Hamas Charter, Opening Remarks

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The Hamas Charter was crafted in 1988 and comes in at over 9,000 words. It is affectionately called by its drafters “The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement,” and has predominantly been read only by its supporters. That is unfortunate, as it is important for all people to understand the nature of Hamas and its deeply-held antisemitic beliefs.

Over the course of the next couple of months, I will share the charter one section at a time and reveal why every single country in the world should sever any and all ties with the group and demand that it never be allowed to participate in any future elections, let alone become part of a unity government.

Opening

The Covenant
of the
Islamic Resistance Movement

18 August 1988

In The Name Of The Most Merciful Allah

“Ye are the best nation that hath been raised up unto mankind: ye command that which is just, and ye forbid that which is unjust, and ye believe in Allah. And if they who have received the scriptures had believed, it had surely been the better for them: there are believers among them, but the greater part of them are transgressors. They shall not hurt you, unless with a slight hurt; and if they fight against you, they shall turn their backs to you, and they shall not be helped. They are smitten with vileness wheresoever they are found; unless they obtain security by entering into a treaty with Allah, and a treaty with men; and they draw on themselves indignation from Allah, and they are afflicted with poverty. This they suffer, because they disbelieved the signs of Allah, and slew the prophets unjustly; this, because they were rebellious, and transgressed.” (Al-Imran – verses 109-111).

Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it” (The Martyr, Imam Hassan al-Banna, of blessed memory).

“The Islamic world is on fire. Each of us should pour some water, no matter how little, to extinguish whatever one can without waiting for the others.” (Sheikh Amjad al-Zahawi, of blessed memory).

The opening of the charter quotes three sources, the first coming for a religious text (Al-Imran), the second coming from the founding father of the Muslim Brotherhood (Hassan al-Banna) and the third from an Islamic scholar from Iraq (Amjad al-Zahawi). As the opening line of the charter which calls out “Allah” makes clear, Hamas’s goal is to fuse Islam with modern politics. Such is the Muslim Brotherhood mission in every country in which it operates.

When it comes to Israel, Hamas wants political Islam to be the front line in a jihad against the Jews.

The Religious Text

The sentences “they who have received the scriptures had believed, it had surely been the better for them: there are believers among them, but the greater part of them are transgressors… they suffer, because they disbelieved the signs of Allah, and slew the prophets unjustly; this, because they were rebellious, and transgressed” is about Jews, not Israelis. It is the Jews who received the scriptures but not did believe in the prophets who later came into the world like Mohammed. While there was hope that some Jews would convert to Islam, the majority did not and are considered sinners.

These Jews are not simply “transgressors” for not believing in Allah and Mohammed, they are evil according to the verses, “smitten with vileness wheresoever they are found.” This is tenet of these Islamic scriptures as well as Hamas which selected these specific lines, that all Jews are inherently vile.

But the text offers a way out for the Jews, even today, if “they obtain security by entering into a treaty with Allah, and a treaty with men.” Although the Jews are not worthy, they can find “security” only under Islam.

So opens the Hamas Charter. Not with aspirations for their own people. Not with a desire for independence and dignity. Not with a desire for a homeland or peace. It is a screed against the Jews.

The Muslim Brotherhood

After quoting scriptures, Hamas made clear that its roots are with the Muslim Brotherhood by quoting its founder. Tellingly, the verse chosen was not about the goal of binding Islam and sharia law into modern politics, but about the Jewish State.


Imam Hassan al-Banna (1906-1949), founder of the Muslim Brotherhood

“Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it“ builds on the theme of the the opening prayer: Israel is the political manifestation of the vile Jews. It is a holy war obligation for Muslims to obliterate the Jewish State completely, as its existence is an affront to Islam.

The goal of Hamas is to destroy Israel, more than to establish a state for Arabs. To do so is an Islamic religious obligation.

A Religious Scholar

To conclude the opening section of the “Islamic Resistance Movement,” the Hamas drafters quoted a religious scholar. not a local imam from Palestine but one from Iraq.

“The Islamic world is on fire. Each of us should pour some water,” is a call for a global jihad against Israel. The aim of Hamas is that EVERY Muslim around the world SHOULD play a part in confronting the Jewish State.

The opening of the Hamas Charter is a call for global jihad for all Muslims to eradicate the State of Israel and purge the land of the vile Jews, not a call for Arab dignity, peace or independence.

And the Palestinian Arabs elected Hamas to 58% of the parliament, the United Nations pushes for Hamas to be part of a unity government, and the media talks of “Islamic resistance” as a peaceful and natural endeavor.

Related First One Through articles:

Palestineism is Toxic Racism

Educating the New York Times: Hamas is the Muslim Brotherhood

What do you Recognize in the Palestinians?

The Palestinians aren’t “Resorting to Violence”; They are Murdering and Waging War

Extreme and Mainstream. Germany 1933; West Bank & Gaza Today

Collective Guilt / Collective Punishment

Pick Your Jihad; Choose Your Infidel

Opinion: Remove the Causefire before a Ceasefire

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