THE
ARAB/PALESTINIAN/ISLAMIC POINT OF VIEW. What they say, write,
publish and argue about.
___________________________________________________________________
TV Program on the Culture of Martyrdom and Suicide Bombers on Al-Arabiya,
August 25, 2005. The following are excerpts from a show about the
culture of martyrdom, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV. Reporter:
"The martyrdom-seeking campaign by Hamas and Islamic Jihad may have
come as a response to the Hebron massacre, but the ideological basis
of this campaign is deeply rooted in Hamas' declaration of Jihad
against Israel. "These films were not intended to be broadcast.
Hamas made them for internal use, and they provide a rare
perspective on the movement's efforts to teach its principles to new
recruits." Children singing: "Rejoice, oh Bitah, cheer in
merriment, oh Nujud, our occupied homeland will be restored through
Jihad." Crowd: "Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar."
Male voice on loudspeaker: "What is your goal?" Crowd:
"Allah." Male voice on loudspeaker: "What is your
constitution?" Crowd: "The Koran." Male voice on
loudspeaker: "Who is your leader?" Crowd: "The Prophet
Muhammad." Male voice on loudspeaker: "What is your path?"
Crowd: "Jihad." Male voice on loudspeaker: "What is your
greatest desire?" Crowd: "Death for the sake of Allah."
Reporter: "If Jihad is the goal, the self-sacrifice operations
against the Israelis were the weapon chosen in the mid-nineties. In
a series of operations, Hamas and Islamic Jihad hit the major
Israeli cities and caused the deaths of dozens. This was part of the
strategy."
Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi: "These operations do not target
civilians. The Israeli society is a military society. It is well
known that they have militarized their society. All Israeli society,
its men and its women..."
Reporter: "Hamas' strategy of targeting Israelis has gained
the support of must Muslim clerics, to the point that Sheik Al-Qaradhawi
appeared on Al-Jazeera TV and issued a fatwa permitting the killing
of Israelis in these operations."
Sheik Al-Qaradhawi: "...as I said, when a brother blows
himself up today... The brother who blows himself up at the bus
station, where all the soldiers who come back are gathering... He
does not intend to kill a child or anything, but rather tries to
kill people who are soldiers - either soldiers on active duty or
soldiers on reserve duty."
Reporter: "Indeed, prominent scholars have described suicide
operations for the sake of the homeland as martyrdom operations."
Sheik Muhammad Hussein Fadhlallah: "The martyrdom operations
are a part of the war movement, since the issue of war differs from
the issue of suicide. Suicide is the killing of oneself for personal
reasons. On the other hand, the martyrdom operation means that a
person dies for a greater cause."
Reporter: "The culture of Hizbullah is the culture of
martyrdom, with which it nurtures the minds of others. Every year,
Hizbullah celebrates Martyr's Day. On Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV we see
actors playing the role of scared Israelis and Americans who are
banished from the Middle East."
Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah: "These
martyrdom operations are the shortest way to Allah. They are the
must exalted and magnificent way of martyrdom in our generation. The
martyrdom operation is the weapon Allah gave this nation, and no one
can take it from us. They can take away our cannons, our tanks, and
our planes, but they cannot take away our spirit, which yearns for
Allah and which is determined to achieve martyrdom."
Reporter: "Salah Ghandour a soldier in Hizbullah's martyrdom
army..."
Maha Ghandour, Salah Ghandour's widow: "I met Salah in 1990
and we got engaged seven months later. We were married in 1991,
early 1991. Even in his final days he stayed at home with us and
told me: 'Say goodbye to me. I am bidding this world farewell.' From
when I just married him, I expected his martyrdom at any minute.
When we had three children I told him that he was taking his time. I
didn't expect to live with him for five years."
Interviewer: "Was it important to you that he worked for the
resistance?"
Maha Ghandour: "Of course. Of course. If we had not defended
our land, who would have liberated it? Unless women sacrificed their
husbands and brothers, this land would never have been liberated.
Praise Allah, our homeland was liberated by the blood of the martyrs
and the efforts of the mujahideen, some of which are fighting the
Jihad to this day."
Reporter: "Hizbullah filmed Salah's operation and final
message, and the entire program was aired on Al-Manar TV, which
belongs to Hizbullah."
Salah Ghandour's son: "This is the operation that daddy
carried out. This is the convoy that came from here, from Palestine.
This is his operation..."
Salah Ghandour's daughter: "This is the place of the
operation in which he was gone."
Salah Ghandour's son: "This is the car daddy blew up."
Maha Ghandour: "Of course I miss him and remember his words.
Sometimes it saddens me, but I love to watch him." Sources: Al-Manar
TV, IMRA, MEMRI, International Herald Daily News., Al-Arabiya
English Speaking Al-Qaeda Terrorist: Oh People of the West.... It
IsTime for Us to Be Equals – As You Kill Us, You Will be Killed.
The following are
excerpts from an Al-Qaeda tape featuring a Western Al-Qaeda
terrorist, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on August 9,
2005. Al-Arabiya claims he is Irish.
Terrorist: Oh
people of the West, don't be fooled by the lies of Blair and Bush
that you are free nations, for the only freedom that you have is the
freedom to be slaves of your whims and desires. Your children are
free to be deprived of their childhood and their innocence. Your
women are free to be used as tools of business and entertainment,
and all of you as a whole are the slaves of con men and women who
rule you. They are your real enemies. If you only knew – they are
the ones who drag your countries to the pit of America's group of
scavengers, who seek to ravage the entire globe for the interests of
a handful of gangsters and corporate companies. Democracy, human
rights, and freedom are all but hollow illusions, with which they
tranquilize inhabitants of the human farms which they control. The
Muslim world is not your backyard. The Muslim world is not Germany,
Japan, or South America. The honorable sons and daughters of Islam
will not sit down, watching you spread your evil and immorality and
infidelity to our land. The honorable sons of Islam will not just
let you kill our families in Palestine, Afghanistan, Kashmir, the
Balkans, Indonesia, the Caucuses, and elsewhere. It is time for us
to be equals – as you kill us, you will be killed, as you bomb us,
you will be bombed. Source: Memri.
Egyptian Professor Abd Al-Sabour Shahin: Muslims Had Nothing to Do
with 9/11 Attack on the Empire State Building
The following are
excerpts from an interview with Egyptian professor Abd Al-Sabour
Shahin, which aired on Saudi Channel 1 on August 8, 2005.
Shahin: I believe
a dirty Zionist hand carried out this act. Zionism has taken the
opportunity to escalate the war in Palestine, killing hundreds of
thousands so far, while we watch from the sidelines in astonishment
and ask: What's going on ?
Our enemies weave
many lies about us, which we are not necessarily aware of. For
example: One day, we awoke to the crime of 9/11, which hit the
tallest buildings in New York, the Empire State Building (sic).
