A Uighur woman yells at Han Chinese soldiers to demand the release of imprisoned Uighur men (Newsweek/David Gary/Reuters-Landov)
The recent clashes between Han Chinese and Turkic Uighurs in China’s Xinjiang province have made the front pages here in the States and around the world as of late. Headlines flashing “Tensions worsen in China’s West,” “Deadly ethnic Violence in China,” and “Uighurs vs. Han Chinese” have been the some of the eye-catching titles of some of this past week’s articles and news reports about the violence and the bloodshed in the former Islamic Uighur Kingdom.
For starters, it is interesting that most of us stand at the lower levels of literacy (usually between very illiterate to somewhat literate) when it comes to the politics and the internal affairs of the world’s most populated country. If asked about China last week, here is a sample of what I would have told you: China’s capital is Beijing, it hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan are Chinese, it’s a Communist country, there’s a Chinatown in every major city in the U.S., most cheap goods in the U.S. are made in and imported from China, and they make some damn good food (at least the Sczechuan and the Canton province dishes). That’s about it.
What I didn’t know until just recently and what most of us are still not aware of, is that like its southern neighbor Tibet, the Xinjiang province was also invaded and taken over militarily by the People’s Liberation Army (a.k.a. the Chinese Army), who came to Xinjiang to “liberate” the territory in 1949. Since that time, the country’s biggest province has been the scene of a massive settlement movement on the part of millions of Han Chinese, who have been funded and subsidized by Beijing to move and to live in the newly acquired territory.
Sound familiar?
Yeah, the same Machiavellian politics are very reminiscent of Israel’s settlement course of action and its systematic ethnic cleansing of the native population in its newly acquired territories. A detailed look at Chinese census reports show that Xinjiang’s Han population has grown from roughly 299,000 in 1953 to 5,284,000 in 1982; from 5,696,000 in 1992 to a nice round 7,497,700 in 2000, a number which snatches the majority belt from the once majority Muslim Uighurs, and all thanks to a well organized, effective and unstoppable settlement policy put in place by the government. Similar demographic shifts of Han Chinese settlement have also occurred in Tibet.
It is also worth mention that most of the recent articles and broadcasts have covered the current tensions in Xinjiang by mentioning and seeming to focus on the “angry Muslims” attacking the “ethnic majority” Han Chinese and thus provide the world with yet another flawed and misconstrued image of Muslims who just happen to be “angry” for no apparent reason, who are ready to slit some throats with “knives and bricks.” The title for this post actually comes from a co-worker of a friend who was in the mood to highlight the fact that Hey! here’s another example which goes to proving yet again, that Muslims are bloodthirsty animals who just want to go around killing people.
What most reports fail to mention is what actually started the recent Xinjiang Intifada, namely, Beijing’s handling of the deaths of two Uyghurs in “a confrontation in far southern China . . . when Han Chinese fought Uyghurs working in a factory in Shaoguan . . . after a false allegation that some of them had raped a Han Chinese woman.”
If anything, this recent explosion of anger does not stem from the fact that these people are Muslims. No, this outburst of scuffles and attacks is the manifestation of the tensions between the Han and the Uighurs in Xinjiang in recent years; it is the expression of Uighur frustration towards unjust and biased government policies namely, massive Han immigration, the substantial development that favors only the Han Chinese in Xinjiang, and the uneven economic growth this development has created; their anger is the result of an ongoing lack of equal opportunities on account of ethnic discrimination, and the dissatisfaction that ensues when employment levels go down, poverty rates go up and an entire population feels that their means of sustenance and culture are slowly being eroded while they are yet alive.
I am surprised at how little myself or anyone who is not an Asian Studies major actually knows about what is going on in Xinjiang or in China, for that matter. We all know about Palestine, we all know about Darfur and for crying out loud, we all know about Tibet (thanks to those wonderful Hippies). How many of us know about Urumqi, Kashgar and Turfan? How many have heard or are familiar with the World Uighur Congress or the East Turkestan Independence Movement and the plethora of parallels that can be drawn between their struggle and the many other movements against injustice in today’s world? Another enlightening attribute about the recent incidents in Xinjiang is the resonating silence of the International Muslim community, with the exception of probably Turkey and Muslims in India, with regard to the whole thing, especially those Islamic countries in the bordering vicinity of China and the Xinjiang province.
