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Blood on Their Hands
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At
the scene of the carnage
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The
three rocket missiles that were fired yesterday from a US-supplied
Israeli helicopter at the break of day, on a procession of 15
Palestinians returning home after dawn prayers in a nearby mosque,
may have brought to an end any prospect of peace in the Middle East.
At
the centre of the group of worshippers was no ordinary individual.
Ahmed Yassin was neither ordinary in his physical appearance, nor in
his stature at the heart of a conflict at the root of global
problems over the past five decades.
A
67-year-old quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck downwards and
suffering from serious ailments, including severe visual and hearing
disabilities, Sheikh Yassin was considered by some to be Israel's
worst nightmare. But for millions of Muslims all over the world, he
was seen not only as the founder of Hamas, but as the spiritual
father of the latest phase of Palestinian armed struggle for
freedom, liberation and the reclamation of their occupied homeland.
It was also Yassin who insisted that his people's struggle must
remain within the boundaries of Palestine, and continuously offered
Israel the chance of a truce, which was repeatedly turned down.
Yesterday
the Israeli forces were issued with a direct order from the highest
level to target and kill this man in his wheelchair. The aims of
this mission may seem obscure to some, but to many they are
cynically cold-blooded and foolish.
If
the Israeli prime minister and his cabinet thought that eliminating
Ahmed Yassin would bring closer the chance of peace and resolution
to a conflict that has brought unspoken misery and bloodshed, then
it is a government suffering from serious self-delusion.
Already
Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the al-Aqsa Brigades and other Palestinian
armed groups have pledged to fight an open war against Israel, and,
in the process, to stop at no boundary and to shy away from no
target. One can only expect more bloodshed and an escalation of the
cycle of violence that will scupper any prospect of a settlement
within the foreseeable future.
The
foreign secretary's statement yesterday denouncing the Israeli
attack - as well as the French government's similar response - was
welcomed by Muslims in Britain and throughout the world. But these
responses also raise the question of where Europe truly stands on
Israeli killings in the occupied territories and the Palestinians'
right to resist.
Only
last year, the European Union decided to proscribe Hamas - under
pressure from the British government - condemning it as a terrorist
organization and thereby effectively granting Israel a license to
kill at will. And that is what it has been doing ever since. But
this latest prize is likely to be one that will haunt not only
Israel, but also those who have one way or another encouraged
Sharon's "hunting season". In the eyes of Muslims and all
those horrified by recent events, Jack Straw and his counterparts
across Europe have blood on their hands.
In
an attempt to legitimize its actions, Israel has invoked a language
calculated to go down well with the global powers-that-be, such as
"terrorists", "war on terror" and "the
Palestinian al-Qaida". In the midst of all the blood and
suffering, the world has managed to offer carte blanche to a
government in breach of numerous UN resolutions, to kill citizens
whose lands it occupies. And while we condemn without question a
suicide attack carried out by a lone Palestinian youngster, we
accept the legality and even applaud the courage of a soldier armed
to the teeth, firing rocket missiles unto densely populated
residential areas from hundreds of feet up in the sky.
The
Muslim community in Britain, together with Muslims worldwide,
criticized the US-made "war on terror", not because they
somehow condoned or welcomed terrorism. They do not. But at the
heart of this staged and false campaign is a grave and dangerous
principle. It is the principle that terrorism and bloodshed
unleashed by states and elected leaders is somehow excusable and
acceptable. It is the principle that might is right, and whoever
holds the gun must be the bearer of truth.
If
ever an example of state terrorism was called for, Israel
unequivocally fits the bill. But the world's standards continue to
be overturned and transformed. As a result, nations linger under
occupation, innocent women and children die, and the future of us
all is bleaker than ever before.
The
murder of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin is a turning point in the history of
the struggle of a people. Alas, it is not a turning point that
brings promise or hope.
Anas
Altikriti is president of the Muslim Association of
Britain.
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