Sources of Islamic extremism. The Islamic "street".

IMRA: Comment by Dr. Joseph Lerner:   Below is an article by a leading Syrian spokesperson on the Western-Islamic "conflict".  Her thesis is that 9/11 ushered in a "new crusade ... against Arabs and Muslims, led by neo-European Nazism. The victims are ... spread ... anywhere around the globe" and "Denmark has become the country heading ... hatred against Islam and Muslims". Thomas L. Friedman "Empty pockets, angry minds" (New York Times 22 Feb.'06) links the violent reaction to the Mohammad cartoons to poor economic and social conditions, insisting one should read Karl Marx in addition to Samuel Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations" to understand the scene.   Marx dealt with industrial, developed, capitalistic economies which inevitably are destroyed because of capitalism.  This simply does not apply to Arab/Muslim states. In a Friedman classic "Hamas Rules" NYT 21 Sept. 2001 he ascribed the Hama, Syria massacre of 20,000 to 30, 000 civilians to the consequences of Arab states crushing the "fundamentalists", in particular those Arab states making a deal to support fundamentalists in return for assurances  that "the Islamic extremists not attack those regimes. The Saudis in particular struck that bargain." Friedman had no word about economic/social conditions. Strangely, in neither of his explanatory articles did Friedman mention the continuous incendiary teaching against Christians and Jews.  Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban thinks its indoctrination . She is a leading Arab intellectual. Her biography follows her article below.  Western education did not immunize her from the  zealous fundamentalist spirit.   Symbolically she was born (1953). In Hama, Syria which in February,1982 experienced the massacre  of 20,000 to 30,000 natives attacked with air strikes, artillery fire, infantry, and poison gas This under the rule of President Assad for whom she served as interpreter  1993 - 2003. Her article speaks for itself. Note that it derives from President Bush's use of the term "crusade" for which the Administration apologized and has made a point of specifying the fine features of Islam.

THE DAILY STAR (Lebanon) 14 Feb.'06:"Islamaphobia: a second Holocaust in the making", By Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban

QUOTES FROM TEXT: "financing a second Holocaust against the Palestinian people", "wars, bombings and secret prisons where suspect Muslims are tortured or killed are but few aspects of the 'crusade' ... Bush launched ",m "Denmark has become the country heading the spear of hatred against Islam and Muslims",  "Europe is launching a new Holocaust against Muslims around the world", "The Muslim civilization that ensued from Mecca set the foundation for today' scientific and social development."
EXCERPTS:...  Chancellor Angela Merkel recently visited Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to the Holocaust. There she termed the Holocaust "a source of deep shame" for Germany, and spoke of Israel's existence as a pillar of German politics. Germany, once again, apologizes for the Holocaust and is willing to do what it takes to redeem itself - even if it was financing a second Holocaust against the Palestinian people; a typical manifestation of the European guilt-ridden political conscience. And typically, we, Arabs and Muslims are to pay the price.... a new crusade has started against Arabs and Muslims in the wake of September 11, 2001, led by neo-European Nazism. The victims are no longer the Jews, but Muslims spread over Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Pakistan, and anywhere around the globe...The wars, bombings and secret prisons where suspect Muslims are tortured and killed are but few aspects of the "crusade"  ... Bush launched. Was it not for so much contradictory evidences, we could have passed it for another of his many misfortunate slips of the tongue. Along a number of unjustified wars, sanctions and pressure policies against Arab and Muslim countries, intensive media campaigns rally to deform the face of Muslims and Islam. Even as citizens of Western democracies, Muslims find themselves subject to legal and political acts of hatred and harassment. Some of the European official policies against Muslims in Europe, such as deportation and deprivation of citizenship, have made some Jewish leaders warn that they are "the same taken against Jews in 1930s."