Where is the International community’s backlash condemning the harsh crackdown of the protests and demonstrations we saw with Iran? Where is the International Muslim solidarity with the Muslims of China? Where’s the Twitter and the Facebook?
[Tarboush Tip: J, Raesah, Kinsey]
Related posts:
- Surprise, Surprise: the Media Get the Presbyterian Israel Vote All Wrong
- Bardot the Bigot Could Be Fined For “Race Hatred Remarks Towards Muslims”
- Campbell Brown: Some of my best friends are Arabs and Muslims
- Muslims Boycott Europe
- Arabs and Muslims making lists!
Welcome Los, looking forward to your posts!
There are probably several provinces in China that would likely break away if given the chance, beyond just the angry Muslims of Xinjiang and the overly romanticized Tibetans (e.g., Yunan, Manchuria, Hong Kong, Inner Mongolia). The Central gov't has been very active in settling Han people in all these places. It is so sad because after 3-4 generations how can you ask the decedents of settlers (whose parents were probably loaded with propaganda and wanted to escape terrible economic conditions) to leave. Sucks for everyone involved.
Also the demographics of who are protesting in Iran and Xinjiang are totally different. In the former they are upper class, educated, and tech-savy with a large diaspora supporting them in the latter they are more working class and don't have the same kind of diasporic support (although this seems to have started to develop– and no, I am not talking about the newly created Uygher "diaspora" in Barbados and Palau courtesy of the USA, haha). That said, it is fascinating to see how differently the media has reacted as you pointed out.
Also don't forget one of the most overlooked group of people who have been displaced by a group of settlers– the Saharawi!!
Posted by Nimr | July 9, 2009, 10:56 pmHey Los, you forgot to mention 150 peoples who died that they.
I have to disagree with your tone about this one because I don't think all of them who died that day are Muslim,
cause Muslims don't kill each other. and also Angry mobs are not nice peoples regardless of any religion.
What I'm saying is that Muslim mobs are in no way innocents here.
As I don't know the 'Real' cause of this incident I will rather shut up so should you do. You, like me, just read and watch what the third party reported to us which can be biased at the time. well, How come do you know all of which came out of any TV boxes or pieces of papers are true, when nobody really know WHAT causes Muslim to get angry on Han Chinese. what if the Rape cases are true and those Muslims are real bastard who deserves what they did?.
You'll never know!.
Just face it, whether you like Muslim or not, You do not know what is the real cause of this.
Posted by Your Reader | July 10, 2009, 3:19 amSurprise, Surprise, isn’t it just a “peaceful protest”?
“We saw hundreds of Uighurs running down the street on the afternoon of July 5. About ten suddenly rushed into the store. They began to hit the people inside, even the old mother, with bricks and stones. They tried to run outside. Then they were dragged back inside.
“There were terrible screams. Just wordless screams. But then very quickly they fell silent.”
She said that the son tried to hide in a chicken coop but was dragged out and his head was cut off. All the victims were left to burn inside the building. The corpses of the boy and his father were found beheaded. Mr Yu said: “Even the 84-year-old mother was stoned and then burnt. It was terrible, terrible. So cruel.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk
Posted by Jane | July 10, 2009, 4:01 amWhile I think this kind of behavior is wrong, I don't think they acted this way on account of their Muslim beliefs. I am convinced that Islam is not inherently to this kind of behavior. That they did this is wrong and the fact that they are Muslim doesn't help their case at all in the eyes of many in today's world.
At the same time Jane, I think that if these Uighurs had been Christians or Hindus or other religion, the long case of discrimination and disfavortism that they have endured might have also played out this way. It's hard to tell if this would have been the case.
My point is that you can't blame this society because they commited these acts and they just happened to be Muslims. We just can't go villifying an entire people people because they do something and they happen to be a certain religion. People are people and they will do things that are right or wrong, regardless of their religion.
Posted by Los | July 10, 2009, 4:53 amWhat most reports fail to mention is what actually started the recent Xinjiang Intifada, namely, Beijing’s handling of the deaths of two Uyghurs in “a confrontation in far southern China . . . when Han Chinese fought Uyghurs working in a factory in Shaoguan . . . after a false allegation that some of them had raped a Han Chinese woman.”
who failed to mention it? What publication? Everyone I read it made a note of this.
