Monday 12 January 2009

Who is Hamas? Some videos.

I've posted a number of video clips over the past few days, trying to get a hold on the current conflict. I'm trying to be open and see both sides of the story, and I have to say, a lot of what I'm reading is making me re-evaluate my generally pro-Israel tendencies (in particular the third video from the top in this post). I'd appreciate a response from the Israeli side to this video, explaining what happens in what the video calls "the killing fields" (admittedly a totally inappropriate allusion to Cambodia).

Nevertheless, there is one dimension of this reality that needs to be kept in view, and that is the evil that is Hamas. "Evil," at least, seems to be the most appropriate word for me. An adequate description of their ideology would be "Islamofascist." I'm not anti-Palestinian at all, and this post is not "propaganda" against them. I've studied Arabic and would love to spend more time getting to know that culture. But some things need to be publicised called for what they are. I live in Germany, which has learnt the importance of this, having suffered a regime just like the one ruling Gaza right now (please tell if and how this comparison is wrong ...). Germans have learnt that there is such a thing as evil that expresses itself in the political and cultural realm and that genuinely destroys lives and cultures. The Jews weren't the only one's to suffer. German culture was polluted by fascism, and it's struggling to this day to face this past reality and somehow make good on it (something I have a lot of respect for). This is a serious issue and needs to be looked in the face for what it is. So, I'm asking whatever viewers I have to do two things: 1) watch the videos and 2) let me know how this is in anyway justifiable, or is a misrepresentation of facts on the ground. I'm open to having my views revised.

This fascinating clip is made by an Arab, and not an Israeli:

[HT: My Ober Dicta]

And another clip: Hamas in their own words:

[HT: The Facts of Israel]

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