Denmark has become the country heading the spear of hatred against Islam and Muslims. In the 1990s, the Danish Popular Party considered Muslims in Denmark a growing segment of the population - a "troubling problem." After September 11, other Danish parties started sharing the same concern, and talking against "Muslims in Denmark" became a tool in election campaigns. The media started focusing on emigrant problems and accused Muslims of "violence" and "extremism." Even the Queen herself ... expressed worry over the problems that her "Muslim" subjects represented. A Danish Popular Party candidate ... described Danish Muslims as "cancerous disease in the Danish society." The party's spokesperson, Martin Henriksen, said that "Islam, since its beginning, has been a terrorist movement," and he warned against allowing Danish Muslims candidacy to the Parliament or city councils. Henriksen describes Danish Muslim converts as "moral criminals" and takes pride in the fact that "criticizing Islam is the official policy of [his] party." Within this context, the cartoon contest organized by Yandposten came as a natural result...Europe is launching a new Holocaust against Muslims around the world. What is happening to Muslims ... is almost identical with what the Jews suffered at the beginning of the century. Muslims in Western countries find themselves obliged to change their names and suppress their religious identity to avoid a racist witch-hunt ..."Freedom of the press" and "freedom of expression" do not permit violating or ridiculing other people's sanctities. Otherwise, no European country would have banned the mere discussion of the Jewish Holocaust. The Prophet Mohammad ... brought to humanity a message of peace, mercy and tolerance. The Muslim civilization that ensued from Mecca set the foundation for today's scientific and social development. What did those who dared insult him bring to humanity in comparison? They only brought hatred and anger and intolerance. Their actions, like those of Nazi Germany, should only be "a source of deep shame," as Merkel put it.
However, unlike the descendents of the culprits of the Holocaust, their conscience is not guilt-ridden yet with this new crime against humanity. When such guilt will start rectifying Western politics toward Muslims is a disquieting question.
Nazis accused Jews of violence and terrorism. They launched media wars of hatred against their faith and sanctities. The result was the Holocaust; one of the ugliest crimes against humanity. As Europe has recently passed a law that forbids doubting the Holocaust, today it should pass another law that bans racist insults against Muslims and Islam. It is more prudent to prevent the making of a new Holocaust, than to wait for more European apologies to Jews and Muslims alike.

Biography: Bouthaina Shaaban, PhD, English Literature  Born 1953,Homs, Syria. Family: Married,2 daughters, 1 son.  Address: Dummar, Island 20/ Damascus, e-mail: moex@mail.sy, Education:1982 PhD. 1977 MA English Literature, Warwick   U., England ; 1975 BA English Literature , Damascus U., Syria.Management, Academic & Consulting Experiences: 2003 - present:  Minister, Ministry of Expatriates 2002 - 3: Director Foreign Media Dept., Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2000-5 V.P. Arab Writers Union; 1993 - 2003 Interpretor for Syrian President, 1988 - 2002 Advisor for minister of Foreign Affairss, Ministry of Foreign  Affairs, Professor of English Literature Prof, Romantic Poetry, English Dept., Damascus U., Prof. Arab Women Liteature, Comparison  Western Women Literature,English , Dept., Damascus U. 1987-2002 Prof. World Literature, Damascus U., 1988-1993 Assoc. Prof. English, English Dept. Damascus U., !984- 1989 Lecturer ", 1982-84 "  Constantine U. Algeria, , PhD Thesis: "Scientific Strands in Shelley's Poetry" Damascus U., MA Thesis" "A Study of Secondary School Excellence in English", Damascus U., Also taught English Literature in the US. Lectured at Brookings.