There is no doubt that not a single Arab or Muslim had anything to
do with these events. The incident was fabricated as a pretext to
attack Islam and Muslims. The plan was to take over the world's
energy sources, and to achieve this control by force and not by
agreement or negotiations, by interests, free trade, or anything
like that. This is what they wanted. So this incident was fabricated
- and Allah knows that the Arabs and Muslims are innocent of it - in
order to serve as a pretext to attack Islam and the Muslims. All of
a sudden, after we were used to consider America to be a rational
and balanced country... All of a sudden, it violates international
conventions, cancels treaties, ignores the U.N., acts on its own
accord, attacks nations, kills innocent people, and claims it has
the right to do so - and all this is based on lies. These were lies
from beginning to end, and we were not used to lying - not in
policy, not in our discourse, and not in the media. Imagine what
crisis the Arab and Islam nation finds itself in, in the midst of
these peculiar events, which we cannot explain or believe. All of a
sudden, we were framed for an international crime, on the basis of
lies. Source: Memri.
Hamas Radio:
Jaffa is the same as Gaza, Tel Aviv the same as Rafah.
An Interview with
Hamas Leader Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahar
"We do not and
will not recognize a state called Israel. "..."Israel
has no right to any inch of Palestinian land. This is an important
issue. Our position stems from our religious convictions. This is a
holy land. It is not the property of the Palestinians or the Arabs.
This land is the property of all Muslims in all parts of the world.
We regard the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, and the West Bank as a
geographical unit, as mentioned by resolutions 242 and 338, which
have not been implemented. We are currently talking about this
area.".
The following are excerpts from an interview with Hamas leader
Mahmoud Al-Zahar that appeared in Asharq Al-Awsat on August 18,
2005.
The following are the excepts from the interview(1): What Next in
Gaza
Q: "Will Hamas continue the resistance after the disengagement plan
is implemented?"
A: "Our plan is not to liberate the Gaza Strip, nor is it to
liberate the West Bank or to liberate Jerusalem. Our plan in the
first stage is to liberate the lands occupied in 1967. Those who
view it as a strategic solution and those who view it as an interim
solution have agreed upon this plan. Therefore, we will not take
over the Gaza Strip and live there peacefully while the Zionist
enemy is detaining thousands of our sons and occupying the West
Bank. The resistance must move to the West Bank to expel the
occupation."
Q: "Will the calming down [Tahdiah] end with the completion of the
Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip?"
A: "The tahdiah is scheduled to finish at the end of 2005. It was
contingent on the release of the prisoners and stopping the attacks.
Israel has not abided by these conditions. Our goal was not to hit
Israel for the sake of hitting Israel , but to attack the
occupation. I stress that the resistance was what drove the
occupation out of the Gaza Strip."
Q: "Will Hamas resume its operations in Israeli towns after the
withdrawal?"
A: "Firstly, there are no Israeli towns. These are settlements. If
the aggression and occupation continue, the Palestinian people will
have no alternative but to defend themselves. The Palestinian people
are not killing the occupiers or being killed out of fun or madness.
The life spent by our generation in killing, imprisonment, and exile
is not the life that we want for our sons. We want them to live in
security and peace and to live in a homeland in which they are able
to move and not to live as slaves of the Israeli enemy."
Q: "In other words, the resistance of Hamas in the future will be
in response to Israeli actions."
A: "No, our position depends on two things: the withdrawal from the
Palestinian territories and the extent of the aggression against the
Palestinian people." Our Position Stems from Our Religious
Convictions
Q: "You talk about attacks on the Palestinian territories as if you
recognize the existence of Israel."
A: "I strongly disagree with your statement. We do not and will not
recognize a state called Israel. Israel has no right to any inch of
Palestinian land. This is an important issue. Our position stems
from our religious convictions. This is a holy land. It is not the
property of the Palestinians or the Arabs. This land is the property
of all Muslims in all parts of the world. We regard the Gaza Strip,
Jerusalem, and the West Bank as a geographical unit, as mentioned by
resolutions 242 and 338, which have not been implemented. We are
currently talking about this area."
PA-Hamas Reactions
Q: "Let us talk about the relationship between Hamas and the
Palestinian authority. Has there been friction recently?"
A: "When Mahmoud Abbas (Abu-Mazen) was elected, we started talks.
Some people in Fatah and the Palestinian authority told Abu-Mazen
that he was giving Hamas more than it deserved at the expense of
Fatah, and that his policy was leading to the destruction of Fatah,
as proven by the success of Hamas in the first and second rounds of
the municipal elections. They claimed that we fixed the elections.
This was a joke, because no opposition has been able to rig
elections. "Some officials of the Palestinian Authority told Abu-Mazen
that they could resolve the situation with Hamas militarily. The
Interior Ministry, under Nasr Yusuf, issued leaflets saying that
anyone firing rockets at the Zionist enemy will be shot. This was an
attempt to repeat what happened in 1996 to protect the Israeli
borders, arrest those who fire rockets, and confiscate the weapons.
Nasr Yusuf was engaged in a confrontation around the Jabalya refugee
camp area and deployed armoured vehicles, which the Palestinian
people had not seen before. However, he quickly realized that he
could not resolve the situation militarily. Now, they are seeking
dialogue, and we welcome that."
Q: "In his recent speech in the Palestinian Legislative Council,
Abu Mazen was unyielding."
A: "We responded to the speech. He said that only one authority
should exist, and we want one authority. However, regrettably, the
only authority that exists is the authority of Israel. Neither Abu-Mazen
nor Nasr Yusuf can move from here to there without the permission of
the Israeli army. We want a single Palestinian authority, but a
strong authority can only exist through elections. Do we have
security services and ministries to form an alternative authority?
We want a single authority, but we do not want it to be corrupt. "We
want an elected authority that represents all the Palestinian people
and not an authority that disputes with the people about their
livelihood. They are excluding the members of Hamas from jobs in the
educational, health, and other fields. In such conditions, we cannot
talk about an authority, but about authoritarian rule. If the
Palestinian people have rejected Israel's oppression, do you think
that they will accept Palestinian oppression? "There is confusion
between the resistance and the chaos caused by the struggle in the
Fatah movement. The only legitimate weapon is the weapon of
resistance which does not kill innocent people and it not used to
resolve factional or family disputes. This weapon forced the
occupation to withdraw. We will keep our weapons, because no one can
guarantee that the occupation will not return. We hear the threats
of the occupation throughout the day and at night. Which do you
consider is the legitimate weapon? Is it the weapon that disappeared
during the confrontation period, and is used in celebrations, or is
it the weapon used to maintain steadfastness and defend the people?
Is it the weapon that has driven the enemy out or the weapon that is
defending the enemy?" Hamas Will Assume Power Only Though Elections
Q: "Is Hamas interested in seizing power?"
A: "I do not accept the word 'seize' On the issue of education, we
want to teach the people our history, and we insist that the people
must learn the Quran. Even if the Quran attacks the Jews in some of
its verses, the people must read it. We cannot agree to the
manipulation of the Quran and the religion. We are against any
economic cooperation with Israel . We want a local Palestinian
economy so that others do not influence it. We want investment, but
without kickbacks, bribes, and commissions. If we can make the
interest rate zero in this economy, based on Arab, Islamic, and
international investment, then this would be an achievement. We want
to spread the culture of resistance. We want tourism, but tourism of
a people that have dignity. We will change the names of the
settlements to represent the martyrs who died attacking them. We
will tell the tourists that the honest rifle was able to achieve
victory."
Q: "Does Hamas have a plan to assume power?"
A: "Only through elections."
Q: "Hamas did not participate in the first legislative elections
because it regarded them as the product of the Oslo Agreement. What
changes have taken place to prompt Hamas to change its position?"
