TakingITGlobal - Panorama - Hamas does it again

Published on: Jul 4, 2007

Topic:

Type: Opinions

https://www.tigweb.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=14421

It is difficult to accept it, I know, but it is better to give the devil its due however much we may dislike it. Even though it is still early to judge, it is apparent that Hamas want to tell the world that there is more to resistance than it meets the eye. It is trying to tell the world that despite their known stand to violence, there is some humanity within their souls. This can be seen in what they were able to accomplish at a time when everyone had given up hope in securing the release of the British journalist of the BBC in Gaza strip.

As everyone was saying that Hamas has hit the snag with the negotiation to the effect of the release of the journalist, the group’s leadership never gave up hope. It has been an opportunity for the group to show that they are also able to show the other side of humanity. If I may ask, who does not have the other side that is full of vengeance? At least humankind has the wit to cause and live violently. This however, does not mean that they can not realize they are on the bad side and change given the reason to.

As I had been saying all a long, it is possible for the Middle East communities to live in peace side by side. This however, should involve a give and take situation where one feels he or she is recognized as part of the solution rather than always as part of the problem. If the global leadership can give the groups such as Hamas time to reason with them why they are so much involved in the vicious cycle of violence which according to them is justified as a way to gain independence from occupation, while to the rest of the world is a form of terrorism activities, and subsequently their cries, however ingénue to the world they may be are heard, I believe that at least somewhere they may stop the act of violence.

In psychology, for those who are experts will agree with me that one of the best way to help a violent child within a community is to let him or her vent the anger out and go ahead and address the root course of the hunger. If the root course of the anger is not addressed, the child may be forced to keep back all the anger and then release them at an older age which will even be more catastrophic than before.

It is such principle that we should use in diffusing the problems in the Middle East. The question we should ask ourselves is this, “Can Hamas and all those other violent groups give in to the complete destruction of Israel? Can they work towards a united Palestinian? Can the Israelis abide by the many resolutions passed in the United Nation Security Council regarding the violence in the region? Can they go back to the 1967 borders without any conditions? Can the world leaders and especially the United States and the British learn to accept that however much we want peace, we can not get by using violence as our opponents do?”

These are just but a few cases that we may want to answer as we try to get to the root cause and the solutions to the Middle East region. By isolating Hamas and supporting Fatah, it will do us more harm than good. It is very clear that Hamas has started to fight by all means possible to gain the will of then world population and the trust of the world population and before long, it may start to be seen that the world has been unfair to some groups in the Middle East. This can be seen by the fact that they have been able to restore peace in Gaza as fast as they could with shocking success unlike the West bank. Their slow but sure progress in securing the British journalist also gives a lot to be desired. So it is upon us, brothers, to take up the cue and bring all parties to the fold for the sake of peace. You never know where the dove of peace lies.

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by erick ochieng otieno
Published on: Jul 4, 2007
Topic:
Type: Opinions
https://www.tigweb.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=14421


It is difficult to accept it, I know, but it is better to give the devil its due however much we may dislike it. Even though it is still early to judge, it is apparent that Hamas want to tell the world that there is more to resistance than it meets the eye. It is trying to tell the world that despite their known stand to violence, there is some humanity within their souls. This can be seen in what they were able to accomplish at a time when everyone had given up hope in securing the release of the British journalist of the BBC in Gaza strip. As everyone was saying that Hamas has hit the snag with the negotiation to the effect of the release of the journalist, the group’s leadership never gave up hope. It has been an opportunity for the group to show that they are also able to show the other side of humanity. If I may ask, who does not have the other side that is full of vengeance? At least humankind has the wit to cause and live violently. This however, does not mean that they can not realize they are on the bad side and change given the reason to. As I had been saying all a long, it is possible for the Middle East communities to live in peace side by side. This however, should involve a give and take situation where one feels he or she is recognized as part of the solution rather than always as part of the problem. If the global leadership can give the groups such as Hamas time to reason with them why they are so much involved in the vicious cycle of violence which according to them is justified as a way to gain independence from occupation, while to the rest of the world is a form of terrorism activities, and subsequently their cries, however ingénue to the world they may be are heard, I believe that at least somewhere they may stop the act of violence. In psychology, for those who are experts will agree with me that one of the best way to help a violent child within a community is to let him or her vent the anger out and go ahead and address the root course of the hunger. If the root course of the anger is not addressed, the child may be forced to keep back all the anger and then release them at an older age which will even be more catastrophic than before. It is such principle that we should use in diffusing the problems in the Middle East. The question we should ask ourselves is this, “Can Hamas and all those other violent groups give in to the complete destruction of Israel? Can they work towards a united Palestinian? Can the Israelis abide by the many resolutions passed in the United Nation Security Council regarding the violence in the region? Can they go back to the 1967 borders without any conditions? Can the world leaders and especially the United States and the British learn to accept that however much we want peace, we can not get by using violence as our opponents do?” These are just but a few cases that we may want to answer as we try to get to the root cause and the solutions to the Middle East region. By isolating Hamas and supporting Fatah, it will do us more harm than good. It is very clear that Hamas has started to fight by all means possible to gain the will of then world population and the trust of the world population and before long, it may start to be seen that the world has been unfair to some groups in the Middle East. This can be seen by the fact that they have been able to restore peace in Gaza as fast as they could with shocking success unlike the West bank. Their slow but sure progress in securing the British journalist also gives a lot to be desired. So it is upon us, brothers, to take up the cue and bring all parties to the fold for the sake of peace. You never know where the dove of peace lies. « return.