WASHINGTON POST 19 Feb.'06:"Why I Published Those Cartoons", By Flemming Rose, Flemming Rose is the culture editor of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. FULL TEXT: Childish. Irresponsible. Hate speech. A provocation just for the sake of  provocation. A PR stunt. Critics of 12 cartoons of the prophet Muhammad I decided to publish in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten have not minced their words. They say that freedom of expression does not imply an
endorsement of insulting people's religious feelings, and besides, they add, the media censor themselves every day. So, please do not teach us a lesson about limitless freedom of speech.I agree that the freedom to publish things doesn't mean you publish everything. Jyllands-Posten would not publish pornographic images or graphic details of dead bodies; swear words rarely make it into our pages. So we are not fundamentalists in our support for freedom of expression. But the cartoon story is different. Those examples have to do with exercising restraint because of ethical standards and taste; call it editing. By contrast, I commissioned the cartoons in response to several incidents of self-censorship in Europe caused by widening fears and feelings of intimidation in dealing with issues related to Islam. And I still believe that this is a topic that we Europeans must confront, challenging moderate Muslims to speak out. The idea wasn't to provoke gratuitously -- and we certainly didn't intend to trigger violent demonstrations throughout the Muslim world. Our goal was simply to push back self-imposed limits on expression that seemed to be closing in tighter. At the end of September, a Danish standup comedian said in an interview with Jyllands-Posten that he had no problem urinating on the Bible in front of a camera, but he dared not do the same thing with the Koran. This was the culmination of a series of disturbing instances of self-censorship. Last September, a Danish children's writer had trouble finding an illustrator for a book about the life of Muhammad. Three people turned down the job for fear of consequences. The person who finally accepted insisted on anonymity, which in my book is a form of self-censorship. European translators of a critical book about Islam also did not want their names to appear on the book cover beside the name of the author, a Somalia-born Dutch politician who has herself been in hiding. Around the same time, the Tate gallery in London withdrew an installation by the avant-garde artist John Latham depicting the Koran, Bible and Talmud torn to pieces. The museum explained that it did not want to stir things up after the London bombings. (A few months earlier, to avoid offending Muslims, a museum in Goteborg, Sweden, had removed a painting with a sexual motif and a quotation from the Koran.) Finally, at the end of September, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen met with a group of imams, one of whom called on the prime minister to interfere with the press in order to get more positive coverage of Islam. So, over two weeks we witnessed a half-dozen cases of self-censorship, pitting freedom of speech against the fear of confronting issues about Islam. This was a legitimate news story to cover, and Jyllands-Posten decided to do it by adopting the well-known journalistic principle: Show, don't tell. I wrote to members of the association of Danish cartoonists asking them "to draw Muhammad as you see him." We certainly did not ask them to make fun of the prophet. Twelve out of 25 active members responded. We have a tradition of satire when dealing with the royal family and other public figures, and that was reflected in the cartoons. The cartoonists treated Islam the same way they treat Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions. And by treating Muslims in Denmark as equals they made a point: We are integrating you into the Danish tradition of satire because you are part of our society, not strangers. The cartoons are including, rather than excluding, Muslims. The cartoons do not in any way demonize or stereotype Muslims. In fact, they differ from one another both in the way they depict the prophet and in whom they target. One cartoon makes fun of Jyllands-Posten, portraying its cultural editors as a bunch of reactionary provocateurs. Another suggests that the children's writer who could not find an illustrator for his book went public just to get cheap publicity. A third puts the head of the anti-immigration Danish People's Party in a lineup, as if she is a suspected
criminal.

One cartoon -- depicting the prophet with a bomb in his turban -- has drawn the harshest criticism. Angry voices claim the cartoon is saying that the prophet is a terrorist or that every Muslim is a terrorist. I read it differently: Some individuals have taken the religion of Islam hostage by committing terrorist acts in the name of the prophet. They are the ones who have given the religion a bad name. The cartoon also plays into the fairy tale about Aladdin and the orange that fell into his turban and made his fortune. This suggests that the bomb comes from the outside world and is not in inherent characteristic of the prophet. On occasion, Jyllands-Posten has refused to print satirical cartoons of Jesus, but not because it applies a double standard. In fact, the same cartoonist who drew the image of Muhammed with a bomb in his turban drew a cartoon with Jesus on the cross having dollar notes in his eyes and another with the star of David attached to a bomb fuse. There were, however, no embassy burnings or death threats when we published those. Has Jyllands-Posten insulted and disrespected Islam? It certainly didn't intend to. But what does respect mean? When I visit a mosque, I show my respect by taking off my shoes. I follow the customs, just as I do in a church, synagogue or other holy place. But if a believer demands that I, as a nonbeliever, observe his taboos in the public domain, he is not asking for my respect, but for my submission. And that is incompatible with a secular democracy. This is exactly why Karl Popper, in his seminal work "The Open Society and Its Enemies," insisted that one should not be tolerant with the intolerant. Nowhere do so many religions coexist peacefully as in a democracy where freedom of expression is a fundamental right. In Saudi Arabia, you can get arrested for wearing a cross or having a Bible in your suitcase, while
Muslims in secular Denmark can have their own mosques, cemeteries, schools, TV and radio stations. I acknowledge that some people have been offended by the publication of the cartoons, and Jyllands-Posten has apologized for that. But we cannot apologize for our right to publish material, even offensive material. You cannot edit a newspaper if you are paralyzed by worries about every possible insult.