Posted by Lena | July 10, 2009, 5:13 amSince most people on this blog seem to be of Middle East origin….I don't think it comes off as a shock that Asian Muslims and sub-saharan African muslims are pretty low on the priority list for both activism and education.
It's sad. Really. And we whine about Palestinian issues not getting enough appropriate media in the West when Middle Eastern media doesn't talk about all those Muslims in Africa that are dying from the same diseases that is plauging AFrica as a whole. civl wars, starvation, disease. half of africa is Muslim!!! Asia and China is a great example of how easily forget their struggle and suffering if we bothered to learn about it in the first place! Our media sucks! Palestinian media hardly covers anything at all. half of it is AFP!!! (just sayin')
Posted by Lena | July 10, 2009, 5:20 amHow about coverage of Chechenia, Ingushetia, Dagestan? Russia has taken an aggressive stance towards the Muslims of the Caucasus since the mid-16th century, when Ivan the Terrible began moving Cossacks into Chechenia to build forts and Russian cities (this is how Grozny — meaning "terrible" in Russian — was founded). I fear part of Obama's deal with Putin's puppet Medvedev now, in the "war on terrorism" portion of the U.S.-Russia talks, which include giving a transport line to Afghanistan through Russia so as to avoid having to transport through Pakistan where American supply convoys are being attacked, may be some form of support in the UN Security Council or some other type of symbolic aid for a ramped-up effort against increasing separatist violence in Ingushetia. I have always been a firm supporter of Chechen-Ingushetian-Dagestani and/or pan-Caucasian independence from Russia, and while the American silence regarding Russia's careless disregard for human life and wanton destruction of Chechenia during the First and Second Chechen Wars, as they are called in Russia, disturb me, I will be even more angered by American outright support for further acts of aggression and war crimes in the Caucasus.
Posted by Nth Republic | July 10, 2009, 5:37 amYes! And how about coverage of Chechenia, Ingushetia, Dagestan? Russia has taken an aggressive stance towards the Muslims of the Caucasus since the mid-16th century, when Ivan the Terrible began moving Cossacks into Chechenia to build forts and Russian cities (this is how Grozny — meaning "terrible" in Russian — was founded). I fear part of Obama's deal with Putin's puppet Medvedev now, in the "war on terrorism" portion of the U.S.-Russia talks, which include giving a transport line to Afghanistan through Russia so as to avoid having to transport through Pakistan where American supply convoys are being attacked, may be some form of support in the UN Security Council or some other type of symbolic aid for a ramped-up effort against increasing separatist violence in Ingushetia. I have always been a firm supporter of Chechen-Ingush-Dagestani and/or pan-Caucasian independence from Russia, and while the American silence regarding Russia's careless disregard for human life and wanton destruction of Chechenia during the First and Second Chechen Wars, as they are called in Russia, disturb me, I will be even more angered by American outright support for further acts of aggression and war crimes in the Caucasus.
Russia is proud and generally does not like other nations involving themselves in its "internal" affairs, but on the issue of the Caucasus, Russia has been all but begging for U.S. support since 9/11, trying to make its colonialism in the Caucasus a part of the "war on terror", even going so far as to trump up a link between Abu Hafs al-Urduni and al Qa'ida, which Colin Powell actually swallowed for a minute before the DoD dissolved the links as baseless.
Posted by Nth Republic | July 10, 2009, 5:42 amI agree, it is extremely disturbing how little attention is paid to the plight of Muslims outside the Middle East by other Muslims in general-even in Asia and Africa, the Palestinian issue is well known and defended, but the plight facing Muslims in Asia and Africa themselves rarely crosses the consciousness of others.
Thanks for this post Los, I had little knowledge of what Uighers have had to contend with in the last few decades-but I've always had a strong curiosity about a minority that seem to have stridently held on to their religious practices and beliefs in communist China.
Posted by MohammadKF | July 10, 2009, 3:11 pmChina has also been trying to link the separatist movement in Xinjiang to Al-Qaeda as well. Although they have not been very successful.
