Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: In the Hamas mind

In the Hamas mind
As a child growing up in a liberal Jewish family in Rhodesia (now
Zimbabwe), I was taught to be wary of expressing the view that any
section of the population may indeed have specific group “traits”. All
human beings were just that- “human beings” and within each and every
one of us is both good and bad. My university years reinforced the
intellectual leftist approach which denied the concept of intractable
conflicts and maintained that every harsh reality could be improved.
However, with maturity and relentless reading by Middle Eastern
writers and political documents by Hamas, Hezbollah and Al Qaeda, I
have moved from my former idealistic position and accept that when
Hamas states that it is committed to destroying us, we should take
these claims seriously. I believe that one has to respect the enemy
and to accept the honesty of their declared goals. The problem isn’t
about land or economic improvement or peace. Tragically it’s just
about the total rejection of the concept of a Jewish State.
I am convinced that Islamic fundamentalists (or to use a softer term)
Islamists, really do look at the world differently from us. Thus, our
survival, regardless of where we live on this planet, demands a close
and honest look at their standpoint.
Let’s try and enter the Hamas mind. Like Al Qaeda and Hezbollah, the
starting off point is undoubtedly the Koran. This book, like the
sources of other religions, can be read in numerous ways. In both the
Old and New Testaments, one can easily evoke an awful thesis of
superiority and lack of concern for the other. In the case of the
Islamists, the other, be he/she an infidel, Christian or Jew, is a
lowly person who is often despised and rejected. The world is sharply
divided between dar-al-Islam (the abode of Islam) and dar al-harb (the
abode of war) without anything in between. While the Koran has an
abundance of impressive humanistic components, the Islamist admires
the most derogatory.
For many Hamas members, Israelis and Jews are no different from
infidels even though on paying a poll tax, they could claim the
protected status of al-dhimma. However, this “protected” concept is
only in relation to an individual and Islam rejects the concept of a
sovereign dhimmi state. Thus the Christian, Jewish or modernizing
Muslim state has to be destroyed by jihad as a duty by the community
as a whole. This form of self-sacrifice enables a person killed in war
to become a shahid, a martyr with the benefits of a Paradise with 72
black-eyes beautiful virgins who will become the martyr’s brides
together with an abundance of food and drink. In addition the martyr
will ensure an easy entrance to heaven for 70 family members.
[M.Milson, Memri, December, 2007]
The 6000 rockets on Israeli civilian targets during the last 8 years
are integral to their religious perspectives. It is not just about
attacking a sovereign state. Thus Hamas is no different from Al Qaeda
which rejects any state on earth which does not abide to its
particular interpretation of traditional Islam.
Hamas has three interpretations of how it should deal with Israel.
There is the:
Hudna: a truce, which implies recognition of the other party’s actual
existence, without acknowledging its legitimacy.
Tahidya: a period of calm or limited cease fire
or the most favored, conflict. [J. Halevi, Jerusalem Issue Brief, June
2008]
This is the reason why vast sections of the Muslim Arab world so
vehemently opposed Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel and totally
boycotted an Arab country. Anwar Sadat was assassinated because he had
broken an essential tenet of Islam. The Moslem Brotherhood in Egypt
still rejects the Israeli-Egyptian agreement.
Added to these religious interpretations, it is vital to appreciate
that Hamas also has a modern interpretation of Israel, in much the
same way as Al Qaeda sees the United States and the western world.
How could it possibly be that this minute Jewish group (0.2% of the
world) could ever have its own state? The day to day functioning of
the State of Israel has undoubtedly been a remarkably successful
venture and this has only added to their sense of humiliation. Israel
has given a good life to most of its citizens, works hard on the issue
of democracy, has an open press and even permits demonstrators to wave
Hamas flags during the war.
From the Hamas perspective, there is one additional point which adds
to their infuriation. Several Arab countries actually understand why
Israel doesn’t intend to commit national self-suicide and, in their
heart of hearts, want Israel to win this latest conflict. Their well
being depends on radical Islamic states and organizations being
defeated.
Tragically many Hamas members live with serious delusions. They
actually believe that Israel doesn’t have the stamina to carry out an
intense military response nor its ability to withstand global
criticism. They seem to think that Israel’s vibrant, argumentative
political life is a weakness, whereas in reality, it’s a strength. Too
many of the Gaza leaders forget that the hard earned building of this
Jewish desert land and the accomplishment of a stable, middle class
society  have not weakened us, but rather the opposite.
There is clearly still a long way to go before Hamas-type people and
their supporters recognize the need for a dramatic change in their
attitudes. The Middle East overflows with unfulfilled dreams. This
area of some 350 million people, with its natural resources and
capable citizens, should have done much better.
Perhaps, some day in the distant future, Hamas will appreciate that
the ongoing attempts to defeat Israel and blame the western world for
its multiple failures, has seriously harmed them. However, until then,
all defenders of freedom have to support Israel’s right to exist.
All in all, my hopes are fairly simple. I want to spend time with my
family, enjoy my work, live a healthy life and try to understand the
world around me without becoming cynical. In addition, I’ll continue
to dream of the day when my Palestinian neighbors less than a mile
away from our house will also be doing similar things.
Paul Liptz, 4 Jan 2009, Jerusalem
http://rehovnahum.tumblr.com/post/68505383/in-the-hamas-mind

 In the Hamas mind
irrilevante. SPiega piuttosto qual è la malattia mentale che fa
ritenere all'Israeli mind che a 0 morti si risponda proporzionalmente
con 500 morti, che faccio subito gli esami per essere sicuro di non
ridurmi mai in tale stato