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My question is: What do you think Palestine is headed for, is there a civil war about to happen somehow?! And how is the view of palestinian people towards Hamas right now?
Answer
I don’t think anyone hopes to see a civil war in Palestine, but hopes are a thing and reality is another. In other words, have the Palestinian or even the Arab political circles done anything to steer the Palestinians away from a potential civil war? This is the question. I think that unless all concerned close ranks and unite, this could lead to a civil war, God forbid.
I think also that the situation needs instant course of action to avoid a civil war. First, the rhetoric and military battles between factions must stop . Second, the Palestinian factions should start to reach mechanisms by which they stop the causes which could lead to this civil war such as military parades in the streets and show of force on the part of both parties. Third, the political forces should pave the way for a national unity government .
Who is to blame? Surely Abu Mazen and Hamas. Even if we assume that one party is mistaken, this does not alter the fact that the other party is also to blame because they didn’t move to calm the situation before it escalates.
The Palestinian people may sympathize with Hamas because they know that Hamas is able to prevent situations from deteriorating . I think that Hamas' image was harmed to some extent but it also has to made brave steps to stop acts of violence which pose a threat to the Palestinian people.
Name
maisoon
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Profession
Question
AlSalam Alaykoum
I have watched some Fatah's people supporting Farouq Al-Qaddumi with his speech -that opposes Abbas's call-, and I believe that it is a wise speech, and there is a speech from others in the Fatah Movement supporting Abu Mazen's call!.Does that mean that Fatah is divided between the inside and the outside?
Answer
I think that re-holding the election will work in favor of Fatah as this
could return it to power, and I believe that there are leaderships in Fatah which press for this matter. I also think that Fatah is not too divided on this issue, since the voices which oppose president Abbas do not have enough majority to form a prominent opposition .
On the surface, Fatah is decided on the issue of re-holding the elections and I think it is headed to this direction. So, I don’t think that Farouk Kaddoumi's anti-election position gains support within Fatah, at least the movement inside.
Name
lesa
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Profession
Question
hi,
it's appeared, do you believe that Abu Mazen is capable of the work of early elections? and what is it that prevents him from not re-holding elections?
Answer
I think that Abu Mazen has legal reasons for holding presidential election but not the parliament election. He may make his way and hold these elections but no one knows how things will go either before or after the election.
The election could come up with results which he and the US hope to be. There are two factors which make it difficult to hold early election, mainly if a national unity government is formed and if heated disputes continue between Fatah and Hamas.
There may be a third reason, mainly if Abu Mazen has come to believe that this step could lead to a serious escalation in situations in Palestine in a way that could prompt him stop it.
Name
Egfoo Yong
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Profession
Tugboat Skipper
Question
In view of the barbaric murder of the three little boys in Gaza by Hamas, can anyone in their right mind believe that Palestinians will ever be mature enough to engage in a responsible self-government or are you doomed to live in such barbaric society devoid of what we in the East describe as Western civilisation? Frankly, I find your brutality rather disgusting. What is your opinion regarding the foregoing?
Answer
I think that the killing of the three children is a heinous crime which necessitates the Palestinian factions to reconsider their positions, since the blood of the innocents has been shed at the hands of Palestinians, which makes us question the wisdom behind this and who stands behind it and what is the very end of this heinous act.
I think that an independent fact finding committee should be formed which could reach an answer to these questions, given that recent confrontations showed that there is a settlement of old accounts between officials in security apparatuses, and that the target may have been the father of the three children rather than the children themselves. If it turned that the children were the target, then it will be depicted as a criminal act and a heinous crime which is unforgettable.
I rule out that the perpetrator is from Hamas, simply because as far as the modern history of Palestine is concerned, Hamas has never been part of any assassination attempts of settlement of old accounts. Even with these happenings, the Palestinian people are in nee of a government and a state ,as these crimes could happen in any state from Europe to America and Australia, and you can see by yourself.
Finally, the occupation caters for these crimes and I don’t rule out that the perpetrators took their orders from the enemies of the Palestinian people who exert relentless efforts to foment civil war in Palestine.
Name
Eeye Owmytonga
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Profession
Tax Collectionary
Question
Does the election have pertinence with lack of government security police.
Answer
One reason that may be behind Abbas' call for early election is that the Palestinian security forces are inactive now. They are unable to control the situation and the restless security status quo.
Yes, there are two main problems currently facing the Palestinians domestically: the deteriorated security state and the aggravated humanitarian and economic conditions. Moreover, the Palestinians are abjectly suffering from the Israeli occupation and its merciless practices.