I am offended by things in the paper every day: transcripts of speeches by Osama bin Laden, photos from Abu Ghraib, people insisting that Israel should be erased from the face of the Earth, people saying the Holocaust never happened. But that does not mean that I would refrain from printing them as long as they fell within the limits of the law and of the newspaper's ethical code. That other editors would make different choices is the essence of pluralism.As a former correspondent in the Soviet Union, I am sensitive about calls for censorship on the grounds of insult. This is a popular trick of  totalitarian movements: Label any critique or call for debate as an insult and punish the offenders. That is what happened to human rights activists and writers such as Andrei Sakharov, Vladimir Bukovsky, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Natan Sharansky, Boris Pasternak. The regime accused them of anti-Soviet propaganda, just as some Muslims are labeling 12 cartoons in a Danish newspaper anti-Islamic. The lesson from the Cold War is: If you give in to totalitarian impulses once, new demands follow. The West prevailed in the Cold War because we stood by our fundamental values and did not appease totalitarian tyrants. Since the Sept. 30 publication of the cartoons, we have had a constructive debate in Denmark and Europe about freedom of expression, freedom of religion and respect for immigrants and people's beliefs. Never before have so many Danish Muslims participated in a public dialogue -- in town hall meetings, letters to editors, opinion columns and debates on radio and TV. We have had no anti-Muslim riots, no Muslims fleeing the country and no Muslims committing violence. The radical imams who misinformed their counterparts in the Middle East about the situation for Muslims in Denmark have been marginalized. They no longer speak for the Muslim community in Denmark because moderate Muslims have had the courage to speak out against them.

In January, Jyllands-Posten ran three full pages of interviews and photos of moderate Muslims saying no to being represented by the imams. They insist that their faith is compatible with a modern secular democracy. A network of moderate Muslims committed to the constitution has been established, and the anti-immigration People's Party called on its members to differentiate between radical and moderate Muslims, i.e. between Muslims propagating sharia law and Muslims accepting the rule of secular law. The Muslim face of  Denmark has changed, and it is becoming clear that this is not a debate between "them" and "us," but between those committed to democracy in Denmark  and those who are not. This is the sort of debate that Jyllands-Posten had hoped to generate when  it chose to test the limits of self-censorship by calling on cartoonists to challenge a Muslim taboo. Did we achieve our purpose? Yes and no. Some of the spirited defenses of our freedom of expression have been inspiring. But  tragic demonstrations throughout the Middle East and Asia were not what we  anticipated, much less desired. Moreover, the newspaper has received 104  registered threats, 10 people have been arrested, cartoonists have been  forced into hiding because of threats against their lives and  Jyllands-Posten's headquarters have been evacuated several times due to bomb  threats. This is hardly a climate for easing self-censorship. Still, I think the cartoons now have a place in two separate narratives, one  in Europe and one in the Middle East. In the words of the Somali-born Dutch  politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the integration of Muslims into European  societies has been sped up by 300 years due to the cartoons; perhaps we do  not need to fight the battle for the Enlightenment all over again in Europe.  The narrative in the Middle East is more complex, but that has very little  to do with the cartoons.

NEW YORK TIMES 22 Feb.'06: "Furor Over Cartoons Pits Muslim Against Muslim ", By MICHAEL SLACKMAN and HASSAN M. FATTAH

[IMRA: This article has been excerpted to focus on Jordan because of its security significance to Israel and because, outside the Arab world, it is extensively praised as a role model for the region,   The article does not touch on why Islamic terrorists publicise their evil acts with  published photos and videos presented on TV.]

QUOTES FROM TEXT:  'What brings more prejudice against Islam, these charicatures or pictures of a hostage-taker slashing  the throat of his victim in front of the cameras, or a suicide bomber who blows himself up during a wedding ceremony?' ", "regional dynamics underlying the conflict have been evolving for decades, during which leaders have tried to stall the rise of Islamic political appeal by trying to establish  themselves as guardians of the faith", "In Jordan, King Abdullah II, who has been trying to control the most  extremist religious forces in the region, came out with such a powerful condemnation ... that even some of his allies were taken aback." "Many of the King's supporters said he felt the need to respond as  firmly as he did partly because of the rise of  Hamas"

