Hamas Win Stuns World But Not Me

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Hamas Win Stuns World But Not Me

Watching Lou Dobbs on CNN I have discovered that America is stunned at the Hamas victory in the Palestinian elections. George Bush looked stunned when his much touted Democratic revolution resulted in a Hamas victory. Even PM designate Stephen Harper seemed stunned at the election results and announced that Hamas had to disavow terrorism, that is armed self defense and armed struggle, to be recognized as the government of Palestine.

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Hamas 'secures stunning victory'

CNN's Lou Dobbs asserts that this was an intelligence break down by the CIA and Mossad. Really?! I knew Hamas was going to win the other day, it was a given in the middle eastern media. Which is why I wrote Green Eggs and Hamas. Guess this is another case of bloggers being in the know more than the MSM and the CIA.

That being said all Hamas has to do now is to integrate their armed forces into the Palestinian authority and claim they no longer are an independent armed force. However the world is demanding that they do more. World governments will not recognize them unless Hamas renounces its belief that Israel has no right to exist.Can Hamas Change Its Ways?

Well fine. But gee wasn't that George Bush who said democracy would free the Middle East. Well these were democratic elections. And Palestinians like Canadians voted for the only party that was an alternative to the corruption of Fatah. While the US supported, with CIA funding, Fatah. Opps.

Is democracy empowering Islamists?

Finally as I wrote here about the need for Arab Anarchism once again we see that it is patriarchical power that Hamas represents . Notice that whenever there is a rally in an Islamic country women are nowhere to be seen. Just guys. In the case of Palestine, male children and teenagers.

Q&A: What the Hamas victory means

Here's a look at what the Hamas victory could mean for Palestinian relations, Middle East peacemaking and Palestinian politics.

Q: How did Hamas pull off this shocking upset?

A: Hamas exploited public discontent with the corruption-tainted Fatah Party, which has dominated Palestinian politics for four decades.

While reiterating its commitment to "resistance" against Israel, Hamas focused its campaign on internal Palestinian issues, promising better public services, honesty in government and an end to lawlessness.

Hamas win shatters status quo
from the January 27, 2006 edition

VICTORY: Hamas leader, and top candidate for the Palestinian parliamentary elections, Ismail Hanieh, salutes supporters outside his house in Gaza City.
HATEM MOUSSA/AP

Hamas win shatters status quo

Islamic militant group gains the upper hand in Palestinian politics.

By Ilene R. Prusher | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
JERUSALEM – The Islamic group Hamas staged a stunning upset of the ruling Fatah faction in Palestinian parliamentary polls Wednesday, winning a solid outright majority of the total 132 seats and making the strongest ever showing of an Islamist movement in the Arab world.
With such a decisive win, Hamas is unlikely to need a coalition partner, sidelining the Palestine Liberation Organization's Fatah Party and promising to redefine the troubled Middle East peace process.