A: "The Legislative Council used to be called the Palestinian
Council. It was not legislative. It consisted of 88 members. We were
talking then about a transitional period. Now we are talking about a
liberation period and 132 representatives. I guess the current set
up is the product of the Oslo Accords and the situation we find
ourselves in the product of the British Mandate and the ongoing
Israeli occupation. We will participate in the elections based on a
program to end the Oslo Accords."
Q: "Will Hamas participate in the presidential elections?"
A: "What is the problem in that? We represent an alternative to the
Authority. We want to serve the people, and the people want servants
and not masters. We are part of a larger movement called the
international Islamic movement."
Israel Fears that Gaza Would Become Hamas Land; Let Israel Die
Q: "Israelis fear that Gaza could become the land of Hamas after
the withdrawal."
A: "Let Israel die."
Q: "Is this an encouragement for the Palestinian Authority to clamp
down on Hamas with an iron fist?"
A: "No one can crackdown on us with either an iron fist or a golden
fist."
Q: "Have you prepared to enter the settlements?"
A: "We will enter the settlements and sully the dignity of Israel
with our feet. We will stand on the ruins of the Israeli settlements
and tell our
people we have prevailed. This is nonnegotiable. We will secure the
Gaza Strip and prevent anyone from occupying it again. In past
experiences, government land was stolen. "The land of the evacuated
settlements should serve as the lungs for the economy to breath.
Schools, playgrounds, agriculture, and industry should be
established on this land. This is our position, which we expressed
in the meeting of the national committee formed to oversee the
withdrawal. The government to be formed after the elections will
determine the future of this land. "
Q: "In other words, there is an agreement between the Palestinian
Authority and Hamas about the future of the settlements' land."
A: "Yes. The Palestinian Authority has the right to manage the land
after consulting with the committee which consists of
representatives of the national and Islamic factions. "
Q: "Is there a plan for Hamas leaders abroad to return to Gaza?"
A: "We will never give up our right of return. All of Palestine is
our land. When any part of it is liberated, any Palestinian and
Muslim will have the right to come. This does not mean that this is
consistent with the current Isralei withdrawal form Gaza."
Q: "Therefore, will the leaders of Hamas abroad return to
Palestine?"
A: "This is up to them. However, the Hamas movement has
international dimensions and relations that it must maintain.
Therefore, those who maintain these relations must stay abroad. "
"We Do Not Consider the West as an Enemy but we Believe Christian
Zionism is Criminal"
Q: "What is the relationship. between Hamas and Europe?"
A: "All the Europeans that we have met admit that the European
position is hypocritical and subservient to U.S. pressure. They look
forward to freeing themselves from such pressures. If you want
democracy to express the will of the Palestinian people, wait for
the results of the elections. If you regard the Palestinian
liberation movement, of which Hamas is part, as a terrorist
movement, you must look at history. Was De Gaulle a terrorist? Were
those who worked to liberate their countries from occupation
terrorists? We do not consider the West as an enemy but we believe
Christian Zionism is criminal." Source: Memri.
Endnote:
(1) http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=3&id=1294
AUGUST 2005
 
Photos from L to R: #1. The
bodies of Palestinians killed during the Israel army raids in Gaza
lie in a morgue in the town of Rafah, May 20, 2004. Defying
international fury and a rare U.S. rebuke, Israel expanded its
bloodiest Gaza Strip raid in years on Thursday after killing 39
Palestinians in three days of fighting in the Rafah refugee camp. (Goran
Tomasevic/Reuters) . #2. Three Israeli bulldozers move towards the
Palestinian refugee camp of Rafah, during an ongoing military
operation, May 20, 2004. Israel defied international fury at the
killing of nearly 40 Palestinians in the Rafah camp, a militant
stronghold, to expand its bloodiest Gaza Strip raid in years on
Thursday. (Gil Cohen Magen/Reuters).
Photos from L to R:
#1. A Palestinian passes homes
destroyed during an Israeli army raid at the Rafah refugee camp in
the southern Gaza Strip , May 20, 2004. Defying international fury
and a rare U.S. rebuke, Israel expanded its bloodiest Gaza Strip
raid in years on Thursday after killing 39 Palestinians in three
days of fighting in the Rafah refugee camp. (Suhaib Salem/Reuters) .
#2. Palestinians gather around the bodies of six of eight
Palestinians killed in an Israeli missile strike at a mosque prior
to prayer during their funeral in the Rafah refugee camp, southern
Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 20, 2004. Dozens of Palestinians have been
killed or wounded in the last 2 days. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)
 
Photos from L to R: #1.
Palestinian sisters of Ragab Barhum mourn during his funeral in the
southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah on the third day of a massive
Israeli military operation in the area near Gaza's border with
Egypt.(AFP/Mahmud Hams). #2. Israeli soldiers set down into a
grave, the coffin of Israeli army soldier Sergeant Alexei Hayat,
during his funeral at the Mt. Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem,
Thursday, May 20, 2004. Hayat was one of 11 Israeli soldiers killed
in two separate bomb attacks by Palestinian militants on armored
vehicles in Gaza last week. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty).
Photos from L to R: #1. sraeli
left wing Peace Now activists holds signs during a a demonstration
against Israel's ongoing operation in the Rafah refugee camp in the
Gaza Strip he Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday May 20,
2004. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit). #2. Israeli police officers detain a
left-wing activist during a demonstration against Israel's ongoing
operation in the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, across from
the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday May 20, 2004. (AP
Photo/Ariel Schalit)
 
Photos from L to R: #1. Israeli
left wing Peace Now activists holds signs during a a demonstration
against Israel's ongoing operation in the Rafah refugee camp in the
Gaza Strip, across from the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel,
Thursday May 20, 2004. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit). #2. Israeli police
officers detain a left-wing activist during a demonstration against
Israel's ongoing operation in the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza
Strip, across from the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel,
Thursday May 20, 2004. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit). MORE PHOTOS
NEXT
Palestinians:
"Gaza withdrawal is victory for Islam". Major and Dangerous
Campaigns Of hate Against the Jews!!
By Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook
 Dr.
Ahmad Abu Halabiya, Sharia [Islamic Law] Rulings Council and
Rector of Advanced Studies, Islamic University: "We the Palestinian
nation, our fate from Allah is to be the vanguard of the war against
the Jews until resurrection as the prophet Muhammad said:
'Resurrection will not arrive until you will fight the Jews and kill
them.'
Photo:
The Palestinian Authority is inciting the current wave
of violence through its official media. Jews and Americans are the
prime targets. Billboard on the Palestinian Television Network.
Dr. Hassan
Khater: "Muhammad said in his Hadith: 'The Hour [of
Resurrection] will not arrive until you fight the Jews and the rock
and the tree will say: O Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew
behind me, come and kill him!'
"The
Prophet said: the Resurrection will not take place until the
Muslims fight the Jews, and the Muslims kill them. The Muslims will
kill the Jews, rejoice [in it], rejoice in Allah's victory. The
Muslims will kill the Jews, and he will hide... "The Prophet said:
the Jews will hide behind the rock and tree, and the rock and tree
will say: oh servant of Allah, oh Muslim this is a Jew behind me,
come and kill him!" [PA TV, September 10, 2004 - view this clip
here].
