I saw this report a few days ago on Al-Jazeera about a Hamas push for a “better virtues” campaign in Gaza. I intend to write much more about what I saw and heard there about this, but suffice to say, the Strip’s conservative nature is both ripe for such a move but also open to…
Showing all posts tagged Hamas
Splitting the Palestinians far apart
This news correlates with what I was hearing in Gaza; Fatah and Hamas are very far away from reconciliation: Two dozen Fatah activists have sneaked out of Hamas-ruled Gaza in recent days, including a woman who said she hitched a ride with farmers on a donkey cart Friday to get past Hamas troops at a…
How many elephants would the NYTs like to ignore in the Mid-East?
It’s a real achievement by the New York Times to write an editorial about the Middle East peace process without mentioning Hamas or Gaza.
Hamas can only be ignored for so long
The split between Fatah and Hamas is spoken about constantly in Gaza. The vast majority of people I talk to say that they dearly hope ideologues on both sides take a step back and reconcile for the sake of peace. Israel and America have other ideas: A new report for the London-based Middle East Monitor…
Deleting the Hamas factor
Facebook is massively popular in Gaza, a way to connect with friends inside the Strip and the world. So this move will cause damage in the Arab world: The operators of the internet site Facebook have recently removed a webpage dedicated to fans of Hamas’ prime minister in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, the London-based Al-Hayat reported…
Zionists who wish Hamas away
Dream on: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that the Palestinian residents of Gaza wanted to replace the current Hamas government, and that they will eventually be successful, Army Radio reported. Speaking at a graduation ceremony in Jerusalem’s National Security College, Netanyahu said “If the Palestinians in Gaza had the power to overthrow the government,…
How much Islam does Gaza desire?
The Islamisation of Gaza under Hamas is something I’m hearing and seeing. But is it what the people want? The following story by leading local journalist Fares Akram – whose father was murdered by the Israelis during the January war – wrote the following story for Xinhua news service a few days ago: Four men…
Gaza: flattened, occupied, sick and rootless
My following article appears in today’s edition of Crikey: During a conversation last night in Gaza with a group of 20-something male students, the issue of homosexuality came up. These were university-educated, Muslim men with relatively liberal attitudes but accepting a gay lifestyle was a complete anathema to them. “It’s disgusting,” one said, a Fatah…
Hope lives in Gaza despite siege, desperation and anger
My following essay appeared this week on Mondoweiss: The drive from Gaza City to Khan Younis takes around 40 minutes. The roads are rocky and the landscape barren, with destroyed houses and factories along the way. Cars and donkey-drawn carts populate the road. Last Friday I rode in a battered taxi towards the city to…
Islam under Hamas gets defined
Being in Gaza, it’s clear that a relatively strict interpretation of Islam is growing in public appearance. Many Gazans don’t subscribe to it, but for example it’s very rare to see a woman with her hair uncovered. This report therefore rings true: Senior Hamas officials had claimed, in the wake of Hamas’ June 2007 Gaza…