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The Hamas Organization A Critical Analysis

Name

Course Name Professor April 30, 2011

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The Hamas Organization A Critical Analysis The world has been the place the where coexistence is a thing that has been advocated for the longest time. The advent of sharing of resources and the process of presence of the difference in the cultural and historical background has seen the invocation situations that have led to proliferation of wars and longtime insurgencies. The resultant of this is the implementation of laws that help in the bringing of sanity in the community (Hroub, 2010). In this paper we look at Hamas as a terrorist group and find answers to the following questions: 1. What is terrorism? Is there a real definition? Is Hamas a terrorist group? 2. What is the role of the state in Hamas? 3. Where does Hamas get its funding from? Do they have enough resources? 4. What is the local political context? 5. In the broader geo-political context, where does Hamas stand? Globalization has seen the processing of and or the implementation of many laws that try in the fighting of common problems. For example in the world today the formulation of the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) has been the greatest driving force that many countries are willing to attain and incorporate in the development strategies they might have. The political and social settings need to be changed to allow the assimilation of the many events and situations that require the at most consideration in the quest to move forward in the very things we do. The political willingness and the ideological and philosophical acceptance need to be

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enhanced soothe the implementation of this changes can be a success (Hroub, 2010). The issues of shared resources have always been the common breeding places of historical indifferences that may cause the loss of many lives. The issues that may need to be solved can in way be used by many in the achievement of personal interest and this in some way may bring out the complexity in the solving of the issues at hand (Hroub, 2010). The feeling that one party is oppressed has always been the driving force in the wide spread revolts against other groups that may have an overall effect not only in the governance of the states affected but also in the regions that the rivals groups reside. The dire need of providing solutions should be done with at most sanity so that harmony can be allowed to reign (Hroub, 2010). Definitions of Terrorism According to Saul (2006), terrorism is the organized act that displays serious violations of the human rights, the jeopardizing of the state affairs, and the provocation of violence through public or political arenas, threatens the international peace and security. In the violation of the human right, the terror group may be involved in the denial of goods or services to the common citizens. This sets in the issues of human suffering. The terror group may do this in the name of instilling fear hence allowing them to be in control of the regions (Kadi et al, 2010). The group in question can have the role of putting up situations that may inject a situation causing the overall instability in the regions they exist. The states in the areas these groups exist usually have had times in

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the cooling of the heat stirred by the group. The political atmosphere is usually distorted making it hard to implement some of the important protocols that govern a country. When the subject of terrorism is discussed in the context of international law, the issue inevitably arises of how to define terrorism and that a substantial number of international conventions have been agreed which deal with various aspects of terrorism, but in all these conventions terrorism is defined in a way that is specific to the subjectmatter of the particular convention (Sorel, 2003, p. 365). In other terms, no universal definition of terrorism can thus be discerned from them. This approach has proved adequate in the past, but recent events, and the reactions to those events in the context of international law, have made it necessary for a comprehensive definition to be agreed. Saul (2008) notes that a "A combination of pragmatic and principled arguments supports the case for defining terrorism in international law", including the need to condemn violations to Human rights, to protect the state and deliberative politics, to differentiate public and private Violence, and to ensure International Peace and Security (p.1). Novotny (2008) however offers a clear definition by saying an act is terrorist if and only if: it is committed by an individual privately; it is directed indiscriminately against non-combatants; the goal is to achieve something politically relevant; and this goal is pursued by means of fear provoking violence (p23-32). The issue surrounding peace in the Middle East has always landed on the critical analysis of the terror group HAMAS. The word HAMAS is an acronym of the Islamic

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group, arakat al-Muqwamat al-Islmiyyah that means Islamic resistance. It has its location in Palestine and has been actively controlling the Gaza strip (Milton-Edwards, & Farrell, 2010). The group was formed in 1987 and has been a branch of the Muslim brotherhood where interrelations have been maintained since then. The group controls the West bank also and they target the killing of the Israelis both within the country and the surrounding territories. The groups main issue is to control Israel as a whole (Mishal & Sela, 2010). What is the role of the state in Hamas? The areas of interest for the HAMAS were acquisitions by the Israeli government after a fierce war with Egypt. The war never lasted for long and after only six days, Egyptians surrendered (Mishal & Sela, 2010) .The main reason of the Egyptians giving out this land so easily, is the fact that the region was uncontrollable by the government and it had resident with hard-line Islamic stands (Rosaler, 2009). Having been frustrated by the fact that they group cannot control the country, Israel, they resulted in the use of terrorism acts that included the declaration of Jihad, the Muslim holy war on Israel. The group has been on the fore front in the execution of many attacks in the territories that inhabit the Israelis. The military and the citizens are usually their preferred targets and in return most of groups members have died in the crossfire the group has had with government forces (Mishal, 2010). For this reasons the group no longer hide its undertakings where they now use public areas in the recruitment of its members. The group has also increased the kidnapping of Israeli citizens and this result in further conflict propagation.

