Posted by David on June 26, 2007, 10:46 am, in reply to "Richard Downes responds..." --Previous Message--
Message modified by board administrator June 26, 2007, 12:30 pm
Dear Richard,
Thank you for your prompt reply.
I am of course serious in my questions, though obviously there is a context to them. And just to be clear, it was you that posed the question to Dr. Ahmed Yousef, not me.
You must be aware that when you put the words 'radical' and 'Islamist' together you lead the viewer into an inescapable frame. Have a quick search of any mainstream newspaper and see where these terms appear, you'll find as I have done that many if not most of the results relate to terrorism, suspicion of terrorism and prosecution of terrorists. Now if we apply these terms, without any obvious need other than to put the two sides at opposite ends of the spectrum, to a democratically elected group then there seems no point in asking the question, other than to reinforce the point.
Following your conversation with Dr. Ahmed Yousef - the confirmation of the extremist/radical Islamist label - you then spoke to an Israeli spokesperson who hinted none-too-subtly of the new 'frame' for this conflict. It is now to be understood as a battle between Islamic extremism and the Jewish state, no doubt exactly as was anticipated.
Yet there is reason to believe the recent bloodshed was not simply the result of 'extremism', but a pre-emptive response to the threat of a Washington backed Fatah coup. Which begs the question, were there no more pertinent questions?
Best Wishes,
David
: Dear David,
:
: Thank you for your email. I'll respond more
: fully when I get back to Dublin but I'm
: wondering if you are serious in questioning
: my description of Hamas as a 'radical
: Islamist' organisation. I lost count of the
: number of times Hamas officials in Gaza
: described their party as the true 'radical
: party' committed to creating a strict
: 'Islamic state' in Gaza. That, of course,
: was some of the milder stuff.
:
: Richard
:
: --Previous Message--
: Richard.Downes@rte.ie
: complaints@rte.ie
:
:
: Dear Richard Downes,
:
: Hope you are well.
:
: I write to ask a few questions of your
: report yesterday from Gaza (RTE 9 News
: 25/06/07). In an interview with Dr. Ahmed
: Yousef, you put to him the worries of the
: International community: "They are
: worried you are an extremist
: organisation." Yet you had already and
: continue to describe Hamas as "the
: radical Islamist party." If you first
: assert that Hamas are 'radical Islamists'
: (another way of saying 'extremists') then
: does that not negate the point of asking Dr.
: Yousef whether they are or not? [1]
:
: Who decides whether Hamas are 'radical
: Islamists/extremists' and Fatah
: 'moderates/mainstream'? By accepting these
: labels are you simply accepting the
: contrived frames set by the 'international
: community'?
:
: You also stated that "since the blood
: shed Arab leaders and the mainstream
: president Mahmoud Abbas have turned against
: Hamas." Is it not the case that Mahmoud
: Abbas had turned against Hamas prior to the
: blood shed?
:
: Reuters reported earlier this month:
: "The U.S. government began to lay the
: ground for President Mahmoud Abbas to
: dismiss the Hamas-led Palestinian government
: at least a year before the Islamist group's
: violent takeover of the Gaza Strip last
: week." [2]
:
: Which is no surprise given that
: "[s]ince the election victory of Hamas
: in January 2006, the United States and
: Israel have worked to isolate and damage
: Hamas and build up Fatah with recognition
: and weaponry." Not to mention the fact
: numerous Hamas officials have been kidnapped
: over the last year. [3]
:
: Yours sincerely,
:
: David Manning
:
: 1. http://www.rte.ie/news/9news/
: 2.
:
: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L17443574.htm
: 3.
:
: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/world/middleeast/14mideast.html?partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print
:
:
:
Message Thread:
« Back to thread