Israel's leaving the Gaza Strip is being presented by the
Palestinian Authority and the Hamas as a victory for Islam.
Palestinian Authority religious leaders and Hamas have for years
been presenting their conflict with Israel as part of an unbroken
religious war, which Allah is waging against Jews - a conflict
whose climax will be the extermination of the world's Jews.
(Palestinian Media Watch has reported on this ideology. See
documentation below.) Within this context, Israel's leaving its
towns in Gaza now, is being presented as a victory of Islam in this
war. Palestinian Authority Television hosts and participants alike
are calling the Israeli moves from its towns as a 'great victory for
Allah'. The Hamas website publicized numerous posters that declare
the same religious victory theme. The Hamas poster below, showing a
face of Hamas founder Ahmad Yassin laughing, superimposed over a
somber religious Jew, presents the Sharon evacuation plan as a
victory of the Koran over the Talmud. The words on the poster: "Our
Koran proves that we were right and your Talmud proves that you were
wrong..." Another Hamas poster shows a rifle and the Koran with the
words: "With those two together the victory has been achieved." One
example from the Palestinian Authority's official daily: "...The
manager of the office of the Ministry of the Waqf in northern Gaza,
Farid Al-Nayard, said, '...last Friday's sermon was under the title
'On that day the Believers will be glad with the victory of
Allah.''" [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 13, 2005]. In June 2004
Palestinian Authority religious leader Ibrahim Mudayris already
preached the religious significance he saw in Sharon's plan,
connecting it to an event described in the Koran, specifically
focusing on Israel's plan to destroy the towns before leaving. The
Koranic event and the present expulsion, according to this senior
PA imam, have numerous parallels: 1. Attacks by Muslims against
Jews 2. Jews become fearful 3. Jews destroy their own homes 4. Jews
flee their towns. Mudayris' sermon of June 4, 2004. "If you [today]
trust in Allah, like Muhammad's companions, by Allah, it will not
be impossible for Allah to expel the Jews. "[Allah] fought against
them [as is written in the Koran] through their weak hearts because
they are cowards. When they saw someone killed, terror entered
their hearts and they started destroying their own homes. "And now
the media reports that they will leave the settlements. Indeed,
they will leave Gaza. They will leave submissive, by Allah's will.
They will leave defeated, like it or not, in the face of this great
victory." [Ibrahim Mudayris, PA TV, June 4, 2004]. The following is
the text Mudayris was referring to in the Koran: "He [Allah] is the
one who has caused those of the People of the Book [i.e. Jews] who
disbelieved to leave their homes unto the first expulsion. You did
not think that they would leave, whereas they [the Jews] were
certain that their fortresses would defend them against Allah. But
Allah reached them from a place where they did not expect, and cast
terror in their hearts so that they destroyed their homes with
their own hands and the hands of the believers...!" [Surat Al-Hashar].
Previously reported examples of numerous Palestinian Authority
religious and academic leaders presenting the war against Israel as
a religious war that will end with the extermination of the Jews.
1. Muhammad Abd Al Hadi La'afi, responsible for Religious Teaching
and Instruction in the Office of the Wakf: "The battle with the
Jews will surely come... "The Prophet spoke about in more than one
Hadith and the Resurrection will not come without the victory of
the believers [the Muslims] over the descendants of the monkeys and
pigs and with their annihilation." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 18,
2001]. 2. Ibrahim Mudayris, Head of the Association for Memorizing
the Koran. "The Prophet said: the Resurrection will not take place
until the Muslims fight the Jews, and the Muslims kill them. The
Muslims will kill the Jews, rejoice [in it], rejoice in Allah's
victory. The Muslims will kill the Jews, and he will hide... "The
Prophet said: the Jews will hide behind the rock and tree, and the
rock and tree will say: oh servant of Allah, oh Muslim this is a
Jew behind me, come and kill him!" [PA TV, September 10, 2004 -
view this clip here]. "The Jews will not live under our rule
agreeably permanently, since they have been treacherous in nature
throughout history. A day will come when all shall rest from the
Jews.. "Listen to your Beloved [Muhammad], who tells you about the
most dire end awaiting the Jews. The tree and the stone want the
Muslim to bring every Jew to his end. You all know the Hadith." [PA
TV, May 13, 2005 - view this clip here]. 3. Muhammad Ibrahim Madi.
"All the weapons must be aimed at the Jews, Allah's enemies, the
cursed nation in the Koran, whom Allah describes as monkeys and
pigs, worshippers of the calf and idol worshippers. "Nothing will
deter them except the color of blood in their filthy nation .
unless we blow ourselves up, willingly and as our duty, in their
midst. "We will fight against them and rule over them until the Jew
will hide behind the tree and rock and the tree and rock will say:
'Muslim! Servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, kill him." [PA
TV, August 3, 2001]. 4. Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya, Sharia [Islamic Law]
Rulings Council and Rector of Advanced Studies, Islamic University
"We the Palestinian nation, our fate from Allah is to be the
vanguard of the war against the Jews until resurrection as the
prophet Muhammad said: 'Resurrection will not arrive until you will
fight the Jews and kill them.' We the Palestinians are the vanguard
in this issue and in this campaign whether or not we want this."
[PA TV, July 28, 2000]. 5 . Dr. Hassan Khater. "Muhammad said in his
Hadith: 'The Hour [of Resurrection] will not arrive until you fight
the Jews and the rock and the tree will say: O Muslim, servant of
Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him!' "...Allah meant
our land and our people and meant our trees and our stones." [PA TV,
December 27, 2004].
Preaching Anti-Jewish Hatred:
Transcript from Friday,
October 13, 2000, sermon at the Zayed bin Sultan Aal Nahyan mosque
in Gaza.
The speaker is Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya, Member of the PA appointed
"Fatwa Council" and former acting Rector of the Islamic University
in Gaza.
Photos:
Broadcast of the message of hate on Palestinian Television.
Ahmad Abu Halabiya: "Have no mercy on the Jews, no matter where they
are.."
"Don’t ever relinquish your rights. Whatever agreements may be
signed, even if agreements are signed on Gaza and the West Bank, we
shall not forget Haifa, Acre, the Galilee and Jaffa, the Triangle
and the Negev and the rest of our cities and villages! It is only a
matter of time! The weak will not remain forever weak. And the
strong will not remain forever strong. With the help of blessed
Allah, that’s the way the Jews are! Have no mercy on the Jews, no
matter where they are, fight them, wherever you are. Wherever you
meet them, kill them. Wherever you are, kill the Jews, the
Americans, who are like them, and those who stand by them. They are
all in one trench against the Arabs and the Moslems. ... It is
forbidden to befriend Israelis or to aid them. Don’t love them or
enter into agreement with them, don’t help them or sign accords with
them. Anyone who does this is one of them. This is the word of
Allah, blessed be He. They, they are the terrorists. They should be
slaughtered. They should be murdered. Such is the word of Allah."
Hamas Radio:
Jaffa is the same as Gaza, Tel Aviv the same as Rafah.
