Has a Voice of Reason Emerged from Within the Islamic Ranks?
DL Ennis
August 28, 2006
“The Gaza Strip is in the grip of anarchy and Palestinians must stop blaming Israel for all their problems, a senior Hamas figure has said.”
The senior Hamas figure who said this was Ghazi Hamad, chief spokesman for the Hamas government. Is this a sincere plea or simply a ploy to have the Western and Israeli economic boycott, which has been imposed on Palestine because it has refused to renounce violence and accept Israel's right to exist, eased.
Hamad went on to say, “Gaza is at the mercy of thugs, he said, and pleaded for an end to deadly clan rivalries. “Let Gaza breathe."
If Mr. Hamad’s words are sincere, what a dramatic opportunity this could be. A genuine and substantial voice of reason working in the Middle East could offer a glimmer of hope for eventual peace within the region. No matter how modest it may seem now great men of peace usually come from modest beginnings.
"I am not interested in discussing the ugliness and brutality of the occupation because it is not a secret. Instead, I prefer self-criticism and self evaluation," Mr. Hamad wrote.
He said life in Gaza City now involved "unimaginable chaos, careless policemen, young men carrying guns and strutting with pride, and families receiving condolences for their dead in the middle of the street."
And he was also critical of militants who fire crudely-made rockets into Israel, saying ordinary Palestinians paid a high price when Israel responded militarily to such attacks.”
Mr. Hamad said Gazans should stop laying the blame for their mistakes at the door of the Israeli occupation.”
Ghazi Hamad’s words could, and should be a applied to every conflict in the region—or the world for that matter: “I prefer self-criticism and self evaluation.”
Self-criticism and self evaluation and making an attempt to understand and except one another could lead to a lasting peace; this is the only road to lasting peace on earth; there is no other way!
If Mr. Hamad’s words are for real, he has now put himself in a position to be the most significant activist form peace in the Middle East. I don’t think his story can get enough attention and should be distributed world wide in every language; this is too great an opportunity to be overshadowed by the usual negativity and rhetoric which main stream media so dearly loves.
I, for one, hope Ghazi Hamad will continue to be a voice for right and reason and become the great leader that he could be…I hope his words are sincere for what courage must it take for a senior Hamas figure to step up and say what Mr. Hamad has said!
Quotes from:
BBC News online article, “Hamas figure slams Gaza 'anarchy'”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5293854.stm
The senior Hamas figure who said this was Ghazi Hamad, chief spokesman for the Hamas government. Is this a sincere plea or simply a ploy to have the Western and Israeli economic boycott, which has been imposed on Palestine because it has refused to renounce violence and accept Israel's right to exist, eased.
Hamad went on to say, “Gaza is at the mercy of thugs, he said, and pleaded for an end to deadly clan rivalries. “Let Gaza breathe."
If Mr. Hamad’s words are sincere, what a dramatic opportunity this could be. A genuine and substantial voice of reason working in the Middle East could offer a glimmer of hope for eventual peace within the region. No matter how modest it may seem now great men of peace usually come from modest beginnings.
"I am not interested in discussing the ugliness and brutality of the occupation because it is not a secret. Instead, I prefer self-criticism and self evaluation," Mr. Hamad wrote.
He said life in Gaza City now involved "unimaginable chaos, careless policemen, young men carrying guns and strutting with pride, and families receiving condolences for their dead in the middle of the street."
And he was also critical of militants who fire crudely-made rockets into Israel, saying ordinary Palestinians paid a high price when Israel responded militarily to such attacks.”
Mr. Hamad said Gazans should stop laying the blame for their mistakes at the door of the Israeli occupation.”
Ghazi Hamad’s words could, and should be a applied to every conflict in the region—or the world for that matter: “I prefer self-criticism and self evaluation.”
Self-criticism and self evaluation and making an attempt to understand and except one another could lead to a lasting peace; this is the only road to lasting peace on earth; there is no other way!
If Mr. Hamad’s words are for real, he has now put himself in a position to be the most significant activist form peace in the Middle East. I don’t think his story can get enough attention and should be distributed world wide in every language; this is too great an opportunity to be overshadowed by the usual negativity and rhetoric which main stream media so dearly loves.
I, for one, hope Ghazi Hamad will continue to be a voice for right and reason and become the great leader that he could be…I hope his words are sincere for what courage must it take for a senior Hamas figure to step up and say what Mr. Hamad has said!
Quotes from:
BBC News online article, “Hamas figure slams Gaza 'anarchy'”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5293854.stm