aggrandizement and popularity. Bin Laden should be denounced for killing innocent people. Bin Laden should be denounced for his failed policies to free the people of the Islamic World.
It is ironic that the killing of Bin Laden comes on the crescent of the rising tied of Arab people who are rising in protest against the dictators and tyrants of the Middle East who are fashioned from the same egotistical and brutal cloth that was also the fiber of Osama Bin Laden. The Arab World is changing and the people are demanding that they be able to speak out for themselves. Maybe they will achieve Democracy and strengthen their voices to overcome the oppression of dictators and angry leaders like Haniyeh who is driven by hatred, emotion and anger rather than by a concern for his people.
Haniyeh, though, has shown in his tragic public comments that he doesn’t care about the Palestinian people that he and Hamas claim to lead. They represent no one. They speak for no one save those few who share in his hatred and viciousness. Bin Laden may have been a Muslim but he distorted the message of Islam to serve his own selfish agenda. If Hanieyh were a leader, he would have instead of praising Bin laden as a martyr, denounced him as a traitor to the Islamic cause.
Yet Haniyeh’s actions only once again demonstrate why Hamas cannot serve in our Palestinian government. His actions and the actions of Hamas have only given Israel the excuses to engage int heir own acts of government terrorism and to strengthen not weaken the occupation of Palestine, to block a peace and to prevent Palestinians from achieving sovereign statehood.
Worse is the silence of the activists who cheer on fanaticism and extremism and even violence. Activists who celebrate when others are killed and then loudly denounce when our own Palestinian people are murdered and killed. That double standard has insulted the memory of the real martyrs of the Palestinian people, the thousands of innocent civilians who have been killed by Hamas suicide bombers, terrorists and Israeli military assaults. Haniyeh’s words have only strengthened the occupation. But maybe that’s what he really wants. Because without a brutal occupation, Hamas would be nothing.
– Ray Hanania
