Thursday, November 1, 2007

Former Hamas spokesman decries group's extremism

Who knows if this will add up to anything. Still any voice a little more moderate in that part of the world is more than welcome.

clipped from www.mcclatchydc.com


In his letter, Hamad criticized Hamas for squandering an opportunity to establish itself a modern model for political Islam.

Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad at his home in Rafah, Gaza Strip.
Ghazi Hamad has been a reliable champion for Hamas and its hard-line Islamist ideology,Now, however, Hamad has emerged as one of Hamas' most caustic critics.

In an open letter to Hamas leaders, he criticizes the group as an uncompromising movement that's lost its way. His criticism reflects frustration with the ideological dominance of hard-liners and militants within Hamas.

Hamad has been among moderates who've sought to nudge Hamas from extremist militancy toward a more politically accommodating tone.

"Hamas lacks political guile and is facing politics with rigid positions and empty slogans," he wrote. he wrote. "And many times it prefers to escape from politics toward the ideology of 'resistance is our strategic choice' in spite of the fact that resistance is a tool, not a strategy."

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