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We talk about the politics of Palestine forgetting about the Aqsa and the Haram. I heard that there has been and continues to be mass excavation by the Israelis underneath the Aqsa Mosque, what are we as a Muslim community doing to help stop that. This is a holy site for all Muslims to visit one being it was where the prophet ascended to do the Isra and Miraj from Mecca to Jerusalem. Who is protecting the holy Aqsa? it will soon collapse while we are still watching and waiting for other Muslims around the world to do wake up and stop the destruction of the Aqsa.
Answer
Israel goes on and on with its tough policy that has harmed the Palestinian land and people. So, the Arab policy has to much concentrate on resistance to stand up against all Israeli attempts to profane the sanctity of the Arab lands including the Islamic and Christian holy sites, such as mosques, churches or the like. However, our interest in one part of the Israeli plots must not lead us away from watching all the lands not the holy places only. So the Palestinians, Arabs and all anti-occupation people in the world should mind this sensitive issue.
It is also necessary that Arabs and Muslims get together and prefer the common interest to the special one . It is dangerous that each Arab state thinks of itself only, since it is difficult for any state to protect itself away from the other states.
Name
Mara
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Profession
student
Question
Asalamu Alikum,
What does the future hold for the Palestinians? What Is Abbas and Fatah doing to help the formation of the Palestinian state and rights of the Palestinians? Where are the million dollars that are supposed to aid the Palestinians in their struggle for freedom and survival prior to Hammas coming into power. When Hamas came into power, why was there only $0 dollars left in the government account.
Answer
When it comes to the future of the Palestinians, this depends on the future of the conflict ongoing now between the Arab and Muslim peoples along with the world's peace loving forces against the Israeli aggression backed by the US and its alliances in the region and in the world.
I believe that in spite of imbalance between the two sides, the course of nature says that the victory will be eventually to the peoples that fight for their legitimate rights. Abbas sees that the best way is to succumb to the will and whims of the big powers in the region, and he prefers to be with these powers and acts peacefully to prove that the Palestinian people are away from any form of resistance and violence.
He also thinks that this could lead to gaining some of the rights of the Palestinian people . But I believe that the weak cannot take anything and that if one persists with his weak standing, they will not be able to take any of their rights. So we have to seek to be strong and this is the only way to get the rights back once again.
It is known that the Palestinian budget was based on the aid coming from donators to give the Palestinian authority influence. But regrettably, much of these funds have gone off through corruption and were not spent on anything in favor of the people. For example, 35% of the Palestinian budget goes to military. This is much more than the funds which go to health, education and development. It is supposed that we are a disarmed state, what will our budget be if we become a state with armed forces . And of course the donators release the funds or withhold them according to the political situation in different Palestinian areas and according to international schemes projected in the region.
Name
Egfoo Yong
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Profession
Tugboat Skipper
Question
I've been hearing on my radio that these problems are all caused by Jewish spies and troublemakers who have infiltrated the highest level of the PA going back to Yasser Arafat. What if the PA disbanded...?
Answer
As I said of late, there is a political conflict between both sides of the Palestinian regime , mainly Hamas and Fatah. The struggle is mainly on power. Besides, Fatah associated all its well being with the power, so it will be difficult for it to imagine itself outside the power. That is why it continues to oppose the Hamas-led government, sometimes legally as a political opposition and at other times illegally and undemocratically by use of violence.
As regards the dissolution of the authority, this idea was espoused by some Palestinian educated citizens, and it actually needs an in-depth study, and I personally see that this will be the most proper solution.
Name
Khadijah
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Profession
student
Question
Asalamu Alikum,
Many of us are waiting for other Muslims to make the move and actively participate in this important cause and others feel powerless. What can we as Muslims do to help our fellow Palestinian brothers and sisters? Jazakallah Khairan for your answer in advance.
Answer
The right thing is that all Muslims should be with the Palestinian people and cause. We also have to give due attention to world peoples who are opposing the Israeli occupation as it is really an important issue, because the worst thing is when the Palestinian people feel vulnerable in the face of Israel, the Zionist forces and their alliances in the world. Surely the concrete, moral and political backing will be of most significance to the Palestinian people and cause.
Name
Asif
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Profession
Zaidi
Question
As an outsider (non-Palestinian but a Muslim), when I see the events it is apparent that the Fatah party is acting like a sore loser - they simply could not accept the loss of power and their true nature is becoming apparent.
However, what are the Palestinian people thinking - do they regret their decision. And if there is another fair, free election, would Hamas win?
All in all this is a sad scenario and it distracts us from defending masjid Al-Aqsa
Answer
Well, Fateh was taken by surprise when it found itself fail to retain power completely as it was. It was also surprised to see Hamas reach power. Fateh' s problem is that it , after Oslo, concentrated its authority and devoted all its efforts to retain the authority without regard to the interests of the Palestinian people.
Fateh also hoped mistakenly that its stay in power will one day in the future help it to bring rights to the Palestinian people.
