Two Sides of the Hamas Coin
It was born in Gaza, with a dream of a free Palestine. Hamas is its name. Brought into being in 1987 by, among others, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, from the outset Hamas had a second nature. On the one hand, it is the Mujama al-Islami, an Islamic social organization. On the other hand, it is the Mujahidun ila Falastin or Muslim Freedom Fighters of Palestine, a military wing and radical opposition movement. It is this latter side which has deemed Hamas a terrorist organization in the eyes of Israel, the United States, and their western alliesone which must be eradicated to its roots. Nevertheless, Palestinians love both sides of the Hamas coin: the merciful benefactor and the way of struggle which has sanctioned istishadi (martyrdom of one's own choosing) through suicide bombings.
June 1, 2004
HER name is Fatimah. A number of families in Hay Khan Younis—a town in the Gaza region—trust her with their children. The al-Huda wa al-Nur Kindergarten is where this 28-year-old woman spends her days as a teacher. From a white building which juts out from Salahuddin al-Ayyubi Street, each morning Fatimah marches her students into class, leading them in singing Biladi, Biladi (the national song of Palestine), and praying for Palesti
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