Assalam o Alaikum!How many seats are reserved for women in the palestinian parliament and what is the number of seats captured by the Hamas women?Also i need to inquire about that how much influential and vocal they are regarding the legislation and other issues of national concern?
Answer
I'd like to extend our greetings to you all from the land of Palestine, and sepecifically from Gaza on the ocassion of victory, that will reach out, inshalah, the rest of our towns and villages.
I am honored to meet the friends of this prestigious website. My greetings also go to you brother Imran.
I'd like to say that the Palestinian Legislative elections weren't run yet. However, they'll be held in January, and then we'll be able to figure out the number of seats the Hamas women will win. According to the Palestinian electoral law, the Palestinian women were granted a quota of 20% of the total number of the Parliaments seats, which is around 26 seats of 132.
As for the third part of your question, if you meant how the free elections will affect the Palestinian political reality in the future, I say that we aspire from running fair elections which will allow people to vote without any external influences, then they'll be a major effect on the ground starting from reconstruction, change and spreading the spirit of hope and tranquility between the all the Palestinian people without having this possessed by one party. The Palestinain people enjoy enormous potential that allowed them to resist and innovate what can help them to confront the occupation will have the ability to start construction battle.
Name
Abusamihah
- United States
Profession
Teacher
Question
What role would the Hamas women be able to play in the Palestinian Parliament when Men traditionaly played dominant role in Palestinian society. Besides, Islamic movements are always seen as repressive to women.
Answer
The Palestinian women might be a role model for women in general, and for the Muslem women in particular. She has carried throughout the intifada a major role, and she was a factor of the resistance strength. She gone through difficult conditions under the absence of her husband and protected her sons, and was the protective fense against and Zionist security infiltration, and this is acknowledged by the enemy themselves.
The Palestinain women have survived and adpated under severe economic conditions.
She has also played a great role during this intifada in the different sectors of life, including eduction and social activities. However, all these activities were done in an informal way that the world didn't recongize and noticed her role. Nevertheless, this will be different after the elections, as we are preparing for effective political partnership because we have been well-represented in the local elections. In addition, we've moved out of cricle of repression as our work goes along with the Sharia... we knew no repression, if we have a problem its only from us and it's not caused by the men.
When we win the legislative elections we'll have development programs which are extend to those programs the women were carrying through the local organizatins. These programs aim to improve the life of women politically, socially, economically and media. We will set out development progroms that cope with the Palestinain children and compensate them for their suffering under occupation.
Name
Hafez Abdul ibn Mohammad
- Jordan
Profession
Tax Collector
Question
Why did the PA security forces not prevent the destruction and vandalism of the greenhouses in Gaza? Is this not an indication that lawlessness and cowardice remain the hallmarks of the people?
Answer
The Palestinian people is characterized by courage, strengh and the power of will, and without these characteristics they wouldn't be able to confront the forth military power in the world and obligate it to leave the Gaza Strip. Your information with regard to the greenhouses are not accurate, as the Palestinian people didn't destroy them as the greenhouses are still intact, and today the Palestinians started preparing them for planting. And we've started fixing those greenhouses that were destoryed by the Israeli army itself. What was destroyed by the Palestinian people are reminants of occupation including synagogues and houses they were dwelled by the settlers.
Name
Harry Balz
- Costa Rica
Profession
Question
Would women serve as a moderating influence on the nitwits and criminals who brainwash children into becoming suicide bombers? If so, it would be good.
Answer
First of all, we have no criminals, and those who you describe as criminals are those who defended their own people against the colonizing Jews who came from all over the world. Those people defended the diginty of the Palestinian people.
And the Palestinian Muslim mother, who loves her children, knows that scrifice for the sake of the belief and homeland shuld be precious. The Palestinian women raise their children, and not brainwash them.
Furthermore, martyrdom operator were not children, they were youngmen, children were only killed by the Israeli army where 150 children were killed.
Most of the attacks carried out by children were done by the children themselves without direct instructions from Hamas, which has issued a communique in 2003 preventing children from attempting to blow themsleves up against the occupying forces.
Name
Horace Rumpole
- United Kingdom
Profession
Barrister
Question
Would you not agree, Madam, that the Intifada has been counter productive and has earned the Palestinians the enmity of the civilised world because of their unwillingness to compromise? After all, you will never destroy Israel.