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The group has always had leadership structures that sometimes operate in different ways depending on the issue at hand (Rosaler, 2009). This has made he negotiation plan even more hard since the unanimous of the group lacks and he interest have always been made complex. Despite the inhuman activity the group conducts, it has implemented some developmental programs that are geared towards the minding of the general public welfare .Schools have been built and the groups has sometimes held the fund raising in the dire need of solving some of the common problems that affect the community (Rosaler, 2009). The quest for the restoration of the sanity in Israel has led in the implementation of rigorous laws. This was meant to make the HAMAS more deterred in the execution of attacks. The country is one of the most experienced in the counter terrorism acts more than any country in the modern world. This has seen the global retaliation in the kind of techniques used by this government in the acquisition of information to help in the restoration of peace and harmony in the region. The country adopted the prevention of terrorism Ordinance immediately after its independence in 1948.The law was clear in the definition of terrorism and it included the participant in the act and the provider of resources as both terrorists. The law gave the directives concerning its intelligence agency, Shin Bet, where it had the mandate of detaining any individual suspected to be a terrorist and also the powers to lock down any center feared to be conducting the acts of terrorism. The law also had the directives that the Israeli government would not sympathize with any terrorist in the region. The government also made it clear that the terror groups

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would not be allowed in the flying of their flags or in the display of their symbols. The government also had the role of cancelling of any contracts that might have been made by terror groups in the country an outside the country. The government despite the many worldwide critics did not change its status concerning the implemented laws to counter terrorism. The country saw the all-round surveillance of its borders. It invested heavily in the resource intensive researches rather than in the technological sector. This has proved to be a good venture since the government was able to have all the records of its assets and people that helped in the provision of concise information and also help in the control of its affairs. This has brought sanity in both its public and private sectors. The government also adopted the notion of zero tolerance to terrorist requests and it also implemented a budgetary allocation that saw almost 10% of the GDP being used in the defense sector. Where does Hamas get its funding from? The terrorist groups globally have usually had places where they can attain their funding. The HAMAS is one of them. The sources are mainly in the support of the activities that the groups do. This funding may come inform of legitimate aid from partners both far and wide. The groups can also have their own drives where they can organize small source funding to help in the local operations. The HAMAS mostly attain its funding from the Arabic world where the most contributors are Iran and Saudi Arabia. It has been speculated that also West Europe and North American countries have the hand in the funding of the organization group.

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The US intelligence has stipulated a 50 million dollar had been received by the HAMAS as of 2003.These funding was mainly acquired through charities .This occurs since the group has been on the forefront in the provision of aid to the Palestinian government where failure is looming. The group has also had its member in the US and also in Europe where the main contributors are usually the Palestinian population. This is mainly done through the fundraising process mainly referred to as the Dawa activity. This is mainly done to aid the terrorist groups and also in the provision of aid to the common population. The process has since received a downfall in the recent times since the US has stated that it may bankrupt the accounts associated in the collection of the funds in its territories. This in return might undermine the groups reputation as a charity organization. The HAMAS regionally has very strategic financial structure in the Dawa that results in the sourcing of tens of millions of dollars. In the Gulf States, the HAMAS gets its funding from the Gulf Cooperation Council State that mainly includes the Saudi Arabia country that amounts to a whopping 12 million dollars annually. The Iranian government also contributes a total of 3 million dollars annually. The charitable organizations in these territories are not left out. The HAMAS mainly gets its funding from the mosques and other foundations within the territories where the platform also provides the group the most appropriate scenario in the recruitment of its members. The process of identifying the uses of the money in Palestine is difficult in that the money sourced from within and outside is put in the same place where distribution is done according to the need at hand.

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In line with its sections elsewhere in the region, the countries supporting the group always provide the easy flow of the funds that aid in the carrying of activities that include the training of terrorists (Qasmi, 2006). What is the local political context? According to Schmid (2004), The fact that political parties sometimes act as a front for a terrorist group or, alternatively, that political parties organize for themselves such groups, is a testimony on how much party politics and terrorist activities can be linked in some countrieswhere control of the state is crucial for group survival in society, because there are few or no other stepping stones to power and resources, the struggle to obtain, or maintain, state power is fierce (p.199). The HAMAS group was started as a political party back in the 1980s and it was a breakout of the Muslim brotherhood (Qasmi, 2006).The group has been in the fore front in the fight against corruption hence in constant conflict with the ruling party Fatah. The group has secured seats in the Palestinian parliament and this given the group an authority in the law making process. The group has been a thorn in the flesh where it caused the wide spread revolt against the Fatah and this resulted in the take up of the Gaza strip in 2006. The group has gained support from the majority of the population (Qasmi, 2006). For these reasons, the government has literally been taken by the group and the normally operation and conduction of business has been jeopardized. Due to globalization, the permeability of borders and state interdependence, the internationalization of terrorism and other forms of political violence is a fact. Terrorism needs to be studied in the broader contexts of political conflict, taking into account both

