Can you believe it...not only did Hamas win more than 80 of the seats in parliament, but the Palestinian prime minister, Ahmad Qurei, is resigning and is handing over the responsibility of making a government to Hamas...can you believe it?!?!?! I am in shock, I write my PhD on this movement, and never is my widest dreams did I ever expect them to want to join the elections, win so many seats or now be in the running to set up the government...it is amazing and I think all Arabs but especially Palestinians should be proud of what just happened in the Occupied Territories. The people who are living under occupation, who only yesterday had to deal with Israeli forces entering Ramallah and surrounding a building, have come out in droves-71% of voter turn out-but have done it peacefully, with no need for the tight security that was provided by the Palestinian police. I am very proud, and like I said in an earlier post, jealous...how amazing it would be to live thought that...watching it on Aljazeera, the discussions, that arguments, the posters the campaigning...WOW!!!!!
What is truly disappointing is how the 'super-power' has decided to deal with this turn in events, on the aljazeera web-page, I read that George Bush is saying that even if Hamas wins they will not negotiate with them since they are still considered by his government as a terrorist organisation. Seems a bit OTT if you ask me, and quite hypocritical, how can he in one quote say that it is wonderful that the Palestinians have had such a smooth and successful democratic elections, he still won't deal with who they voted for. I guess one could say that the world could have said that same when the Americans voted for Bush for a second time, I would say that more than half the population of Earth was disappointed, and didn't want to deal with a government that they considered terrorist, yet people have done that...out of respect for democracy and what is stands for. The Europeans are being as vague as possible, with the spokesperson saying that they will wait for the meeting of the Foreign Ministers taking place in Brussels, the only European country to have made a comment is Sweden-yeah I know unexpected-where they stated that Hamas would have to change its policy if it was to negotiate with the EU and Sweden in particular...well we will have to wait and see.
What I find truly disgusting-or maybe that is to strong a word-is that how can countries who say that they stand for freedom and whatnot, come and tell a group of people who have voted fairly and with international supervisors stating that it was a smooth election, that sorry but the people who you voted for and by defacto voted for what they stand for-armed resistance-will have to change. In other words the platform that you want, is not going to happen...but we want to improve democracy and get rid of corruption on the government level, and promote transparency...funny...For sure!!!!
What I am worried about, is what kind of government with Hamas form, what kind of laws will they try and pass. If one looks at Gaza which has been their strong hold, one can see a lot of laws, where for me as a Palestinian woman, I would be upset. The veil has become a must, women are not as free or able to do what they want like in the West Bank or even only a few years ago in Gaza itself. That is what I find worrying, for me it is not that they believe in armed resistance-back them up on that one-but that they might curb some of the rights that Palestinians take for granted-which aren't many since they live under occupation...but still, I have always felt-and this election proves-that Palestinians are different, they are willing to discuss, to have difference of opinion, to actually have a society that is not all the same, or wants to be all the same...that I think is wonderful, and we as Arabs living in other countries-especially one so close-should look at what happened in Palestine, and compare it say with the elections in Egypt, in Lebanon-the supposed only democracy in the Arab world-and then learn how to be open to differences, to the fact that I am a bit different from you, does not mean that I am any less patriotic.
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