The following is a
translation of a hate mongering and terrorism inciting anti-Israeli
song broadcast on Sawt Al-Aqsa, , the Hamas radio station on August
16, 2005: "Al-Qassam warriors, Al-Qassam warriors, Rain rockets on
the settlers! Prepare the [missile] launchers and aim them at the
settlements, Glorify the name of Allah, the lord of the world! Hero,
improve the Qassam rockets, Don't let any Jew sleep! Oh, Qassam, we
want you to make land mines, Prepare ambushes for the settlers! The
fearless fighters descended upon the settlements May Allah preserve
them, the symbol of our honor. They carried the bombs, girded
themselves with explosive belts And sang songs of leave-taking [as
they made their way] to the highest heavens. Oh, Hamas, your army
swears that Millions of shaheeds are marching to Al-Aqsa! We, oh
Qassam, swear allegiance to death! Strap on the belts and load them
with TNT! Oh, shaheed's mother, be happy for the shaheed! Your son
is in paradise, happy and blissful! (Announcer: Listen, Sharon , to
the Hamas announcement: Leave Haifa, Jerusalem and Imwas [ancient
Emmaeus, an abandoned Palestine village in the Ayalon Vally on the
road to Jerusalem ] We will be victorious, oh, Bush, We will be
victorious, oh, Sharon 2, And you will see that tomorrow If Allah so
wills it. The Al-Aqsa Brigades will make you tremble in Haifa and
Tel Aviv They will strike you in Safed and Acre , Because we, our
dear ones, Do not distinguish between [ Jewish] Palestine and [Arab]
Palestine3, For [as] Jaffa is the same as Gaza , Tel-al-Zuhour 4is
the same as Rafah, And the Galilee is the same as Hebron . We make
no distinction between the parts of the earth of the homeland.
[i.e. the whole of Palestine is ours].
2 A quote from 'Abd
al-'Aziz al-Rantisi, who headed Hamas until he died in a
targeted killing on April 17, 2004.
3 Another 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Rantisi quote.
4 One of the Arabic names for Tel Aviv usually used by radical
Islamic
Palestinian terrorists groups, mainly Hamas.
'Israel will
eventually disappear'
Senior Hamas leader tells Italian newspaper pullout plan a temporary
solution; says Palestine will become a Muslim state. Hamas will not
compromise on one inch of Greater Palestine, Hamas leader Mahmoud
al-Zahar told an Italian newspaper earlier this week. Speaking to
the Corriere Della Sera newspaper, al-Zahar said Hamas would
"definitely not" be prepared for coexistence with Israel should the
IDF retreat to its 1967 borders. "It can be a temporary solution,
for a maximum of 5 to 10 years. But in the end Palestine must return
to become Muslim, and in the long term Israel will disappear from
the face of the earth."
Go to hell: Asked about Hamas's intentions to carry out
terror attacks in coordination with the disengagement plan, al-Zahar
said Hamas has already promised not to initiate violence, and that
the group's actions would be in response to Israeli actions. "We
won't disrupt the Israeli withdrawal, let them get out of here and
go to hell," he said. "The problem will be afterwards, because in
the hearts of every Palestinian, the liberation of Gaza must be
accompanied by the liberation of Jerusalem and the West Bank."
 Hamas
has again demonstrated that it is mounting a major challenge.
Photo: Hamas is challenging Fatah's
traditional political monopoly.
Initial results
suggest that the traditional Palestinian party of power - Yasser
Arafat's Fatah faction - has emerged on top in an important round of
local elections in the West Bank and Gaza.
But the militant
movement, Hamas has again demonstrated that it is mounting a major
challenge. Both say they did better than the early results suggest,
and there are serious disputes over the outcome in two key Gaza
constituencies. But election officials say the initial indications
are that Fatah won around 55% of the vote, to Hamas' 35%. According
to the officials, Fatah won just over 52 of the municipalities being
fought for. Hamas took around 30. And these results matter. They
shed light on a process of significant change that is sweeping
through the Palestinian political system. Electoral test: The
Fatah faction that Mr Arafat founded and led dominated the political
scene for decades. Under his leadership elections were rare. But now
a phase of democratisation has begun, and Fatah is being put to the
electoral test. These municipal polls are to be followed by a
general election in a few months time. And Fatah is locked in a
major contest with Hamas.
Israel
will eventually disappear
London attack: Al-Zahar said the London bombings, which
occurred during the interview, are to be expected in countries that
support the United States. "It's no wonder today they have found
terror attacks in their home," he said. "I am opposed to attacks
against civilians, whoever they are, but why not tell it like it is
- if the British soldiers were not in Baghdad and Bazra - there
would be mercy for London today." However, al-Zahar stopped short of
supporting the attack on the London Underground, but tried to
"explain" the acts of suicide bombers. "There is a broad popular
people's movement against American arrogant hegemony. World leaders,
headed by the Bush and Blair governments, should have been more
attentive to the voice of poorer countries."
Foreign Ministry protests: In Israel, Foreign Minister Silvan
Shalom provided a translation of part of the interview and parts of
the Hamas constitution Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom for European
Union envoy Javier Solana, in an attempt to explain Israel's
rejection for negotiations with Hamas. The Ministry has also
embarked on a campaign to discourage Europeans from dealing with
Hamas, including an English translation of Hamas's convention, to be
distributed to diplomats in a bid to illustrate the movement's
radical and dangerous character to the attention of decision makers
throughout the world. "Now, when Europe has offered to recognize
Hamas on a political level, al-Zahar provides clear statements of
what to expect from the organization," Ministry officials told Ynet.
"He does not even attempt to speak ambiguously in an attempt to
please Europe and finds it difficult to hide the group's happiness
at the London bombings."
Al-Qaeda urges
attacks on Canadians
A new
al-Qaeda manual posted on the Internet is calling for terrorist
attacks against Canadians, and specifies that businessmen,
politicians, scientists, soldiers and tourists should be targeted,
according to U.S. researchers. Canada is one of six nations whose
citizens are identified as "human targets" in the Arabic-language
publication, which is reported to be the work of senior Egyptian
al-Qaeda figure Saif al-Adel. The manual, called The Al-Battar
Military Camp, ranks Canadians as the fifth most important
"Christian" terrorist targets, behind Americans, Britons, Spaniards
and Australians. Italians were ranked sixth. The manual was obtained
and translated by the SITE Institute, a terrorism research centre in
Washington, D.C. It is the latest edition of a publication that is
said to be aimed at new al-Qaeda adherents scattered around the
world. "This al-Qaeda magazine is published and circulated through
the terrorist group's Web site, along with other propaganda," said
Rita Katz, executive director of the institute. "It contains
specific military guidance and instructions on how to effectively
target al- Qaeda's enemies. There are physical training programs,
diagrams of weapons and chapters dedicated to combat strategy.
Canadians should take very seriously the fact that their country is
identified as a top potential target by al-Qaeda."
THE
ARAB POINT OF VIEW. FROM AL JAZEERA
Settler-funding a billion dollar question
Now that Israel plans to spend $2 billion to dismantle just 25
of these enclaves in the West Bank and Gaza - for which US aid has
been requested - raises the question of how much money has been poured
into the ambitious settlement project, and exactly where it came from.