EXCERPTS: AMMAN, Jordan, Feb. 21 - In a direct challenge to the international uproar over cartoons lampooning the Prophet Muhammad, the Jordanian journalist Jihad Momani wrote: "What brings more prejudice against Islam, these caricatures or pictures of a hostage-taker slashing the throat of his victim in front of the cameras, or a suicide bomber who blows himself up during a wedding ceremony?"In Yemen, an editorial by Muhammad al-Assadi condemned the cartoons but also lamented the way many Muslims reacted. "Muslims had an opportunity to educate the world about the merits of the Prophet Muhammad and the peacefulness of the religion he had come with,"  ... .To illustrate their points, both editors published selections of the drawings - and for that  they were arrested and threatened with prison. Mr. Momani and Mr. Assadi are among 11 journalists in five countries facing prosecution for printing some of the cartoons. Their cases illustrate another side of this conflict, the intra-Muslim side, in what has typically been defined as a struggle between Islam and the West...While the cartoons have infuriated Muslims, the regional dynamics underlying the conflict have been evolving for decades, during which leaders have tried to stall the rise of Islamic political appeal by trying to establish themselves as guardians of the faith. In the end, political analysts around the region say that governments have resorted to the very practices that helped the rise of Islamic political forces in the first place. They have placated the more extreme voices while arresting and silencing more moderate ones...In Jordan, King Abdullah II, who has been trying to control the most extreme religious forces in the region, came out with such a powerful condemnation ... that even some of his allies were taken aback. The newspaper printed three cartoons ... including one depicting the prophet in a turban shaped as a bomb with a burning fuse. Many of the king's supporters said he felt the need to respond as firmly as he did partly because of the rise of Hamas ... and to strip the Islamists in Jordan of an issue ..."What Shihan did was a corruption ... which cannot be accepted ...under any circumstances," the Royal Court said in a statement. But now there seems to be a growing concern and in some circles a degree of regret for unleashing a wave of anger that has claimed lives. In Jordan, authorities moved quickly to release the journalists from detention.... Some of the world's most renowned Islamic religious leaders and scholars recently issued a declaration that, though sharply critical of the drawings, sought to rein in the violence and cautioned Muslims against becoming international pariahs. .."We appeal to all Muslims to exercise self-restraint in accordance with the teachings of Islam," the statement said. It added that "violent reactions" can lead to "our isolation from the global dialogue."

Mr. Momani appears in court on Wednesday, while two of the Yemeni journalists were released Tuesday pending their trial. The third begins his trial on Wednesday.... In Jordan, a spokesman said the king felt especially obligated, because his family is a direct descendant of the prophet. In Jordan, Mr. Momani is free from jail, but a prisoner in his home. He has no work, no immediate prospects, a criminal case against him and a lifetime of friends who privately support his message but say they dare not support him publicly. Mr. Momani was not the first to print the cartoons in Jordan. Hisham Khalidi, whose newspaper, Al Mehwar, printed the cartoons a week earlier with a story condemning them, is awaiting trial. But Mr. Momani's timing was particularly bad, just one week after the Hamas victory in Gaza, political analysts said. Jordanian officials expelled Hamas leaders years ago and saw their recent victory as a potential threat to  national stability. From the beginning, Mr. Momani felt the cartoon issue was being manipulated by Islamic groups eager to flex their muscles, and he asked his readers to consider why the protests began so many months after publication. He says he did not expect such a backlash, but that in hindsight, he understands why  the authorities acted as they did. "They wanted to show the Islamic movement that they are the defenders of the  prophet" Mr. Momani said in an interview. "They used me." Mr. Momani expressed exasperation when asked why he printed the cartoons. He  insisted that it was the work of journalists to inform, and that he did so  after speaking to many people who were outraged without ever seeing the cartoons. "I am telling my people, 'Be rational, think before you go into the  streets,' " he said. "Who harms Islam more? This European guy who paints  Muhammad or the real Muslim guy who cuts a hostage's head off and says,  'Allah-u akbar?' Who insults our religion, this guy or the European guy?" Michael Slackman reported from Amman for this article, and Hassan M. Fattah  from Sana, Yemen. Mona el-Naggar contributed reporting from Cairo.

