| May | 01 |
| 2007 |
It's always instructive to go by what people say, rather than the perception of them that mainstream opinion holds. So here's a question to those who say that Hamas is moderating in office - that the reality of authority is leading to greater promise for peace: have you actually read what they say? Do you listen to their words?
Sheik Ahmad Bahr is the acting Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council. And here's what he said on Friday:
Ahmad Bahr began: "You will be victorious" on the face of this planet. You are the masters of the world on the face of this planet. Yes, [the Koran says that] "you will be victorious," but only "if you are believers." Allah willing, "you will be victorious," while America and Israel will be annihilated. I guarantee you that the power of belief and faith is greater than the power of America and Israel. They are cowards, who are eager for life, while we are eager for death for the sake of Allah. That is why America's nose was rubbed in the mud in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Somalia, and everywhere.Bahr continued and said that America will be annihilated, while Islam will remain. The Muslims "will be victorious, if you are believers." Oh Muslims, I guarantee you that the power of Allah is greater than America, by whom many are blinded today. Some people are blinded by the power of America. We say to them that with the might of Allah, with the might of His Messenger, and with the power of Allah, we are stronger than America and Israel.
The Hamas spokesperson concluded with a prayer, saying: "Oh Allah, vanquish the Jews and their supporters. Oh Allah, count their numbers, and kill them all, down to the very last one. Oh Allah, show them a day of darkness. Oh Allah, who sent down His Book, the mover of the clouds, who defeated the enemies of the Prophet defeat the Jews and the Americans, and bring us victory over them."
The voice of peace: Oh Allah, vanquish the Jews and their supporters. Oh Allah, count their numbers, and kill them all, down to the very last one.

MessageSpace
I really do have a strong sense of 1938 at the moment.
Britain and America are clearly at war, yet the media and public are in a state of denial. Hitler made the kind of statements echoed by Hamas here, and we didn't want to believe he actually "meant" what he said. Rather, we chose to interprete these as sabre-rattling.
Put this together with yesterday's opinion from Scotland Yard about the massive scale of Islamist terrosist planning and organisation, Hizbollah's build-up of capability within Lebanon, Iran's nuclear plans, and the recent revelation that Syria has Saddam's WMD's, and there can be no doubt that a de facto state of war exists.
Like 1938, we need a Winston Churchill. A leader with a strong sense of history, politically incorrect, and possessing of a strong and clear vision to take decisive action now.
The enemy is not Tony Blair, nor George Bush, nor John Howard. The enemy is our indifference, apathy, and denial of the truth. Its time to wake up before it is too late.
Keep banging the drum Stephen
"I really do have a strong sense of 1938 at the moment."
MEPs meet with Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza for first time
JERUSALEM (EJP)---A group of members of the European Parliament have met for the first time in Gaza on Tuesday with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in what is seen as a break with the EU’s policy to boycott Hamas.
The EU considers Hamas a terrorist organisation because it has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombing attacks.
The EU does not recognize the new Palestinian national unity government between Fatah and Hamas because it has not yet responded to international demands to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept past peace agreements.
"There are steady and confident steps towards lifting the siege," Haniyeh said after meeting with about 10 European parliamentarians.
One of the parliamentarians who took part in the meeting, Cypriot Kyriacos Triantaphyllides said the EU should deal with the unity government.
"Our visit here is very symbolic,†he told journalists.
"We consider this as an opportunity for the road to peace," he added.
Caroline Lucas, an British MEP said EU member states and the European Commission "put us under pressure not to do it."
EU's policy unchanged
A European Union spokeswoman said the EU’s policy of shunning Hamas remains unchanged. "The parliament is not the official representative of the European Union in matters of foreign policy," the spokeswoman said.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev called the meeting a "very negative occurrence."
"Giving recognition and legitimacy to an unreformed Hamas will not help peace," he said.
'Caroline Lucas, an British MEP said EU member states and the European Commission "put us under pressure not to do it." '
Lucas on Israel:
“With its illegal nuclear arsenal, its illegal invasion and annexation of Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian territory, and with its ‘apartheid wall', condemned last year by the International Court of Justice, Israel is clearly a rogue state – and the UK just shouldn't be in the business of selling it more arms to turn on terrorised civilians.â€
http://tinyurl.com/yplkct
Contact Caroline Lucas:
carolinelucas@greenmeps.org.uk
More madness of from Europe:
MEP says she feels like “strangling†Israel's ambassador
'STRASBOURG (EJP)---Belgian MEP Véronique De Keyser has told a group of her peers how she feels like she wants to “strangle†Israeli diplomats who discuss Israel’s security.
Addressing a European Left Group hearing on the situation of Palestinian political prisoners last week, De Keyser deplored the “passivity†of the European Parliament on the Palestinian issue, and hailed the “moderation and maturity†of the Palestinians.
“I wonder how they are able to limit violence in the territories given the background,†the Socialist politician said. “If the Israeli ambassador comes in the future to speak of Israel’s security, I feel like I want to strangle him.â€
The event, held at the parliament last Wednesday, formed part of a campaign calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian politician serving a life sentence in Israel for his role in several terrorist attacks.
Negotiations ignored
At the meeting the wife of Barghouti, a leader of the Fatah opposition party, called on the European Union to lift the embargo against direct aid to the Palestinians and to recognise the new national unity government.
“The international community has deplored Hamas’s victory (in last year’s election) but did nothing to reinforce Fatah,†Fadwa Barghouti said.
Ignoring the much-publicised negotiations between the Israeli government and the Palestinians over the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, she claimed the Palestinians were ready to exchange in exchange Shalit for Palestinian prisoners “but Israel refuses.â€
French MEP Francis Wurtz, who chairs the European United Left group, announced that the appeal for the EU to recognize the Palestinian national unity government has been signed so far by some sixty members of the European parliament.
De Keyser also used the opportunity to call on the German EU presidency “to make a difference in its positions between the Holocaust against the Jews and the current policy of the State of Israel†and spoke out against what she called the “European and German culpability†on the Holocaust.
While stressing the horror of the Holocaust, she said: “One must wring the neck of the European and German culpability on the Shoah.†'
http://www.ejpress.org/article/news/western_europe/16358