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governing state and opposition parties and their allies in society. Since neighboring and other states and societies often also have an interest and involvement in local politics, a really comprehensive approach must also include their activities, especially if they amount to state-sponsorship or state support of terrorist organizations. War has been defined as a continuation of politics by other means, and terrorism, too, is sometimes seen as a continuation of politics. In the broader geo-political context, where does Hamas stand? The continued spread of the HAMAS has always been attributed in the long given support from its neighbors. The terror group has been funded and given all the support they could ever want. The group has its prime post in the Syrian capital Damascus and it has one of the most coordinated communication strategy that allow the execution of activities to the maximum. The coming together of the groups and the spread to other countries has always had a reason. The implementation of the Syrian-Iranian axis has always been the main issue in the funding of the group. The process is aimed at the joining together of the Middle East countries in the fight against imperialism of the west. The process attracts a coordinated process that has maximum efficiency in the execution of activities. The group does this through other countries including Lebanon and Egypt. The spread also has been put in place in the quest to weaken the Israel as a country. This has been done through the creation of rifting social and economic activities that have been rampant in the recent years. The move also is in the line of strengthening of the Islamic forces that should be radical. This has been done through

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the rampant undermining of the pragmatic Palestinian elements that have been in the way for the establishment of a supreme Islamic state. The process has attained the proper status since the Palestine government has always in turmoil following the parliament having a majority of the groups members. The process of having its stronghold on the Palestinian soil is the fact that it has always wanted the sabotage of the Israel-Palestine agreement continuation since a track of land that belongs to the Syrian government has not been incorporated in the agreement. The political association of the group has been inconstant support off the Syrian government and has attracted unwanted criticism from the western countries. This has led to the less conduction of open business to avoid the accusations from the many terror attacks in the Middle East. From the point of view in an international setup, the group wins a lot of interest in the Middle East where the states associated with it have the most consideration in the conduction of business (Rosaler, 2009). The group sponsors groups of terrorist who are trained and deployed in different parts of the region. The group mainly has an elevated status in the region that allows it to be consulted in times of need. The group having the resources in their territories can have the direct allocation to interested partners and this earns them the financial aid they mostly need in their operations (Rosaler, 2009). The preferred countries are mostly from the region and they mostly constitute the regional members that have good relations with country and the group. The group in general has always had the need of introduction of laws that will allow its free operation in the areas. This has led in the formulation of the laws that usually go

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hand in hand with the groups interests to member states that associate with it. The sharia law has been the most outstanding of them all and has made the countries around them to show no reluctance in their adoption to be on the safer side (Rosaler, 2009). Religion and religious systems appear to be one of the major issues that have been affecting the peace, economies, social and political systems in the Middle East. The religious differences between the Judaist Israeli and the Muslim neighbors have been the major point of argument, although some scholars tend to argue otherwise (Rosaler, 2009). This has become another major area through which the HAMAS group has been making use of to gain massive support from the people in the region. The long history of rivalry between the two religious groups has become a major point of conflict between Israel and her Muslim neighbors, and since the HAMAS has deep association with Muslim and a rivalry attitude against Judaism, the majority of the muslin people in the region support the group (Rosaler, 2009). In conclusion, the HAMAS has been very influential in the Middle East region due to several factors. The states in the areas these groups exist usually have had times in the cooling of the heat stirred by the group (Tamimi, 2007). The continued spread of the HAMAS has always been attributed in the long given support from its neighbors (Tamimi, 2007). The political willingness and the ideological and philosophical acceptance need to be enhanced so that the implementation of these changes can be a success. The group sponsors groups of terrorist who are trained and deployed in different parts of the region. Mainly has an elevated status in the region that allows it to be consulted in times of need (Gunning, 2010).

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References Saul, B. (2006), Defining Terrorism in International Law. New York: Oxford University Press. Sorel, J. (2003). Some Questions about the Definition of Terrorism and the Fight against Its Financing. Oxford Journal, 14(2), 365-378. doi: 10.1093/ejil/14.2.365 Martin, G. (2010). Understanding Terrorism: Challenge, Perspectives and Issues, 3rd edn. In E.V. Linden (Ed.), What is Terrorism: Focus on Terrorism (pp. 4264). Nova Publishers. Schmid, A. (2004), Frameworks for Conceptualizing Terrorism, Terrorism and Political Violence (p197-221): London, UK: Informa Ltd. Levitt, M, and Ross, D (2007). Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad. Washington, DC: Columbia University Press. Tamimi, A. (2007). Hamas: a history from within. London: Olive Branch Press. Rosaler, M. (2009). Hamas: Palestinian terrorists. London: The Rosen Publishing Group. Hroub, K. (2010). Hamas. New York: The Other Press. Gunning, J. (2010). Hamas in Politics: Democracy, Religion, Violence. Washington, DC: Columbia University Press. Tamimi, A. (2009). Hamas: unwritten chapters. London: Hurst & Co

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Mishal, S., and Sela, A. (2010). The Palestinian Hamas: vision, violence, and coexistence. New York: Columbia University Press. Kadi, Wadad, Q, Wadd & Billeh, Victor. (2010). Islam and education: Myths and truths. Chicago: The University Of Chicago Press. Qasmi, A. (2006). Islam and Education. New Delhi: Isha Books.