26 Feb 2012
By Khalid Amayreh The latest visit to Tehran by Hamas' prime minister
Ismael Haniya raised many eyebrows among Palestinians
everywhere who viewed its timing as "problematic and
unwise." Critics argue that having amicable audience and
cordial meetings with the Iranian leadership at this
time is bound to be interpreted by many Muslims as a
brazen betrayal of the Syrian revolution, including
the Syrian Muslim Brothers, the Alawite regime's arch
foe and ultimate enemy. Iran, which officially claims it doesn't interfere
in the Syrian situation, is one of the Assad regime's
ardent supporters. The same thing applies to the
Lebanese militia of Hizbullah which is rumored to
assist the Syrian army in its bloody crackdown on the
freedom movement. The ruling Alawite sect in Syria is an esoteric
branch of Shiism. In recent years, Shiite scholars
tried to "rehabilitate" the Alawites, with some Shiite
clerics issuing edicts that the Alawites were bona
fide Shiites. The Alawites are anthropomorphists who believe
that the Prophet Muhammed's cousin and son-in-law Ali
was God-Incarnate.. Syrian sources close to the anti-Assad movement
have reported that Iranian fighters were spotted
helping regime's forces kill peaceful protesters,
However, these reports have not be confirmed by
independent or third-party sources. Until fairly recently, Hamas resorted to
reiterating terse statements affirming its "absolute
neutrality" with regard to "the situation" in Syria. Hamas' politburo chief Khalid Misha'al said during
a recent aljazeera interview that "we support the Arab
peoples' quest for freedom but we can't betray those
who stood with us during hard times." Officially, Misha'al's remarks passed quietly as
many ordinary Palestinians understood, though
begrudgingly, that Hamas had to refrain from burning
all bridges with Damascus or Tehran before knowing for
sure the direction of political winds in Syria. But this logic is not being widely and readily
accepted, especially among the more
ideologically-oriented Islamists who believe religion,
not politics, must always come first. One veteran Islamist leader who had spent many
years in Israeli jails told the Weekly that
"expediency plays a role in the formation of Muslims'
positions, but not when Muslim blood is being spilled
on a large scale in the streets and squares of
Syria." The middle-aged Hebronite read a Hadith or saying
of the Prophet Muhammed that "whoever aids or abets in
spilling an innocent Muslim's blood will have no hope
for God's mercy on the Day of Judgment." In their hearts, even supporters of the Gaza-Tehran
connection swear they are with the Syrian people soul
and heart. Ahmed Yousef, a former political advisor to Haniya,
told the Weekly that "Hamas can't be a genuine Islamic
movement while siding with murderous regimes against
the people. "And it would be wrong to assume that the
ostensible ambiguity and ambivalence connote or
denote support for the regime in Damascus." Yosuf, none the less, admitted that "occasionally,
a free man must seek the friendship of an enemy for
survival." In Tehran, Haniya was accorded a stately reception.
He also had a cordial meeting with the Iranian
spiritual leader Ali Khamenaei. It is likely that Iran tried to use the visit to
alleviate its isolation. Supporting the Palestinian
cause is always a winning card in Tehran. This is
certainly the case ever since the triumph of the
Khomeini revolution in 1978. Moreover, it is generally
understood that the Iranian support for the
Palestinians is considered one of the main factors
behind the sullen hostility shown toward the Iranian
regime by Israel and her guardian-ally, the United
States. It is uncertain how large is the amount of
financial aid Tehran gives the Islamist regime in
Gaza. Some Gaza sources point out that Iranian aid to
Hamas was erratic and dwindling. However, Haniya's
visit to Tehran, which was termed a "resounding
success" by both sides, seems to have convinced the
Islamist government in Gaza that this is not the time
to scale down relations with Tehran. One Hamas' official, Ismael Radwan, lashed out at
critics of Haniya's visit to Tehran. "What do the critics want. The Arabs, or most of
them, are squandering their billions on their lusts
and vagaries, but Iran is helping us remain steadfast
and resilient in the face of Israel." The Gazan Islamist leader further advised critics
to examine their Islamic credentials, especially their
obligations toward the Aqsa Mosque. "Look, Arab leaders are not even raising the
matter with foreign diplomats. So, what do these
people really want? Do they want us to tell the
Iranians that our civilians will die of hunger and
lack of medical care because we don't accept Iranian
aid." Apart from Hamas' decision to maintain liaison with
Damascus, some Sunni Arab voices are worried that Iran
might utilize its badly-needed financial aid to Gaza
to convert Sunnis to Shi'ism. A few months ago, a small group of neophytes tried
to hold a procession in Gaza to commemorate the
martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the nephew of the Prophet.
However, the move was suppressed before it began and
those involved were charged with spreading schism and
endangering social cohesion. Palestinian Muslims, who constitute 99.95 of the
overall population of the West Bank, Gaza and East
Jerusalem, are almost all Sunni who resent any notion
of conversion to the esoteric Shiite sect. One Palestinian journalist wrote an article
recently warning that "there should be no tolerance
for those who curse the companions and wives of the
Prophet, worship tombs and dead saints and bloody
their bodies during Ashura," an allusion to the
Shiites. Iran denies any sectarian motives behind its policy
toward the Palestinians. (end) Comments 💬 التعليقات |