Only Israel so far has been able to convince a good number of people that Al-Qaeda and the various Palestinian resistance groups are linked together.
This is despite the fact that Al-Qaeda has stated numerous times that they have nothing but disdain for Hamas, the PFLP, Fatah (if thats even a resistance movement), etc.
Posted by Arayus | July 10, 2009, 4:54 pmOnly Israel so far has been able to convince a good number of people that Al-Qaeda and the various Palestinian resistance groups are linked together.
European Al Qaeda members received training in Gaza http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=1…
An Egyptian newspaper reported this week that several European members of an Al Qaeda cell recently busted in Egypt received training and financing from Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip.
Posted by eagle007blogger | July 10, 2009, 5:33 pmOnly Israel so far has been able to convince a good number of people that Al-Qaeda and the various Palestinian resistance groups are linked together.
European Al Qaeda members received training in Gaza
An Egyptian newspaper reported this week that several European members of an Al Qaeda cell recently busted in Egypt received training and financing from Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip.
Posted by eagle007blogger | July 10, 2009, 5:33 pmSpeaking of Africa…
"Arab, Muslim silence on Darfur conflict is deafening"
Posted by big-e | July 10, 2009, 8:06 pmIt is rather interesting how this is one of those conflicts that has gone largely unnoticed.
However, I don't think we can compare Israel policies in the Palestinian occupied territories to China's policies in Xinjiang (I'm not implying that Los made that comparison). For one thing, at least China offers the Uighurs the opportunity to assimilate into Chinese society and the ability to relocate to most parts of China legally. This is something the Israelis do not offer the Palestinians at all. Furthermore, the Chinese government has developed a lot of infrastructure in Xinjiang (even if it is unfairly allocated to the Han Chinese). The Chinese don't force the Uighurs to live in tiny Bantustans cut off from each other, nor do the Chinese literally lay siege to individual Uighur towns or prevent them from going to school or work. Finally, the Chinese government rarely initiates massacres against the Uighur people (I believe the last time there were problems like this was during the Cultural Revolution).
That said the Chinese policy of settling Han Chinese in what was essentially and has historically been Uighur territory is quite obnoxious.
Anyway, does anyone have more information on the Uighur/Chinese conflict, I'd love to be provided with some links.
Posted by Arayus | July 10, 2009, 3:53 amYou're right about the settlement policies Arayus and like Nimr said, how can you blame the grandchildren and great grandchildren of those whose parents moved to Xinjiang because they were strongly encouraged to do so by the central government. Thanks for your clarifying insights.
Most of us, including myself, are very uninformed about Western China, but I have two good friends who have lived there and who provided some input and personal stories about Xinjiang from their travels and the considerable amounts of time that they spend there. One of these girls actually went there on a Fulbright to study women Imams in all-women mosques in Xinjiang. Fascinating stuff man!
One book I was recommended to take a look at was Starr's "Xinjiang: China's Muslim Borderland" which I think you can get a big preview of on books.google.com. Also, I found an Al-Jazeera article that I fact-checked and it was pretty good in terms of the general overview of Xinjiang and what went on and it going on right now. Hope this helps some.
The article can be found at:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/20…
Posted by Los | July 10, 2009, 5:07 amIt seems that everywhere you find trouble in the world, you find Muslims – from Somalia to China – how strange.
Posted by eagle007blogger | July 10, 2009, 5:32 pmIt seems that wherever there are humans, there is trouble – how strange.
Posted by Lena | July 10, 2009, 5:40 pmThanks for proving my point of this post in a most ignorant, narrow-minded and bigoted Eagle-esque way!
Anything else?
Posted by Los | July 10, 2009, 7:45 pmInsulting me will not change the fact that nearly every armed conflict in the world today involves Muslims. It is not bigotry to notice this. Insult all you want, if it makes you feel better?
Posted by eagle007blogger | July 10, 2009, 8:29 pmThis isn't about you Eagle or your very "isnightful" comments
It's about:
1) the vilification of Muslims which you're set on pointing out to be the cause of trouble in the world
and
2) the fact that Al-Qaeda has any relation to Palestine or the resistance and armed struggle that currently going on.