What we actually need is a unity government that could face these challenges and provide security and safety for every citizen.
Name
Hilary Toadstool
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Profession
Lecturer on Female Anatomy
Question
I have long held the belief that the preferred methodology for resolving the Palestinian question is to adopt a strict prohibition against religions, particularly Islam, which has proved to be both a hindrance and a burden to your people enjoying life instead of engaging in self-destructive and useless violence. I compare you to the Swiss who have managed to live peacefully for the past millennium although their neighbours resent their haughty and arrogant women. Is it not time to at least consider this or are the Palestinian population doomed to endless failure?
Answer
It seems that the questioner does not live events on the ground, since what happens in an area does not necessarily happen in other areas like Palestine.
The religion of Islam has taken root into the Palestinian society, and any attempt to ban the religion or the political issues related to it will be a failure. The logical solution is that we tackle our own problems and solve them on the ground and correct any mistaken understanding of religion. Besides, Islam does not pose an obstacle or a threat to the Palestinian people .
On the contrary, it protects the people's rights and heritage and values. What we need is to advance the people's awareness of religion and employs religion to be in the interest of the Palestinian individual. I don’t think anyone in Palestine agree with you on this opinion, and I think that the problem of the Palestinian people is obviously the occupation. Once the occupation is expelled , the Palestinian people may live a better life than many people in the world do. But regrettably, the Western societies keep silent over the occupation and even support it and turn blind eye to its brutalities.
The West keeps pathetic silent toward those who kill the children and at the same time it blames the victims and accuses them of backwardness and incompetence.
Name
Dr Sulaiman Rifai
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Profession
translator.
Question
Dear Brother. It is sad to see what going on in Palestain right now.It is clear that fighting between Muslims is Haram and still they are fighting for political power and influence. Zionists may be laughing at what is going on in Palestain now. why Muslim leadership in Palestain can not understand this simple matters. Such internal fighting will have huge impact on Islam and Muslims. It worries all of us as Muslim brotehrs living outside Palestain.
Answer
You are right, brother. What happens is very regrettable . the problem is that there are factors which led to what happened . First and foremost was the winning of Hamas which was a big blow to Fatah movement in the parliament election. Regrettably, Fatah cashed in on the blockade imposes on the Palestinians and the deteriorating situation to make attempts to topple Hamas –led government and return to power.
This is an ordinary thing in any democratic country where the opposition forces try to topple the government, but I see that Fatah should stand by the government in confronting the occupation and the international blockade. Second, there may be foreign hands which seek to raise chaos on the security situation, shooting bullets here and there indiscriminately to play the factions off against each other.
Third, I think the leaderships which don’t want to give up their positions are held responsible for what is happening on the arena now, and they, instead, should seek imminent move to iron out the disputes and reach a national accordance. Fourth, I think that the Arab and international parties should play a role in tackling the problems, and they also should step in to save the situation before it further deteriorates and seek to bring all factions close to a unified form of agreement.
Name
Ludwig von Drake
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Profession
Philanderer
Question
Does Abu Mazen compare favourably or badly with former Chairman Arafat in his current situation?
Answer
Abu Mazen is totally different from Arafat. Arafat was a leader who didn’t want anyone to share him decision making. He was greatly unique, although he had advisors. Unlike Arafat, Abu Mazen consults all those around him on everything, and this illustrates that Abu Mazen's advisors don’t give him proper advice.
On the other hand, Abu Mazen is flexible in dealing with the other Palestinian political forces, and I think that Abu Mazen uses wisdom in dealing with different situations in a way that helps him reach middle ground solutions with various political forces, a quality which Arafat lacked. It is important also to point out that not all the Fatah movement members support Abu Mazen, which makes him obliged to find ways to deal with all different factions and opinions
Name
dana abu mahyoub
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Profession
ms
Question
AlSalam Alaykoum
A specific question:
Do you see that Abu Mazen's speech was a presidential speech of the Palestinian people or speech to a single party leader? And why did Abbas depend on this kind of the speech with your belief?
Answer
I think Abu Mazen's rhetoric shows his belonging to Fatah although he speaks as a president for the entire Palestinian people. This shows clearly in his recent speech when he interpreted the incidences from Fatah's point of view and repeated what the Fatah leadership said and put himself as a rival to the Hamas- led government. Abu Mazen is largely to blame I think for what happened, but Hamas also acted as a movement while it should act as a government.