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ISLAMOPHOBIA: Muslim Countries Lead In  "Unfavorable Attitudes" Towards Others


The Muslim countries averaged 52.2%  "Unfavorable Attitudes" towards Christians, while the U.S. andEuropean countries averaged 32.6% "Unfavorable Attitudes" towards Muslims. So, the Muslim countries "Unfavorable Attitudes" towards Christians were 1.6 times as high as the "Unfavorable Attitudes" of the U.S. and European countries towards Muslims. For Jews, the Muslim countries averaged "Unfavorable Attitudes" of 79.6%, while the U.S. and European countries averaged 12.2%. So, Muslim countries "Unfavorable Attitudes" towards Jews averaged 6.35 times as high as the U.S. and European countries.  It should be noted that the  survey question referred to Jews, not to Israel. Western country responses for "Unfavorable Attitudes" towards Muslims were:  U.S. 22%; Britain 14%, France 34%; Germany 47%, Netherlands 51%.   It is striking that the U.S. and  Britain which are under the most severe criticism because of Iraq, are on the low-end of "Unfavorable  Attitudes" towards Muslims. Muslim country responses for "Unfavorable Attitudes" towards Christians  were: Turkey 63%; Pakistan 58%; Jordan 41%; Morocco 61%; Indonesia 38%. Muslim Country responses for "Unfavorable Attitudes" towards Jews were:  Turkey 60%; Pakistan 74%; Jordan 100%; Morocco 88%; Indonesia 76%. For individual Western  country responses the "Unfavorable Attitudes" on  Jews were: U.S. 7%; Britain 6%; France 16%; Germany 21%; Netherlands 11%. In the same survey, Europeans were questioned on foreign workers and residents from the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern European countries.  For the Middle East and  North Africa,41.4% said it was a "Bad Thing"  and 40.8% said it was a "Bad Thing" for persons from  Eastern European countries. The country breakdown was: Foreign Workers and Residents a "Bad Thing"
F r  o  m
Middle East   Eastern
North Africa  Europe
30%               28%  Britain
45 %              47 % France
57%               60 % Germany
26%               22%  Spain
49%               47%  Netherlands

Clearly, there is not a significant difference in attitude towards foreigners from the Middle East and North Africa as compared with those from Eastern Europe. So, there isn't "Islamophobia". DATA source: The Pew Global Attitudes Project  Survey conducted May 2005,  release July 14, 2005.
 

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HAMAS: BULLETS BULLETS- BALLOTS - BULLETS BULLETS Official Election Observers to Validate Hamas Political Power

Hamas participation in the Palestinian legislative election is a debacle for  Israel and for U.S. democratic hopes for this region. The U.S. expectation that Hamas would do poorly and that if Hamas did become part of the government the U.S. would act against the Palestinians ; that spells disaster. What that action would be was not specified. In the worst case, it was assumed Hamas might be installed in a Fatah-led government . Then the U.S. would not work with that high appointee. Would the U.S. wind up working with a non-Hamas technician? (Pragmatism at play.) That picture has changed with the Hamas election victory. . Tragically, NGOs which urged that Hamas was not qualified to run, are validating Hamas by serving as election observers. What an umpire to meticulously scrutinize every move in the game in which a major team is not qualified to play! Of course, these observers will validate the Hamas team by recording their score. Hamas has made it clear its participation in the election and even in government does not mean that it is changing its objectives. The world mistakenly separates Social Hamas from Military Hamas. How will the world cope with Political Hamas? Many observers considered Hamas' decision to add a political string a significant advance. Now Hamas is three entities inseparably joined in a single objective: to destroy Israel. Haaretz reports (25 Jan.'06) Hamas senor leader Ismail Haniya said: "Europeans and Americans are telling Hamas to choose between arms and parliament ... we will go for arms and parliament." Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar said Hamas "will not change a single word of its covenant" which calls for Israel's destruction. He continued: "Hamas will not turn into a political party. Hamas plays in all fields". On the same day in Haaretz political expert Danny Rubinstein, wrote on the election "Analysis: a step forward for Palestinian democracy" concluding that " ... a new parliament and a new government, in which Hamas and the left participate, might  ultimately advance the diplomatic process rather than halt it". On the way to his conclusion Rubinstein says "PA officials and Palestinian media argued... Hamas' presence in the legislature, and perhaps even in the government did not symbolize a retreat from the diplomatic process " .Underestimation of Hamas political strength is widespread. for example in Israel on January 23 2006 saying :"... after this election there will be extremely strong commitment by Abu Mazen (Abbas) ... and the entire Palestinian Authority ... to stamp out the last vestiges of terrorism." Concern about Hamas participation in elections was shown in August 2002 in anticipation of the expected 2003 elections which were postponed.. That report by the International Republican Institute and the International Foundation For Electoral Systems recommended persons engaged in or fostering violence not be permitted to be candidates. On January 13,2003 the National Democratic Institute and the [President] Carter Center issued a joint statement regarding the coming election. One significant part which related to Hamas' participation in the election follows: " The 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council elections face a unique challenge in that they include the participation of ... Hamas, that defends violence (including the killing of civilians) as a means of achieving a political end, refuses to give up arms or to declare a permanent ceasefire and is committed to the destruction of ... Israel ... . Hamas' political participation, while simultaneously advocating violence, undermines a fundamental principle of democratic elections." In its "Open Letter to the Palestinian Electoral Commission" the European Parliament set out its position regarding Hamas participation inn the election. It begins with a reference to the September 12, 2003 Council of European Union decision to include Hamas in the EU list of terrorist organizations. followed by reference to the Quartet's September 22, 2005 statement that "those who want to take part in the political process should refrain from being members of armed groups or from taking part in armed struggle" It then referred to the Quartet's December 28,,2005 statement stressing "a future Palestinian Authority cabinet should include no member who has not committed to ... Israel's right to exist in peace and security and an unequivocal end to violence and terrorism." (All underlined in original text.)