It's just bigotry and ignorance. That's the truth
Posted by Los | July 10, 2009, 8:53 pmMaybe it's time for you to acknowledge the 800 lb gorilla in the room. Ignoring it, and calling anyone who points it out "ignorant" or a "bigot" is not working out so well (for anyone).
Posted by eagle007blogger | July 10, 2009, 9:29 pmThis isn't about you Eagle or your very "isnightful" comments
It's about:
1) the vilification of Muslims which you're set on pointing out to be the cause of trouble in the world
and
2) the fact that Al-Qaeda has any relation to Palestine or the resistance and armed struggle that currently going on.
It's just bigotry and ignorance. That's the truth
Posted by Los | July 10, 2009, 8:53 pmIt's not nearly every, though it is quite a lot, I admit. I suppose that comes with there being 1 billion + Muslims in the world and the general Muslim attitude of not taking shit from anyone.
Posted by Shafiq | July 10, 2009, 11:12 pm"the fact that nearly every armed conflict in the world today involves Muslims."
And there you have it! Another ridiculously ignorant statement from Eagle.
Lets go through some of the latest genocides committed in the past couple decades here.
Rwanda? No Muslims there.
Khmer Rouge? No Muslims involved, although half the Muslim population of Cambodia was killed along with everyone else that resisted Pol Pot (they are known as the Cham people, they allied with the United States during the Vietnam war as well).
Bosnia? The victims were Muslim
The current conflict in the Congo? No Muslims involved there and this is by far the largest ethnic cleansing and genocide currently ongoing with a death toll already exceeding 5 million. A conflict that dwarfs all other conflicts in the world combined.
The only genocide that Muslims have participated in is the one in Darfur, and that was between Muslims. And yes its horrible and deplorable. However, to claim that Muslims are responsible for all the armed conflicts in the world is preposterous.
Furthermore, your lumping of all Muslims into one giant monolithic entity is ridiculous. Most Muslims didn't even know the Uighur people existed until this latest incident in Xinjiang. You seem to think that Muslims have some sort of hive mind mentality and that they all think alike. Believe me one trip through a few Muslim majority countries will wake you up pretty quickly. In any case how would you like it if I judged all Christians based on the actions of the Lords Resistance Army?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord%27s_Resistance_…
It seems that Lena is right, wherever there are people competing for things, there is a large chance of conflict breaking out.
Anyway it is true that Muslims are involved in conflicts, however Muslims make up more than a billion people in the world. Many of them also live in very strategically important places like the Middle East. Its only inevitable that some of them will be involved in some sort of conflict, they are human after all (I'm sure that surprises you Eagle).
In any case, Muslims are not engaged in more wars than any other "monolithic" entity you can try to make up.
Posted by Arayus | July 10, 2009, 11:42 pmActually Rwanda has a rather large Muslim population and they were amongst the most targetted (Muslims were propagated as being the devils incarnate). At the same time Muslims were amongst the only groups to provide safety for Hutus. Masajids became sanctuaries while churches became slaughter houses. Rwandan Muslims are both Tutsi and Hutu but again were and are seen as lower than human.
You never hear the positive roles Muslims play in conflict. Just like any group they are prone to error, error which becomes so apparent since muslims can be found in any and every part of the world. People make Islam the scapegoat for problems caused by factors such as poverty, colonialism, general history, politics, poor governance, weak states, etc etc.
Posted by Sanakf | July 12, 2009, 2:31 pmWhat I meant to imply is that Muslims did not take part in the Rwandan genocide nor were they the prime victims.
Also, I believe the percentage of Muslims prior to the genocide was merely 2%. However, after the genocide it seems that that number has grown to 14% of the population. This is attributed largely to what you mentioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Rwanda
Posted by Arayus | July 12, 2009, 11:05 pmAh alright. Just making sure. And the rate of conversion there is intense. Like whoa.
Posted by SanaKF | July 12, 2009, 11:24 pmEAgle to you give yourself thumbs up? lol
This Egyptian article didn't make a direct link between HAMAS and ALQAEDA. It said it found some activity linked to Gaza (A city) and Egypt (an entire country)
how easily one's biases finds invisible links….
Posted by Lena | July 10, 2009, 5:39 pmAl Qaeda is suspected of receiving training and support from Palestinian militants.