The official answer: No one knows. Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres
estimates Israel has spent about $50 billion since 1977, when the
hardline Likud government took over from his Labour party. Other
former finance ministers and government officials do not discount a
price tag - commonly floated but never documented - of $60 billion.
|
 |
Despite the Gaza pullout, some
settlements are being expanded
|
"No one eye in the
world saw the whole picture," says Labour Party lawmaker Danny Yatom,
a confidant of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. "Most of it is
not camouflaged, but it is not possible to connect A to B to C to D to
E to F to G." Calculating an exact figure is impossible because much
of the building was financed through winks and nods, an opaque state
budget and secret military spending that sometimes violated Israel's
laws and undercut international peacemaking efforts, according to
official Israeli inquiries as well as interviews with past and present
officials, settlers and their opponents. Among the methods used, the
interviews show, were government subsidies, shadowy land deals,
loopholes in military spending, and an auditing bait-and-switch in
which US aid was used to free up billions of dollars for spending on
the settlements formally opposed by the United States.
 |
Settlements have carved up
occupied Palestinian land
|
Expansion continues:
Even today, with preparations under way for demolishing
21 settlements in Gaza and four in the West Bank, housing and roads
continue to be built in West Bank settlement blocs Israel wants to
keep in a final peace deal with the Palestinians. This contradicts the
internationally backed "road map" peace plan to halt settlement
expansion. And a government-commissioned inquiry in March revealed
similar methods were used to build and expand dozens of unauthorised
West Bank "outposts" - set up as flag-showing exercises and usually
consisting of a handful of people in mobile homes. It found
widespread government complicity in establishing more than 100 such
outposts, and the inquiry's chief, former prosecutor Talia Sasson,
called the government's actions "a blatant violation of the law". Last
year, the funding of the outposts came in for sharp criticism from the
state controller, the government's main watchdog. It found at least
two cases where the Housing Ministry funded outposts that the military
had ordered demolished.
Government policy: Now settler leaders, eager to
embarrass Prime Minister Ariel Sharon over his Gaza withdrawal plan,
say they had official backing in all their ventures. "Let me be very,
very clear: It's not a question of dark-of-night grabs, or
hide-and-seek or deceit on anyone's part," said lawmaker Yitzhak Levy
of the pro-settler National Religious Party, who headed ministries in
Likud and Labour governments. "It is government policy," he said. The
settlements started after 1967 under Labour governments, which sought
to confine them to border areas they considered necessary for national
security.
 |
Some
outposts, illegal under
Israeli law, are state-funded
|
Benefits for settlers: But then Likud
came to power in 1977, claiming a God-given right to the whole West
Bank and Gaza Strip. The chief settlement advocate was Ariel Sharon,
the former general who - now as prime minister - has ordered the Gaza
pullback. Using his Cabinet posts between 1977 and 1992 - agriculture,
defence and housing - he doled out government grants, low-cost loans
and tax breaks to settlers. He also gave birth to the idea of
advertising the enclaves as bedroom communities just minutes from
Israeli urban centres. Some settlements close to towns in Israel
proper were subsidised by giving the inhabitants tax cuts, cheap
mortgages and grants of between $6900 and $57,000 - perks ordinarily
reserved for outlying areas. Maaleh Adumim, the largest settlement
with about 30,000 people, received this "priority" status even though
it is just 5km from Jerusalem. So did Elkana, an affluent settlement
8km from Israel's economic hub, Tel Aviv.
Not legal:
Settler leader Adi Mintz said even some of the settlers thought the
tax breaks for bedroom communities were unfair. The state also picked
up as much as half the tab for hooking up utilities. And pro-settler
lawmakers fought to control key ministries such as Construction and
Housing, National Infrastructure, and Transportation so they could
direct money to settlements. "When I was at the Ministry of Housing, I
set the objective of expanding [settlements in] outlying areas," said
lawmaker Levy. The classified defence budget further propelled
expansion, funding troop deployments to guard settlements, and
building fences and wide roads for settlers living among more than 2
million Palestinians who adamantly oppose their presence. A government
official conceded that some uses of military funds "in hindsight ...
aren't legal and shouldn't have been done". He spoke on condition of
anonymity because he was discussing possible violations of the law by
the government. Winks and nods:
At times, government watchdogs balked at the way
government funds were being used. Most recently, the Interior Ministry
launched an investigation into the transfer of $2.8 million in 2003
and 2004 from settlement municipalities to a settlement lobby group,
which is funding the fight against the Gaza pullout.
|
 |
Washington has indirectly
funded settlement projects
|
Because the state and
separate ministerial budgets do not break down outlays by region, it
is difficult to identify the flow of money to settlements. Supporters
and detractors both say this allowed Israeli governments to hide
behind the budget when it came to settlement financing - and forestall
friction with Washington. "The state of Israel didn't want a head-on
confrontation with the United States ... therefore Israel always did
things with winks and nods," said Mintz, the settler leader. Despite
its declared opposition to settlements, Washington only began taking
action in the early 1990s, when Israel sought billions of dollars in
US loan guarantees. Washington said it would deduct sums that went
into settlements dollar for dollar.
US lobby:
In 2003, when Israel was granted $9 billion in
loan guarantees over three years, the cut was $289.5 million.
Officials familiar with the issue, and speaking on condition of
anonymity, say that low figure was reached with the help of the
influential pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee, known as AIPAC. AIPAC officials refused to discuss the
issue on the record, but denied they helped to negotiate the numbers.
Israel also used private US donations for which it secured US
tax-exempt status, said David Newman, a political scientist at
Israel's Ben Gurion University who researched settlement funding. US
tax laws do not exempt donations for political activities such as
settlements. Israel separated the World Zionist Organisation from the
quasi-governmental Jewish Agency, a move that allowed donors to inject
money into settlements without losing tax exemptions.
Land expropriated:
In reality, the two groups operate under one umbrella,
with the same officials, departments and administrators overseeing the
activities, Newman said.
Perhaps the greyest area is how
Israel expropriated, confiscated or purchased land for settlements.
During the first 12 years of occupation, more than 4000 hectares of
land confiscated by the military for security needs were handed to
settlers, according to Defence Ministry statistics quoted in Lords of
the Land, a book by Israeli authors Akiva Eldar and Idit Zartel. Even
after Israel's Supreme Court in 1979 raised the bar for
security-related land confiscations, the state seized thousands more
hectares (acres) of West Bank land on security grounds and turned it
over for settlers, some living in unauthorised enclaves. The
state-funded Jewish National Fund, along with settler groups and their
supporters, also bought land from private Palestinians, using
middlemen to cloak the sellers' identity and shield them from attack
by other Arabs. Shaul Goldstein, head of the Gush Etzion Regional
Council in the West Bank, said his council recently paid $10,000 for
990 square metres of Palestinian land - about one-twentieth of the
cost of land just over the border.
Excerpts from the Arab Media: Israel's Gaza trap...Terrorist blame
elsewhere...Pressing the press... U.S. Arab Bank funded terrorism.
Compiled by By Dr.
Joseph Lerner.
AL-AHRAM WEEKLY 18-24 Aug.'05: EDITORIAL: Behind the facade".
[IMRA: AAW's editorials enunciate official Egyptian positions.]
