'Hamas' terror is not a reaction to the occupation

[barb162]

Last update - 14:54 23/05/2006


'Hamas' terror is not a reaction to the occupation

By Assaf Uni

"Israel's right to exist is today the international criterion for distinguishing between the terrorist camp and the camp of life," says Magdi Allam, the Egyptian-Italian journalist and writer who is now visiting Israel.

"On one side, there is the Hamas government, Iran, fundamentalist Islam and even parts of the extreme left and right in Europe." On the other side, he says, are Western countries and "supporters of the right to live." The West, he believes, has consistently failed to grasp its situation: It does not understand that it is under attack, and it is trying to conduct a dialogue with the Muslims attacking it.

Allam, 54 and a native of Egypt, immigrated to Italy some 30 years ago and studied sociology at La Sapienza University in Rome. Today he is the deputy editor of Corriere della Sera, Italy's largest newspaper, and is one of the country's leading journalists. In a series of books, articles and public appearances, Allam has not hesitated to criticize radical Islam openly. He even attacks the weakness he claims the West in general - and Europe in particular - show in the face of the growth of radical Islam.


"The West thinks the Islamic terrorism that struck New York, London and Madrid is a reaction, a kind of uprising of the poor against the wealthy," he says in an interview with Haaretz. According to Allam, the West does not understand that it is facing an organized attack that is gradually gaining supporters around the world. Following September 11, he says, a new and dangerous front has emerged of Muslim radicals and extreme left- and right-wing elements that must be dealt with forcefully.
snip
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/718674.html

[mike_c]

1. it's self-serving garbage like this that necessitates...

...a separate containment forum on DU.

[Phx_Dem]

2. did you read the article?

On Sunday, Allam received the Dan David prize for his "exceptional journalistic work and commitment to freedom of the press." He shared the $1 million prize with three other journalists - Monica Gonzales of Chile (see above article), Adam Michnik of Poland and Goenawan Mohamad of Indonesia. The prizes were awarded at a ceremony, attended by Israeli President Moshe Katsav, at the Tel Aviv University campus. Other prizes were awarded to cellist Yo-Yo Ma and cancer researchers John Mendelsohn and Joseph Schlessinger.

The prize committee, whose members include the head of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and the editor of The New Yorker, commended Allam "for continuously voicing his opinion against extremism and in favor of tolerance." According to the committee, Allam proves that "positive dialogue with moderate Islam is both possible and necessary."

[pelsar]

3. "self serving garbage....

Allam proves that "positive dialogue with moderate Islam is both possible and necessary."

that and the fact that hes Egyptian, speaks arabic, studied sociology.....probably understands a lot more than any "white elitist" living in a country far from the conflict that neither understands the local language or customs....sounds so much like the colonialist attitudes of the past, somethings are just hard to get rid of....

[Malikshah]

4. Not the words I would have used. But I agree that the article

is more than a little self-serving.

I know the region is known for its arid conditions in some places, but...not enough sand around to fit all the heads of the ostriches who would think like this author...

[pelsar]

5. hows your arabic?

every live in the middle east?...or is this one of those colonialistic type attitudes where the "white man knows better than the natives?

[Malikshah]

6. Jayyid wa na'am

Try a bit harder next time.

One studies history to interpret the past to deal with the present in order to confront the future.

The article does none of this.

As to the method of argument where one has to provide bona fides--for whatever reason--is tiresome obfuscation.

[pelsar]

7. interpretation....

requires understanding of the local cultures....if one cant understand the motivations of the locals one can hardly "interpret" their actions.

Attempting to :"understand" via western eyes" a middle eastern mentality doesnt always work.

he states very clearly: The West, he believes, has consistently failed to grasp its situation....

[Tom Joad]

8. Have you lived in the West Bank Pelsar?

[pelsar]

10. nope.....

nor would i want to live there.... thought i've "visited" it a lot....gaza too...over the past 20 years

[Djinn]

12. so no more criticism of people living there then huh

after all you can't possibly understand it particularly seeing as you're not only seeing it from an outsiders perspective but as a citizen of the ACTUAL colonising nation :eyes:

[geek tragedy]

14. Neither did the Saudis who hijacked the 9/11 planes. eom

[Englander]

9. Aye.

I don't know which is more depressing - the fact that Allam is the deputy editor of a national
Italian newspaper, or that there's a fanbase in the US for his particular brand of shite.

[barb162]

11. I thought it was pretty darn good!

neither self-serving nor garbag

[number6]

13. the occupation fuels Hamas

Hamas uses Terrorism as Tactic
Israel uses occupation and oppression as a tactic
occupation and oppression terrorizes the Palestinian People
round and round we go