The Open Letter then called on all candidates to sign a document in which they committed themselves to "two states for two peoples recognizing Israel's right to exist"; "renounce violence and refrain from terror" and commit to disarm." It calls on all wishing to participate in the election (especially Hamas) to show willingness to become part of a genuinely democratic political environment by disarming the militias and ensuring their Charter does not include articles calling for the destruction of Israel and anti-Semitic articles". In passing, the Open Letter recalls the warning by Javier Sloan of the adverse impact on EU-PA relations .... "on the participation of Hamas in the elections and the consequences it might have ...", meaning a reduction in financial support. How all this plays in the Arab world is demonstrated by The Jordan Times Jan.24.'06 editorial:" Adapting to reality" Threats against the Palestinian Authority if its government includes Hamas "sends a very dangerous message that democracy is fine so long as parties acceptable to the West are elected". The editorial also refers to EU threats to cut funding if "Hamas becomes a future coalition partner". In a typically faulty parallel the editorial equates Hamas' situation with a hypothetical threat by the US to withhold aid to Israel if Likud was to enter the government, The editorial concludes: "...the West must now choose between standing behind its democratic principles or allow short-sighted populist policies win the day". Clearly, given its disqualifications, allowing Hamas to run was a prime blunder, a case of faulty "intelligence" which will feed instability and undercut US efforts to promote democracy. At the core of the blunder is the concept that democracies don't make war against each other. Solutions are the elixir for peace. On election day President Bush said:" A political party to be viable, is one that professes peace, in my judgment, in order that it will keep the peace."

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THE PROVOCATIVE DANISH CARTOONS

Excerpts : Provocative Danish Muslims. Israel creates Muslim - West tensions.14 February 2006

HAARETZ 14 Feb.'06:"Danish Muslim unrepentant for sparking cartoon riots" by Assaf Uni. QUOTES FROM TEXT: "The young Muslim Dane, whom most Danish citizens blame for the anti-Danish riots ... is not contrite."..."were ... provocative caricatures that had never been published in Denmark - Mohammed with a pig's snout, a dog having intercourse with a praying Muslim and the prophet as a pedophile"... "several imams had gone to Saudi Arabia last month and distributed a
booklet displaying the caricatures and pictures to pilgrims in Mecca."