Answer
I don't think so, as one of the main result of the intifada is the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank. As for how the world governments view our resistance, we believe that they are dealing with the confilict in a double-standard policy, turning the victim into victimizer. However, I am confident that those who believe in freedom sympathize with our cause. Therefore, we hope that all people stand by the Palestinian people to help them live on their land with freedom.
When Jews came to Palestine, we owned the land, we were in hour farms and houses, living like any other people on the planet. We've been surprised watching Jews coming to our lands from all over the world (The United States, the United Kingdom,etc.) killing people and forcing them to leave their houses. They've even followed us to Gaza and the West Bank were most Palestinians were made refugees. I am confident that we will return back to our houses and farms one day.
Name
Richard
- United States
Profession
Question
I'm not a Muslim and am from the West. As such I am likely very ignorant about the Palestinians and Middle East issue in general. I can't help but think the media in my country does not represent the 'whole story' about that region and may be in favor of Israel.
Is Hamas a ruthless terrorist organization that likes to kill people of the book (Jews) for enjoyment? Or rather is Hamas a group that cares deeply about humanity in general but feels a grave injustice has occurred against their peoples? I sometimes wonder about this question because I met a few Muslims recently from the region and they were very nice people, not what I saw them as in the media. It makes me question if indeed your tactics are out of desperation because the world community may be ignoring these poor people...please educate us briefly about the true nature of Hamas. Thanks.
Answer
Thank you Mr. Richard for your question and your willingness to know about the truth of Hamas. First, I am sure that you and other millions of people around the world don't the truth about Hamas and the Palestian cause, because they've received all the information from biased media to Israel. The problem is that Hamas doesn't have a world media presesnce. And this is not because Hamas doesn't have the ability to reach out the world, but because we are not allowed to own internationally-reached media.
Hamas is a populare and political movement that moved from the Palestinian people to resist repression and occupation. When Hamas fought with the Jews that wasn't because they were Jews, but because they've occupied our land by force and turned an entire people into refugees. Hamas prevented the killing of any Jew outside the Land of Palestine and didn't transfer the war outside the border of Palestine.
Hamas, which is inspired by Islam, don't deal with people in accordance with any ethnic or dogmatic basis. We respect the international humanitarian law, since our inception we have had no record that include crimes against humanity.
The group is internationally respected as it constitutes a major political movement, regardless that some of EU governments have decided to boycott us under pressure from the US administration.
Name
Arthur Fonzarella
- United States
Profession
Motorcycle Mechanic
Question
How do you intend to overcome the corruption and violence in the Gaza Strip?
Answer
If the elections are democratically run and those who favored by people win, they'll be be able to control the security situation and they will fight the corruption and bring it to an end. Fair elections are the guarantee to end the lawlessness, violence and corruption, through the reiforcing the law and the judicial system.
Name
Maria
- Bahamas
Profession
nurse
Question
Are you receiving any support from the International Labour Organisation?
Answer
If this question is addressed to us as Hamas women, the answere is no.
Name
Chliha
- Sweden
Profession
Question
Salam,
This move by HAMAS to invite women in their parlament will change international communities view about HAMAS...This will be a good model for Palestine and for sure will get support internationally.
Is this first time women's participation at that level in goverment? Thank You.
Answer
Thanks you for your question. We hope that the Palestinian woman in Hamas will change how the internatinal community view our group through our comprehensive program that will surprise the world.
The Palestinian women have taken part in the Palestinian government and parliament, but this participation was limited. But for the next election the women participation in the elections will be much more the last elections.
Name
Tom
- United States
Profession
Question
Peace be upon you,
I would like to apologize for the treatment you have been getting today from some of our questioners. It is easy for them to criticize you because they have no idea what Palestinians have gone through. I am sure you do not hate Jewish people. I also know Hamas loves their children very much and wishes the violence could end. However, if you people just waited for Israel to do the right thing you would not have Gaza today nor see any hope for many years to come. Sometimes, people have to do things to make things right. It is very hypocritical for people here to judge you when they would do the same things in your position. They deny it now but if this happened to them for years and years they too would do anything they could for justice, Period. I am not Muslim but understand that you people just want what is right and it's hard for me to understand why people side against you when Israel has gone against the UN so many times. I hope the best for you people.
