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Ballot or bullet the choice for Muslim youth |
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Hashmat Moslih - AlJazeeraTalk
 The events in occupied Palestine where a democratically elected government was prevented from taking office is a major victory for Al Qaeda. It presses home Al Qaeda’s doctrine that democracy and dialogue are not the right way of dealing with Western governments and their allies.
In his last video message, Ayman al-Zawahiri addressed Hamas and warned of the "secular people of the Palestinian Authority who have sold Palestine…" and told them to stay clear of "the political game of the Americans."
For Al Qaeda, the pursuit of a Muslim government through a democratic process is like fighting the enemy on their terms and conditions. They argue that democratic processes are traps designed by the West and that Muslims must stay away from them. Democracy is used to disarm and pacify Muslims and economic means are used to move in and make the kill.
All along, Al Qaeda has been pointing to many other democratic processes in the Muslim world where Muslim parties were deprived of their democratic gains by a coup d’etat and many others have been barred from participating in elections. Today, Palestine is another example to add to the list of failed democracies in the Muslim world next to Algeria, Turkey and Egypt to mention a few.
However, for many Muslims, Hamas’s participation in the democratic process and its subsequent victory created new hopes and offered an alternative to the militant doctrine of Al Qaeda.
The electoral victory of Hamas posed a serious threat to Al Qaeda’s doctrine of “sword diplomacy” more so than the “gunboat diplomacy” of America.
Hamas which is inspired by the ideology and methods of the Muslim Brotherhood Movement believes in social change through education beginning at the grass root level. Al Qaeda on the other hand believes in a top down approach. It is poised to militarily topple any government in the Muslim world which does not implement Shariah as the law of the land and to fight off those who support such governments.
The resounding victory of Hamas attracted the anger and rejection of the western governments, who had till then maintained that Hamas is a socially irrelevant organization that uses “terrorist “ means to achieve its aim. Washington openly declared its hostility to it. The White house began an overt policy of economically starving the Hamas-led Palestinian government, while quietly channeling funds to Fatah and preparing it to confront Hamas at all costs.
The western policy has been to make governing conditions impossible for Hamas and to make it fail in the eyes of voters. This policy has in fact been directed at the Palestinian people who chose Hamas over the corrupt and “moderate” western backed Fatah.
Today, the western governments have been successful in the first phase of their policy of deposing the elected government of the Palestinian people. As for the second phase of crushing Hamas through violent means, only time will tell if it will succeed or not. What is clear is that Al Qaeda has been proven correct in its prediction: democracy has not paid off. Consequently, Al Qaeda shouts ever louder the Quranic ayah 2:120 which says: “Never the Jews and the Christians will be satisfied with you unless you follow their religion… (way of life).”
While all this is happening, lets not forget that the Muslim youths are listening, watching and analyzing. Its just a matter of time to see how they will vote, will it be through the ballot or bullet.
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