EXCERPTS:... Copenhagen - The young Muslim Dane, whom most Danish citizens blame for the anti-Danish riots ...  is not contrite. Ahmed Akari said he would have done the exact same thing again...., the spokesman for the Islamic organizations in Denmark vindicated his campaign in the Middle East to persuade leaders and imams that the Muslims in his home country are under attack. Some 180,000 Muslim immigrants live in the Scandinavian nation, whose population is 5.4 million. Most of them arrived in the 1980s, when the social-democratic government loosened immigration laws due to a labor shortage. They arrived from the West Bank and Gaza, Iraq, Iran and Somalia to a homogenous, liberal, secular Danish society. The boundaries between the two societies are preserved ... . Most of the Muslims in Copenhagen live in this neighborhood, and only immigrants work in its vegetable stores, kiosks and restaurants. Akari's mosque is ...here. It is run by Imam Abu Laban, who was born in Jaffa and emigrated to Denmark 20 years ago. Abu Laban and Akari are at the center of a public uproar. The Danes - both Muslims and Christians - accuse them of sending delegations to the entire Arab world with caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed. Among them were ... provocative caricatures that had never been published in Denmark - Mohammed with a pig's snout, a dog having intercourse with a praying Muslim and the prophet as a pedophile. One delegation, headed by Akari, presented these pictures to the leaders of the Muslim Conference in Cairo in December. In response the conference denounced Denmark for their publication. The Danish media also discovered that several imams had gone to Saudi Arabia last month and distributed a booklet displaying the caricatures and pictures to pilgrims in Mecca. Gulf television networks Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya dealt with the issue constantly. The prominent Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi called for a "Muslim day of rage" against Denmark and for the boycotting of its exports. Text messages spread throughout Saudi Arabia urging people to avoid purchasing Danish products. The monarchy also recalled its ambassador ...Then European newspapers published the caricatures, triggering off the riots in the Muslim world. "I see no connection between our activity and the riots," Akari told Haaretz yesterday, "Therefore I see no need to apologize. We only tried to demonstrate that a Danish newspaper offended Muslims by deciding to publish caricatures of Mohammed." Akari was born in Lebanon and emigrated to Denmark in the 1990s. He says Muslims are still waiting for the newspaper's apology. "They spat on us, and now it's only polite that they apologize," he said. However, the Muslim community is at odds over the efforts of the two to make the newspaper apologize.  "They planned the outburst of Muslim rage on Denmark," Nasser Khader, a Muslim parliament member for the social-democrat opposition told Haaretz yesterday. "But in fact they don't represent a single Muslim here." Khader said the two are "ignoramuses" and "alien to all that Denmark represents. Most Danish Muslims are peace lovers and don't want to see the Danish flag burned  ... " The feeling on the street is that the two have gone too far. "They don't represent me," said Gawad, a vendor at a vegetable shop ... .. "They have only damaged the relations between the Danes and the Muslims." He said he does not need anyone to represent him as a Muslim. "I'm a Dane, " he said, "and I'll vote for the party that helps me as a Dane, not as a Muslim." Another vendor objected to the two for different reasons: "They're Sunni, I'm Shi'ite. Like all Sunnis they're too radical and do not represent me." In an effort to prevent a rift, Khader has set up a new umbrella organization called "the Democratic Muslims," which denounces the violent protests and calls for open discourse. Yesterday Khader met Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen  ...  to advance the dialogue ... . "Within one week we've become one of the largest Muslim organizations in Denmark," said Khader, "and I believe it represents the public's stand against the extremists and for dialogue." Akari said he and Abu Laban are not extremists. "People expect us to act like Al-Qaida, but we're not. I condemn any kind of violence and always have." Abu Laban also tried to downplay his role in the riots' outbreak. "People attribute far greater importance to me than I really have ...  condemn every kind of violence." Last week he told Danish television that he denounced the boycott of Danish products and called for its cancelation. One hour later, however, in an interview with Al-Arabiya, he said he was "pleased" with the boycott... Danish media has not ceased to delve into Akari and Abu Laban's past.  Apparently, the Imam was deported from Egypt due to his membership in the Muslim Brotherhood. Other reports said Abu Laban sheltered Al-Qaida members in his house, including the organization's No. 2, when they were driven out of Egypt in the 1980s. What appears to frighten Danes the most is the "enemy within." A recent poll shows that 80 percent of Danes believe a terror attack will take place in Denmark following the caricature storm. HAARETZ 14 Feb, '06:"PLO: Israel behind Muslim-West tensions "by Shmeul Rosner. [IMRA: Latest update of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion in which Jews control everything.]


QUOTE FROM TEXT:  " ' the pro-Israel Likud wing around the world wants to put [us] on a collision course [with] the Western, mainly Christian world.' "

EXCERPTS: WASHINGTON - Afif Safieh, PLO representative in Washington said on Sunday that the "pro-Israeli Likud wing around the world" is working to inflame the relationship between Western and Arab-Muslim societies. Safieh said this on CNN's Late Edition  ...as part of his response to the subject of Muslim riots and the Danish caricatures.... "I personally believe, knowing both societies, the Eastern one and the Western one, that the pro-Israeli Likud wing around the world wants to put [us] on a collision course [with] the Western, mainly Christian world."