It is very strange that America and the European Union call for democracy in the Middle East and then reject the results of a democratic election that brought Hamas to power.
The Palestinian people freely made their choice. Hamas won the election. Palestinians have peacefully expressed their conviction that Hamas will be able to stand up to Israel politically.
The West, however, has refused to accept the outcome of this election by saying that Hamas is a terrorist group — terrorist because they are fighting an occupying force and calling for independence for their country. The international community should know that Hamas is not a terrorist group as claimed by the Israelis. They are a national movement struggling for freedom and independence for their people. There is a big difference between terrorism and freedom struggle.
If we looked at things through the American/Israeli prism then George Washington will be a terrorist. Between 1767 and 1774, 13 northern states revolted against the British government. The locals saw the British as the occupying force and started a fight against it. George Washington led the 13 states in a long fight against the British Army and managed to win independence in 1783.
Charles de Gaulle of France could also be considered a terrorist because he led the French resistance against the German occupying forces in 1939.
The political lies and false accusations by the Western media that depicts Hamas and the Palestinians as terrorists are futile. Many Westerners themselves have begun doubting the Western propaganda. The CIA has lost the world’s trust after their big lie about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was exposed.
One of the biggest lies in President George Bush’s State of the Union address was when he said that America and democracy won in Iraq and that Hamas is a terrorist organization. However, he could not deny that the elections were free. Instead, he ordered Hamas to change their political program, disarm their military wing and recognize Israel’s existence. These conditions are unjust and a challenge to Palestinians’ political and democratic sovereignty. It is unjust to ask the Palestinians to give up their land claims for the sake of Israelis.
Bush said that his country is leading the world in spreading “the flame of freedom” (as he called it in his 2005 inaugural address), and curbing the role of radical Muslims. To many Arabs he sounds as though he wants to start a new crusade.
If Americans reject Hamas as a freely elected governing political group, then what is all this talk about promoting democracy in the Middle East?
Fortunately, it seems many Americans are now beginning to see the light. Now more and more Americans are convinced that Bush went to war in Iraq on false pretexts. Very soon they will realize what he really means when he talks about “spreading” democracy in the Middle East.