QUOTES FROM TEXT": "Arabs, more than most, should have learned by
now to be able to see beyond the fanfare surrounding Israel's
withdrawal and instead address crucial strategic
concerns"..."dismantling its settlements in Gaza in the hope of
retaining the enormous settlement infrastructure it has already
gobbled up". FULL TEXT: Sharon has persuaded international opinion
that the road to a solution to the Palestinian cause passes through
Gaza. So skillfully has he raised hopes that many had looked forward
to the withdrawal, oblivious to the advantages he has to gain, not
least the opportunity to tighten defences and refresh his forces.
Yet the Arabs, more than most, should have learned by now to be able
to see beyond the fanfare surrounding Israel's withdrawal and
instead address crucial strategic concerns. We must not evade
discussion of the possibility that the Gaza disengagement will
become the first nail in the coffin of an independent, sovereign
Palestinian state with defined borders and territorial contiguity
for this, whatever he may say to the contrary, is part of Sharon's
plan. Disengagement from Gaza is the obverse of his dream of burying
Palestinian statehood. The disengagement, first unveiled at the
Herzliya Conference in May 2003, could all too easily hamper the
Palestinian drive to statehood for however important the benefits
that accrue to the Palestinians it presents a difficult platform
upon which to build a state. Israel is in the process of pushing for
a tradeoff. It is dismantling its settlements in Gaza in the hope of
retaining the enormous settlement infrastructure that has already
gobbled up nearly a third of the West Bank. Sharon openly admitted
as much when, in an attempt to appease Jewish extremists who regard
the withdrawal from Gaza as a betrayal of the Zionist dream of a
Greater Israel, he announced that Jewish settlement of the West Bank
would continue. Nor should we forget -- Sharon certainly never tires
of reminding his audiences -- that President George W Bush gave him
his word that Israel could hold on to the larger settlements in the
West Bank. And those settlements are an integral part of the plan to
annex East Jerusalem. What remains of the dream of a Palestinian
state, then, should Israel succeed in securing its control over the
West Bank and the whole of Jerusalem? [IMRA: So why is Egypt
cooperating?]. Even the disengagement from Gaza is fraught with
contradictions. Israel wants to retain control over airspace,
territorial waters, borders and ports of entry. Even on this small
patch of land Palestinian control will only be partial. Sharon's
version of disengagement is clearly intended as a façade, disguising
the lack of substance -- the territorial sovereignty -- that is a
condition of statehood.
AL-AHRAM WEEKLY 18-24 Aug.'05:"Closing ranks".
HEADING:"Terror will never dent the unity of Egyptians, writes Ali
Hefzi, former governor of North Sinai". QUOTES FROM TEXT: "Terror
was first introduced into the region by the Zionist groups Stern and
Ergun"..."Western countries offering refuge to fundamentalist
(Islamist) militants over the past two decades must also shoulder
part of the blame"..."individuals used in the attacks are mere tools
and their death during the operation is obviously convenient for the
invisible masterminds who plan the atrocities." EXCERPTS: The
hand of terror rocked the City of Peace on the very anniversary of
the 1952 Revolution. The cowardly attack on Sharm El-Sheikh is
particularly painful, for the peninsula has a history that borders
on the divine, .... It is in Sinai that Egyptians have defended
themselves against invaders since Pharaonic times, and up to the war
of 1973. [IMRA: Also the Sinai for expansionist. . .We have every
right to take pride in the progress the peninsula has witnessed
since ...the peace agreement with Israel in 1979. Those who visited
Sinai many years ago ... are amazed by the scale of progress, the
roads that have been built, the land that has been reclaimed and
tourism. The attacks on Taba (October 2004) and Sharm El-Sheikh
(July 2005) came as a shock to all Egyptians, ... But where did it
originate? Terror was first introduced into the region by the
Zionist groups Stern and Ergun, which used violence to expel the
original inhabitants of Palestine prior to 1948. As for the recent
wave of violence, Western countries offering refuge to
fundamentalist militants over the past two decades or so must also
shoulder part of the blame. The repercussions of terror attacks
exceed the magnitude of the initial mayhem. Intelligence experts
vouch that most terror attacks involve prolonged planning,
surveillance and coordination. Major terror operations often involve
financing and guidance from abroad. Those who carry out the attacks
are selected with care and in most cases the perpetrators have no
police record or known inclination to violence. The individuals used
in the attack are mere tools and their death during the operation is
obviously convenient for the invisible masterminds who plan the
atrocities. No security regime, however sophisticated, is foolproof.
There is always a chink in the armour that can be exploited to
devastating effect. Let's not forget that countries far more
advanced than Egypt have been frequent targets of terror.
Investigations into the Sharm El-Sheikh bombings are still underway
and should not be prejudged. But it is plain to all that the
bombers, whoever they are, were seeking to undermine not only
security but our national unity. We cannot let them win. We must
continue to fight terror in all its forms, for this is the only way
to keep the country safe. We must make every effort to apprehend the
perpetrators. But in doing so we must avoid doing anything that our
enemies may use to harm this country or divide our ranks. We need,
too, more international and regional cooperation to prevent a
repetition of such attacks. Any loopholes in our security must be
closed. .
JORDAN TIMES 19 Aug.'05: "JPA starts taking measures against 'some'
weekly papers". HEADING" Association committee is tasked with
monitoring performance of country's weeklies and making monthly
reports" By Alia Shukri Hamzeh. QUOTES FROM TEXT: "started taking
legal measures against editors and publishers of 'a handful' of
weekly newspapers for legal and ethical violations"..."The
association has authority only over its members. Non-JPA members who
practice the profession are considered illegal journalists,
according to the Press and Publications and the JPA laws."..."He and
other publishers and editors of weeklies expressed fear that the
reaction to a number of unprofessional weeklies could harm them or
negatively affect freedom of expression."..."unfair to subject all
weeklies to the same treatment or to label all as unprofessional
because of a number of rotten apples on top of the box".
EXCERPTS:
AMMAN - The Jordan Press Association (JPA) has started taking legal
measures against editors and publishers of "a handful" of weekly
newspapers for legal and ethical violations, JPA President Tareq
Momani said Thursday. Momani told The Jordan Times following a JPA
council meeting that there were some weeklies printing "slanderous
material, rumours and false information.". . ."We are going to
take all measures to ensure that citizens' reputation is not harmed
and that practising journalists abide by the laws that govern their
performance," he added. Momani said the JPA council has tasked its
six-member professional committee with monitoring the performance of
the country's weeklies and making monthly reports of violations of
the JPA Law and journalists' code of ethics. . .The journalists'
code of ethics requires a journalist to be objective and precise in
relaying information and to double-check and verify any material
before sending it to print. According to JPA bylaws, a journalist
who violates the law and code of ethics faces various measures,
starting with a warning, an ultimatum, being referred to
disciplinary councils or being banned from practising the profession
for a period no longer than three years and could be dismissed from
the association. The association has authority only over its
members. Non-JPA members who practise the profession are considered
illegal journalists, according to the Press and Publications and the
JPA laws... JPA has sent a warning to the chief editor of one weekly
and referred the name of a writer (non-JPA journalist) at the same
weekly to the attorney general. Momani refused to elaborate but said
the weekly has been printing "slanderous information about a public
figure." The measures are seen as an overdue step against a majority
of what many perceive as "sensationalist tabloid publications
working in an unprofessional manner" and harm the country's image
and its march towards greater democracy and public freedom. A number
of practising journalists expressed satisfaction with the move...
