22-Jan-12: Islamism and the Palestinian Arab "Spring"

Islamic Jihad: Their sense of what children are good far
makes them an excellent partner for Hamas

Hamas: Their sense of what children are good far
makes them an excellent partner for Islamic Jihad

If you have taken a look at our comment from a little earlier today about the emergence of radical Islamists in the new Egyptian political landscape, you will not need much persuading that Islamism is now riding a wave of unprecedented acceptance in the Arab world.

Hence, not so surprising to find that what binds Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad is more important than what (hitherto) has divided them. The report is Iranian, and given the extreme closeness of the Iranian regime to the Islamicist groups across the Middle East, we're persuaded they ought to be believed. Besides, it's almost always a mistake to dismiss the seriousness of threats when they're made by terrorists.

Palestinian Leader Calls Merger of Hamas, Islamic Jihad "Necessity"   Saturday, 21 January 2012 |  A senior Hamas official stressed on Saturday that merging Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the main Palestinian Islamic resistance movements, is a political and religious must. Mahmoud Al Zahar stated "Religion, politics and political developments in our surrounding necessitate closeness of Islamic movements". He said that integration of the two Palestinian movements in a single organizational structure can resolve many problems, including those related to elections since both groups can now take part in the elections in a single framework. In a recent a meeting with top officials from Islamic Jihad, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya called for rapid measures to merge the two movements. Islamic Jihad also confirmed that the merger talks were already underway. Spokesman Daud Shihab told AFP "An in-depth dialogue has actually begun, both internally and externally, with the aim of uniting".

Odd that among the "many problems" to be solved by the merger of two of the most active terrorist entities in the world, there's no mention here of their ongoing war against Israel, the Jews and the whole spectrum of non-Moslems. Clearly there has been no change of heart: when it comes to hatred of the adherents of other religions in general, and to Jews in particular, both of these entities are populated by the genuine article. They are violent, racist, mysogynist barbarians capable of the most cold-blooded acts of cruelty against their perceived enemies (us) no less than against their own brothers and sisters.

If already we're speaking of lethal Islamist threats against "the whole spectrum of non-Moslems", let's put actual words in actual people's actual mouths.

One of this week's most prominent news personalities, in view of the election results in Egypt, is Mohammad Badie - a name worth remembering. In September 2010, this Badie - a man who bears the exalted title General Guide (and in some sources Supreme Guide) of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood - delivered a how-to-do-it sermon under the title “How Islam Confronts the Oppression and Tyranny”. (It was posted the same month on his party's website.) He exhorted his audience to have faith in the Koran's promise that, even if they are temporarily weak, their god will deliver the infidels into their hands. Three highlights:

• "Moslems desperately need a mentality of honor and means of power to confront global Zionism [which] knows nothing but the language of force. [Moslems] must meet iron with iron, and winds with storms." 
• "Resistance" is the only solution against the Zionist-American arrogance and tyranny. All we need is for the Arab and Muslim peoples to stand behind it and support it.
• “The U.S. is now experiencing the beginning of its end. It is heading towards its demise.”

Presumably intending to prove that last point, Madie is pictured below. The beaming woman next to him [source] is Anne W. Patterson, ambassador of the United States to Egypt.

While she gripped the hand of the Supreme Guide (to give Badie the title accorded to him in this Egyptian source), Ms Patterson, a career diplomat, was quoted saying that "US administrations have committed some mistakes" but "called for overcoming them and to learn from them to avoid their recurrence in the future. She pointed out that democracy always brings stable partners."

They are words worthy of being engraved in stone.