"…several European members of an Al Qaeda cell recently busted in Egypt received training and financing from Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip"
Speaking of biases: the real question is why are you rushing to the defense of these terrorists?
Posted by eagle007blogger | July 10, 2009, 5:50 pmI don't think Arayus refuting such absurd ideas and bogus parallels is "defending terrorism."
A more appropriate definition for what he's doing would be: "Enlightening the Ignorant with Truth"
Ever heard of truth? Probably not, because your comments speak for themselves
Posted by Los | July 10, 2009, 7:25 pmThere is no link between Al-Qaeda and Hamas, the PLFP, Fatah, or any other mainstream Palestinian group.
Heres a quote from an Al-Qaeda sympathizing group in Gaza that is in opposition to Hamas.
“We believe that Hamas applies neither Sharia law nor any other Islamic rule or order.” In what seemed an echo to Osama Bin Laden’s words, Abu Hafs added: “We say that the world will not live in peace as long as the blood of Muslims continues to be shed” (Reuters, September 2).
oh and heres the source:
<a href="http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&t…” target=”_blank”>http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&t…
Furthermore, the link you posted connecting Al-Qaeda to Gaza is from an incredibly pro-Israel site (Israel Today). The information posted there has not been confirmed by any non-partisan sites. Also, Lena has pointed out that it did not connect any mainstream Palestinian group to those convicted, if the news is even true at all. Also, the news you sourced came from an Egyptian propaganda network, which in the case of terrorism related events has been incredibly faulty. Mainly, because Egypt demonizes any Islamic group out of its fear of the massive popularity of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. When I lived in Egypt for a couple years, the state news tried to say that Gazans were coming into Cairo with suicide belts to destroy Cairo…. this is after the Gazans had destroyed the wall barring them into the Gaza strip. It just tells you how ridiculous Egyptian state media is.
Finally, Hamas (whether you like it or not) has been a bulwark against Takfiri (you probably don't even know what that is) groups such as Jaysh-Al Muhamad, JUA, and other groups with less than 30 members that most people have never heard of including the very Palestinians living in Gaza from taking over the Palestinian cause. These are the facts, learn to deal with them.
Got any more propaganda for me to bust?
Posted by Arayus | July 10, 2009, 7:04 pmYour hints and allegations have not proven anything? What did you bust? And why are you so anxious to defend Islamist terrorists anyway?
Posted by big-e | July 10, 2009, 7:27 pmThere goes another person thinking that the Muslim world is a monolith and that every so-called 'terrorist group' is the same and has the same motives.
I repeat what Arayus said (seeing as you didn't seem to understand the first time): There is NO LINK WHATSOEVER between Al-Qaeda and Palestinian groups. They operate on a different level, have different motives, different allies and they don't even follow the same brand of Islam.
Posted by Shafiq | July 10, 2009, 11:16 pmbut what about the HAMAS CHARTER DUDE! AND THE NUCLEAR QASSAMS!
Posted by MohammadKF | July 10, 2009, 7:28 pmWhat about it?
Posted by big-e | July 10, 2009, 7:51 pmArayus can you bust some of these please?
Hamas TV Continues to Glorify Jew-Murderers
Hamas Launches Children’s Suicide Bomb TV Show
Hamas "Morality" Cops Enforce Islamic Law
Hamas Tries to Detain Woman Walking With Man
Hamas cartoon mocks captured Israeli soldier
Peace? Hizbullah, Hamas Not Interested: German FM
Posted by big-e | July 10, 2009, 8:15 pmHamas "Morality" Cops Enforce Islamic Law – CBS News
Posted by big-e | July 10, 2009, 9:03 pmhttp://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/08/world/m…
Posted by big-e | July 22, 2009, 6:00 am<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/08/world/m…” target=”_blank”>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/08/world/m…
<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/08/world/main5144414.shtml” target=”_blank”>www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/08/world/main5144414.shtml
Posted by eagle007blogger | July 23, 2009, 8:23 pmAlmost, all of your sources do not claim the things you put in the titles of the sources.
For example, in the article from Arutz Sheva (a rabidly pro-Israeli, anti Palestinian source), it states that German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated that Hamas is against peace, it does not state that Hamas has categorically rejected any type of peace with Israel.