So the stay of Fateh for more than ten years brought about big mistakes and mix up between politics and economics on one hand, and the national interest with the individual interest on the other hand .
All this made it difficult for Fateh to hold fast or live outside power. I believe that without Fateh being in power, it would vanish and get dissolved in no time. I believe that the failure of international quarters and some local powers to subscribe to the results of the election, which the world knows for sure that it was a democratic one, will make it difficult for the Palestinians to go to polls in the same enthusiasm in the previous election.
I also believe that a large number of the Palestinians will boycott the coming election, if any, since the election then will have been meaningless.
Name
Mr Sanaullah
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Profession
Teacher
Question
what is the reason that they are fighting and why. is Israil a cruel nation.
Answer
The reason behind the Palestinian infighting is their dispute on two issues: First is how to get rid of the Israeli occupation and second, which is more significant , is that the Israeli PA agreements and dealings brought about an authority without sovereignty and even divorced of any national content and interested only in personal gains and there are people among the PA itself who struggle for power.
Israel is the longest occupation in the modern history and it goes on rampage with haughtiness and hooliganism, out of conviction that it is backed by the US and imperialist powers in the world. So it feels that it is immune against any accountability, besides being a nuclear state makes it feel invulnerable against any opposition. It occupies one third of an Arab land and does not abide by the resolution of the international organization which provides that Israel withdraw from all these lands and perpetrates killings daily in Gaza strip and the West Bank.
Name
Safi
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Profession
Question
Some say that Fatah, through these recent work strikes, tries to make Hamas fail, What do you think.
Answer
Your are right that leaderships in Fateh were behind the recent strikes to topple the Hamas-led government. So we can say that the struggle for power is the essential problem on the Palestinian arena now.
Moreover, we should not forget that that there are masses of the poor employees who find it a chance to claim their right to be given their arrear salaries because the economic position is extremely difficult. The strike was a politically motivated one, but it is of man's right to stage a strike to get his right and the subsistence of his family.
Name
Breathe
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Profession
Question
Can we say that the Hamas government has failed?
As a government, shouldn't they put their people's hardship ahead of their own agenda?
Answer
It is true that Hamas couldn’t do its supposed mission as a normal government of a nation. Of course hindrances have been placed by Israel and the US and other states in the way of Hamas to make matters more difficult. So Hamas feels that it is – like the Palestinian people- a victim of an intrigue.
The problem also is that they believe that their national position is the reason behind this campaign against them, at a time when they never think of betraying their country for financial aid.
Name
Ane
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Profession
Question
Asselamualeikum Wer Web,
It is shameful to hear that many people have been victimized by the infightings for years not to mention the recent ones. What should, we as 'foreign' Muslim brethern do in such circumstances?
Fiamanilah
Answer
It seems true for foreign Muslims to stand by the Palestinian people to help them realize their national aspirations and free themselves from occupation. Those Muslims Should effectively back the calls for unity and dialogue among all Palestinians and help them not reach the extent of self- fighting. Such stances would surely support the real national powers among the Palestinians, that are of course the majority of Palestinians.
Name
Moheb.
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Profession
Question
Abbass has just said that if Hamas were not able to form a national unity government within two weeks, he would dissolve its government. Why Abbas is practicing such a pressure on Hams along with the outsider world, is it a wise timing for such remarks?
Thanks.
Answer
The measures taken by President Mahmoud Abbas are mixed up because he wants the Palestinian leadership to subscribe to the international will, out of belief that if he keeps away from the international dictations, matters will go to worse.
On the other hand, Abbas comes under pressure either from Fateh leaderships who see it useless to join a Hamas-led government , and he also comes under the pressures of the Israeli American points of view or at least he gets influenced with them.
This is why he doesn’t adopt the same policy with Hamas led government . For example, sometimes he seeks dialogue and at other times he stops this dialogue . But I believe that the foreign pressures on him are great and he sometimes fears that surrender to these pressures could lead to big infighting . so we see him hesitate to take a practical step toward the government.
Name
Musheer
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Profession
engineer
Question
What is the future of the palestinians, either they have to go with hamas or the fatah.if they go with hamas thay are hungry now, as far as fatah is concerned they are corrupted.
Answer
This question should be addressed to the Palestinians . There should be a solution that reconciles the strategic target of liberation from the occupation with the preservation of the daily needs for living and survival.
There are several approaches but the matter is still far from being resolved, that's why the conflict still continues among the Palestinians. The problem is that even if we seek a third party solution, this also will fail because the incumbent parties in power now are directly or indirectly associated with the PA or Fateh, so the solution is that some other, but unbiased, powers should take the cause back to its real place to help harmony takes it place in the Palestinians daily life, reconciling their daily needs with the future of the Palestinian cause.
Name
Editor..
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Profession
Question
.
Answer
The session has ended. We would like to thank both Dr. Iyad Barghouti for taking the time to answer the questions of IslamOnline viewers, and all those who have participated in this live dialogue.
We are sorry for not being able to answer all the questions due to time limitations.
