Tens of thousands of supporters rallied
in Gaza City on Tuesday to mark the 23rd anniversary of Hamas, the
Islamic organisation. More than a hundred thousand people gathered at
Gaza City’s Kateeba Square indicating that Hamas is more popular than
ever.
Streets and buildings in Gaza were
decorated in green, the official colour adopted by Hamas, and people
waved flags all across the Gaza Strip.
Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, is
portrayed as a terrorist organisation by a number of governments,
including the Zionist regime of Israel, the United States and the
European Union. Nevertheless, Hamas is extremely popular among
Maldivians and its popularity increased after the Israeli onslaught on
Gaza in December 2008, which led to huge demonstrations against Israel
and collecting funds for Hamas.
While supporters of Hamas were engaged
in the celebrations on Tuesday, many Maldivians protested against Israel
along the streets of Malé – the capital of the Maldives – demanding to
deport the Israeli eye surgeons representing Eye from Zion.
The protesters in Malé carried placards which read “we love Palestine”.
Addressing the supporters, Ismail
Haniyeh, Hamas leader in Gaza called never to recognise Israel, adding
it was a “historic mistake” made by Palestine Liberation Organisation
(PLO) headed by Mahmoud Abbas to recognise a Jewish state in occupied
Palestinian land.
"Hamas did not fail to bring together government and resistance," Haniyeh told the crowd.
Hamas, the Islamic resistance movement,
was created by martyred Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, after the beginning of the
first intifada in 1987. Sheikh Yassin was assassinated in March 2004 by
Israeli helicopter missiles, while he was being taken out of the mosque
on a wheelchair after early Morning Prayer.
Kofi Annan, then UN Secretary General
condemned Israel for killing Sheikh Yassin and the UN Commission on
Human Rights passed a resolution condemning it.
______________________________________________________Written by: Ibrahim Mohamed & Ibrahim Nazim
15 December 2010, Wednesday
9 Muharram 1432
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