This led matters to reach a state of polarization on the part of both Hamas on the one hand and the presidency together with Fatah on the other. The Palestinian government should have acted as a representative of the entire Palestinian people, and Abbas was supposed to stand a position representing the Palestinian people, and the two parties were supposed to seek to solve the outstanding problems away from the partisan interests.
Name
Sami
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Profession
Question
Who do you think, can intervene today to help resolving the current severe crisis? Can the Arab league do something? Why the other Arab countries are just beholding without being able to do any thing?
Answer
I think that the Arab League can play a significant role, and some states like Egypt, Qatar and Yemen have played active roles thereof. However, I think it is a shame that we resort to Arab states to end the crisis and iron out disputes among Palestinian factions. Rather, the Palestinian factions themselves should prove able to confront challenges and sit and reach understanding which could achieve the Palestinian people's ambitions.
However, we hail every Arab effort and we have to invest such efforts greatly. I think that the Arab and Muslim governments have to arrange meetings between Hamas and Fatah to work to iron out the disputes between them and bring views closer and non allowing any infighting or leaving situations deteriorate . They have to know that they will be held accountable before God in the hereafter and thus they have to move quickly and not to waste time.
Name
Fauroze
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Profession
Question
Who do you think is behind fueling these events in Palestine? Do you think Israel is entirely innocent regarding this incidents?
Some say It's Israel and others say it's Fatah men who killd the three children to get the chance of early elections. What do you think?
Answer
I think some issues can be linked together. Israel and the US, that both are pressing consistently to down the Hamas-led government, have hands in what's happening now. Some say Fatah receives money from the US to stand in the face of Hamas, but does the US back Fatah when it comes to clashing with Hamas? Let's not be supporters of the conspiracy theory.
What is clear and easily perceived is that the two sides- Fatah and Hamas- are responsible for the current crisis, as they failed to virtually promote the language of dialogue pertaining to reaching a national unity government.
Certainly, There are secret agents who work in all directions to escalate the situation in Palestine. And I think All sides could avoid the clash before it started, but they did not act properly. What we urgently need now is dialogue. In other word, the two sides have to sit together and faithfully seek to agree on a set of basic principles that each side must abide by whatever happens.
They have to find a common and solid ground to reach the unity government as soon as poosible, and they have to see this as the first and top priority.
I think it's enough now to point fingers at others, that we of course hold responsible for our crises, but importantly, we should work hard to solve our problems regardless of what they do or plot to do.
Name
Ahmed
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Profession
Question
Does Abbas have the legal power to call for early elections? I mean, Abbas called for new elections and Hamas Rejected his call. Who is legally right? and what do the laws say in this regard.
Answer
There are not legal texts allowing Abbas to hold early election, but he circumvented the general legal texts which provide that the people are the source of powers and on the bases of this article, he considered the people as the reference to choose what they want and who to rule them.
According to the constitution, the term of sessions of the Palestinian Legislation Council PLC is four year, and the constitution didn’t give anyone the right to suspend the parliamentary life or holding early election. In my belief, what is happening refers to loopholes in the constitution, but this does not justify violating it. As far as I know, the early election is not legal, and that the way out is the national accordance between Fatah and Hamas and the other factions.
Also I see that they have to work closely with each other in the future to lay down an interpretation memorandum of the constitution and amend its articles in a way that meets the Palestinian people's aspirations.
Name
Felicity A.
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Profession
Journalist
Question
Are you optimistic or pessimistic with current developments and, if so, please elaborate with special emphasis on freedom of the press, or lack thereof.
Answer
I am optimistic on the medium and long run, but I am optimistic about the situation in the short run, as the situation is very serious and all the Palestinians are under threat and there is not light in the end of the tunnel. However, I think that this deteriorating situation makes incumbent on all parties to move to seek a way out of the crisis.
I think what is happening reminds me of the pre birth state and we hope that this pre birth state ends with vast vistas before the Palestinian people. As regards the media, what is happening is an indicator that the media is headed to freedom, with the press for the first time speaking frankly of the current situation and criticizing the government.
The media has to seize the opportunity of this light of freedom to maintain and hold fast to the freedom of expression and not subscribe to any pressures from any quarter whatever it is. There are much which we have to do to attain the freedom of the press, but I think that the win of Hamas in the recent parliamentary election has opened the door wide before the press to enhance its performance and play a role in alerting the Palestinian people about the goings on locally and internationally.
Name
Editor..
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Profession
Question
The session has ended. We would like to thank both Prof. Farid Abou Dhir for taking the time to answer the questions of IslamOnline viewers, and all those who participated in this live dialogue.
we apologize for not being able to answer all the questions we received due to time limitations.