Answer
Thank your Mr. Tom for this comment and for your comprehensive understanding of our cause.
I am not offended at all by any question as I know that the mainstream world media don't convey the right image about us. However, we count on people like you to convey the truth.
Name
Bernard Rubble
-
Profession
Gravel Pit Construction
Question
I understood that women belong only in the kitchen and bedroom, if you know what I mean. Women should let us men make the laws. What do your menfolk say?
Answer
According to our Islamic culture life is shared between the man and woman. The man has his own role and the woman has her own. There are a lot of roles in the society that men and women should be equal at.
Name
Snerdley Whiplash
- Canada
Profession
Banker
Question
Is there any role that "non-violent disobedience" as preached by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. will play in Palestinian politics? If not, why not?
Answer
Any people who fall under occupation have the right to use all means to resist this occupation. I think you may know that the non-violent disobedience is acknowleldged by the UN to fight back any occupying forces.
Name
Alyssha
- United States
Profession
Islamic College of Dogpatch, Arkansas
Question
I do not think it is equitable that women have a quota of twenty percent in Parliament. Why not the same percentage as women in the general populace? Are you a second class citizen or a human being entitled to all the rights, privileges and immunities safeguarded to you by the United Nations Charter? Have you no backbone?
Answer
First of all I'd like to clarify that the 20% quota is the minimum number of seats the women should acquire in the Parliament. It is worth to mention that the current Parliament doesn't not have females members from the Islamic groups, and therefore we didn't take part in billing this law. We hope in the next elections the women will be represented in the size that accord with what the Palestinian voters decided.
Name
dr. azman
- Malaysia
Profession
consultant
Question
Assalamualaikum sis,
I commend the role of Hamas Women in the intifadhah. However i have great doubt that Hamas will be allowed to actively participate in the Palestinian election. All along the United States/Zionist israel has been dictating politics in Palestine by officially endorsing the current rule under the PLO/PA. My questions are how does hamas women leaders can overcome this situation knowing very well most of current PLO/PA leaders are puppets of the US/Zionist Israel and have betrayed the aspirations of Muslims throughout the whole world? And what kind of relations does hamas women activists have with Jihad Islami women activists especially in facing the current situations?
Answer
As for the United States and Israel, they are surely worried about Hamas because they are confident it will gain the trust of the Palestinian people as it holds the tools to change and serve the Palestinians society.
However, if Israel and the United States tried to hinder the elections or sabotage Hamas from taking part in the Palestinian government, this will have negative implications as Hamas will be outside the official governmental circle and it will remain as a fighting group. Therefore, they'll be faced by a difficult situation. Hamas has no problem whether with winning or losing the election.
Women in Hamas leadership, fully comprehend the nature of the current situation, and did so during the first intifada. Women in Hamas hold some major field activities without having a close competent despite our low media profile.
Name
Abdullah
- Canada
Profession
Question
I think many people do not understand Hamas. To me they are a group that loves their people so much they are willing to endure great criticism and their life. What can be more Nobel? Has anyone one these people who criticize Hamas ever stood in the rain for 8 hours at an Israeli checkpoint in the rain with their family, only to hear there is a so-called 'curfew' in place. No. They don't know the treatment we Palestinians have faced. Have they ever had their home bulldozed down or had their kids killed due to an Israeli bullet. No. Instead they watch some TV and get the idea that Palestinians are just monsters who put bombs on their kids. Wrong. We love our kids so much that we are willing to endure pain for their future. Why? Because Israel has ignored the world community on this issue so many times, taking more and more land. Why violence? Because the jihad of the pen and talking to others gave us zero results. Nobody cared. Hypocrites. There is not one man alive who would not resort to anything they could to save their family from abuse. I don't hate Jews. No. I hate the things they do sometimes. I wish people could be more open minded and understand we are a peoples in great need. Instead we get insulted and are just to disappear as not to be a problem. We are not going away and we are not going to put up with injustice.
Answer
Thank you brother, May Allah help you. And for us we've got the results of our patience. We hope that Allah provide us with might to liberate more parts of Palestine.