These journalists who were contacted by The Jordan Times also hailed
remarks by His Majesty King Abdullah on the matter in an address to
officials, deputies and senators on Tuesday. They also called for
genuine application to the law that govern the profession. In his
speech, the King said some weekly newspapers compete in spreading
rumours and lies to achieve financial gains, even at the expense of
national interests. . ."Violators of the law should be pointed out
and measures should be taken against them immediately and in
accordance with the law. But this does not mean that all weeklies
should be persecuted in the process," said Al Hadath weekly's
publisher Nidal Mansour. He and other publishers and editors of
weeklies expressed fear that the reaction to a number of
unprofessional weeklies could harm them or negatively affect freedom
of expression. Jordan has over 25 registered weeklies. According to
Momani, around 7-8 weeklies are deemed as violators of the law and
disregard any professional standards or code of ethics. Mansour,
however, said the number was far greater and that a mere handful of
weeklies were professional. But, Mansour, who also heads the Centre
for Defending Freedom of Journalists, added that it would be unfair
to subject all weeklies to the same treatment or to label all as
unprofessional because of a number of rotten apples on top of the
box. "The most dangerous issue here is that the terms bad,
unprofessional and even scandalous press are being used against all
weeklies. This makes people think that the industry does not deserve
or cannot handle freedom of expression, and that in turn is harmful
to the country," Mansour said. "In the end it's the public who
decides to buy the publication or not." Momani in turn insisted that
the profession will be protected and that those who abide by the
laws and code of ethics will also be supported and safeguarded.
Al-Jazeera
and Al-Manar Coverage of Armed Palestinian Factions in Gaza.
The following are excerpts about armed Palestinian factions
celebrating in the sea, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on August
18, 2005
Today's first clip
includes an Al-Jazeera report of an interview with a fighter from
Islamic Johad's Al-Quds Squad. It is followed by a report from
Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV, with interviews of armed PLFP terrorists.
Reporter: The siege on the Gaze strip from land, air, and sea
has led the Palestinian factions to take up positions that they had
not been able to reach throughout the Intifada, in order to mark the
impending end of the occupation of part of their homeland. The Al-Quds
Squads, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, charged into
the raging sea aboard boats, which were almost completely destroyed by
the bullets of the Israeli Navy. Their clear message was that the Gaza
Strip is still not entirely liberated, and that the West Bank is
groaning under the weight of the occupation and its settlers.
Al-Quds Squads fighter: We chose the sea to stress that our
sovereignty over the sea is like our sovereignty over the land, Allah
willing, and that the sea is our sea and the land is our land. We
dedicate these celebrations to our courageous martyrs, to the leaders
of the Al-Quds Squads, to the 'Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, to the
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, to all the national and Islamic factions,
and to the prisoners in the Zionist occupation jails.
Armed PLFP Terrorists on
Al-Manar TV
Reporter: They come from the orange and olive groves, and
emerge from dark corners. Their only option is resistance and
confrontation. The aggression has reached every corner of the occupied
Palestinian lands and has even reached PFLP Secretary-General Abu Ali
Mustafa. The brigades that are named after him carried out a revenge
operation on October 7, 2001, killing the most senior Israeli in the
Intifada - the Intifada that culminated in Israel's announcement of
the disengagement plan, which ends its military and civilian presence
in the Gaza Strip settlements.
PFLP Fighter: This withdrawal is only because of the blows of
the Palestinian resistance, and the steadfastness of our courageous
Palestinian people. The Palestinian people insisted on delivering blow
after blow, despite the heavy losses and casualties we sustained due
to our steadfastness.
Reporter: The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, like the other
factions, have deterred the occupation army. Their fighters carried
out courageous operations, including martyrdom operations. Their
commanders were arrested and assassinated, and PFLP Secretary-General
Ahmad Sa'dat was was held prisoner in Jericho. But this series of
blows has not destroyed the spirit of resistance among the fighters.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Memri, Imra, Al-Manar.
ARAB MEDIA WATCH: INVESTIGATIVE
REPORTING By Maximillien de Lafayette
ARAB JOURNALISTS ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED
Some 1,500
years ago, Prophet Mohammad condemned the "people of the pen", the
poets, writers and messengers of the word. In his "HADITH AL SHARIF"
(Noble Dialogues and Discourse of the Prophet), Mohammad told his
followers "WA INNA AL SHOUARA'AH MIN AHLI AL NAR", meaning verbatim
"Poets (or writers, in today's terminology "journalists") are from the
parents of fire". He meant by this that, poets and writers are
decadent, sinful and untrustworthy. And consequently, they will go to
hell. He knew, back then, that the Arab mind and the Arab pen are not
to be trusted, for they distort the truth, corrupt the masses and
cause mass confusion. And today, 1,500 years after such a prophetic
proclamation, the Muslim Arab mind did not change a bit. Especially in
the circle and milieux of educated and cultured Muslims, in the Arab
corporate world, science, media and broadcasting. By nature and raison
d'etre, the Arab media will never cease to attack Israel, will keep on
inciting and encouraging Arabs and Muslims to hate the Jews and the
Christians, and to disseminate false information about Israel and the
United States foreign policies. This Muslim intellectualism distortion
and those hate and vengeance campaigns against the Jews and Christians
in the Arab media negatively and dangerously affect the Arab and
Muslim populace around the globe. Muslims and Arabs who live and work
in the United States are not immune. For almost 20 years, Egypt's
Gamal Abdel Nasser kept on lying to his people and to the immense Arab
world, and continued to fabricate stories about the imminent danger
of world Zionism. In his weekly speeches at the Radio of Cairo (HOUNA
AL QAHIRA), and the daily political broadcast of "AKAZEEB WA HAKA'IK"
(LIES AND TRUTHS), the Egyptian president consistently and
methodologically disseminated false information about the military
power of Egypt, the might of the Arab League, and the danger of
Zionism ("Sahayinah" in Arabic). His speeches were printed in their
entirety on the front page of all the Arab newspapers, except in
Tunisia. No rationale, analytical analysis and unbiased reporting are
to be found in official communiqués and statements issued by Arab
officials, nor in Arab editorials. And this week, I found an abundance
of examples which illustrate the biased, distorted and sick news
reporting by the Arab media and childish accusations scenarioed by top
Arab officials. Here are some: |
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THE
ISRAELI/JEWISH POINT OF VIEW. What they say, write, publish and argue
about.
________________________________________________
Give them the
Death they Revere
By Arlene Peck
The Arabs are bombing,
murdering, mutilating, raping and wreaking havoc all over the
Judeo/Christian world. Israel has nothing to do with it…nothing!
The front pages have been completely filled with the latest
catastrophic actions from these savage, barbaric Arabs who tortured
and slaughtered hundreds of school children and their mothers during
the past few days in the horrific school bombings. Children! Babies,
who were forced to drink their own urine, because they were tortured
and denied water and food for over two days. One five or six
year-old child was reported to have been killed by having a bayonet
thrust through his little body when he had the audacity to ask for
water from these "brave men" who were holding them hostage. Then if
that wasn't bad enough, over twenty of these small
children were shot in the back from snipers on the roof-tops as they
were trying to break away to run to the safety of their mothers arms.
|
TERRORISM
AND THE RIGHT TO EXIST.
PART1
