Who is Hateful, Intolerant, Violent?
Jan 26, 2008
Akram's Razor: Tikun Olam on Hamas & the "destruction of Israel" canard.
This part is classic:
whatever one thinks of it,Hamas is not simply a terror organization. Providing health clinics to the poor, employing large numbers of people in quasi-governmental bodies and fielding a range of candidates in elections aren't exactly the hallmark of terror cells. However one judges their military actions from a moral standpoint, they clearly are a complex, hybrid movement that manifests itself in a multiplicity of ways in Palestinian society. Even accepting the one-sided Beltway line on Hamas' violence,it is asinine to expect Palestinians to reduce Hamas to its military wing given its complex, multi-faceted role in their lives. Ergo, it is unjustified to treat all forms of political support for Hamas as an endorsement of terror. It just doesn't follow.
Of course. I'm sure a lot of Muslims support these lovely guys because of the quality health care they offer.
Well, Isaac, outside the fantasy world of the MSM and the Burn-a-Cross-o-Sphere you inhabit, such questions aren't quite so neat and black & white. Both sides fight dirty and deny, whether in word or deed, the other's right to exist.
The point of my post was that the simplistic equation of any form of political "support" for Hamas is not necessarily the same thing as supporting terrorism given the dynamics of this conflict.
Hamas is a nasty outfit, but that's what war produces. My priority is to end the conflict--which requires a just settlement with concessions from both sides--not preach about etiquette and disarm one side while the other one keeps on swinging.
Posted by: Svend | Jan 26, 2008 at 06:33 PM
Ah, yes, concessions from both side. So, Israel wants peace, and Palestine wants Israel destroyed. Let's meet half way! We'll give Israel peace, but only every second day, and in return, Israel gets half destroyed. Everyone goes home happy!
Posted by: Alex | Jan 26, 2008 at 07:16 PM
Alex: How Islamophobic of you to think that the Palestinians would only be interested in destroying Israel every other day!
They would demand jizya on the off-days. Causing destruction ain't cheap.
Posted by: Isaac Schrödinger | Jan 26, 2008 at 08:06 PM
Hamas is a nasty outfit, but that's what war produces.
You have it backwards, it's the nastiness of the attitude that produces war.
Posted by: Cafe Alpha | Jan 27, 2008 at 03:36 AM
Why don't we just tell the whole story, huh? Hamas gets lots of money from Saudi Arabian and Iranian supporters. They use some of that money to buy people by giving them stuff they want (food, cars, etc.) and some of the money to kill Jews.
It's not like Hamas is doing this because it cares about Palestinian well being. The easiest way to improve Palestinian lives would be to stop bombing Israel, and it hasn't done that yet.
Posted by: David Boxenhorn | Jan 27, 2008 at 04:40 AM
I refer you to
"On violence and the Intifada" by Ali Abunimah, The Electronic Intifada, 22 January 2003
http://www.electronicintifada.net/v2/article1098.shtml
He rightly described Palestinian terrorism as "an illegitimate and immoral response to an illegitimate and immoral occupation".
There are no angels in this conflict. Till you face that fact, you're part of the problem.
Posted by: svend | Jan 27, 2008 at 11:38 PM
Yeah, guilty as charged. It's all my fault.
I wouldn't waste my time on "electronic intifada" unless you're a connoisseur of propaganda.
Posted by: Josh Scholar | Jan 28, 2008 at 12:06 AM