In effect the article Conflated the opinion of one man with a history of being pro-Israeli and anti-Palestinian to make the false allegation that Hamas is against any type of peace with Israel.
In any case his claim is easily debunked as all of the top leadership of Hamas (from Khalid Meshal to Ismael Haniyyeh) has agreed to any permanent peace deal with Israel based on the 1967 borders. This is in accordance with the rest of the international community.
This was reported numerous times even by the Israeli press:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1035414.html
The rest of what you sourced, is just as easily debunked. Sensational titles, with little to no context, and demonizing an entire people based on isolated incidents.
Posted by Arayus | July 10, 2009, 9:56 pmAl-Qaeda has infiltrated Gaza with help of Hamas, says Abbas
Al-Qaeda militants have infiltrated the Palestinian territories with help from Hamas, according to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President.
Al-Qaeda Sees Opportunity In Gaza Conflict
…interviews with people associated with al-Qaeda, reveal that the central leadership of al-Qaeda, sitting somewhere in the tribal areas straddling Pakistan and Afghanistan, sees the Gaza conflict as a major opportunity…
Al Qaeda Vows Revenge for Gaza
Pro-al Qaeda fighters train in Gaza Strip
Posted by big-e | July 10, 2009, 7:50 pmAbbas making false claims to try and discredit Hamas? I'm getting a sense of Deja Vu
The next two links don't claim that Hamas is helping Al-Qaeda or vice versa.
And I think you need to read the last article again.
Posted by Shafiq | July 10, 2009, 11:20 pmHeadline News
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
European Al Qaeda members received training in Gaza
An Egyptian newspaper reported this week that several European members of an Al Qaeda cell recently busted in Egypt received training and financing from Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip.
The Europeans – three Belgians, a man from France and another from the UK – stand accused, along with seven Arab Al Qaeda members, of planning to attack Israeli targets in Egypt and monitoring Israeli traffic through the Suez Canal.
Egyptian authorities involved in the investigation told Cairo's Al-Masri Al-Youm daily newspaper that they had discovered shocking evidence of the massive degree of Al Qaeda activity in both Gaza and Egypt.
Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas for years denied that Al Qaeda was active in Gaza, but the territory's Hamas rulers never hid their affinity for Osama bin Laden's group and its accomplishments.
Posted by big-e | July 10, 2009, 7:55 pmHeadline News
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
European Al Qaeda members received training in Gaza
An Egyptian newspaper reported this week that several European members of an Al Qaeda cell recently busted in Egypt received training and financing from Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip.
The Europeans – three Belgians, a man from France and another from the UK – stand accused, along with seven Arab Al Qaeda members, of planning to attack Israeli targets in Egypt and monitoring Israeli traffic through the Suez Canal.
Egyptian authorities involved in the investigation told Cairo's Al-Masri Al-Youm daily newspaper that they had discovered shocking evidence of the massive degree of Al Qaeda activity in both Gaza and Egypt.
Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas for years denied that Al Qaeda was active in Gaza, but the territory's Hamas rulers never hid their affinity for Osama bin Laden's group and its accomplishments.
Posted by big-e | July 10, 2009, 7:55 pmThis has already been debunked. Repeating the same bullshit doesn't make it any truer.
Next.
Posted by Arayus | July 10, 2009, 11:44 pmThis has not been debunked. Just saying it is debunked does not make it debunked.
Next.
Posted by hamas | July 22, 2009, 11:59 pm"Where is the International Muslim solidarity with the Muslims of China? "
Interesting statement.
Posted by jihad | July 10, 2009, 9:24 pmI suppose American Jewish solidarity with the European Jews in the 1930s and 40s was an 'interesting statement' too.
Posted by Shafiq | July 10, 2009, 11:22 pmAwful article.
If you want to highlight the plight of the Uighurs in China, and talk about the supposed lack of media coverage, there's no need to put down other movements.
Tibet isn't a popular issue because of "Hippies" – its popular because its the home of universalist, worldly Buddhist monks like the Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has contributed his share in promoting PEACEFUL global unity around the world — to more than just his own co-religionists.
Some of the people on this board, and perhaps the Uighurs, should take notes about their approach.
Posted by Falafelosopher | July 16, 2009, 6:18 am