Hamas Major Media Operates from London

Ron Ross
Bridges for Peace News
Email: ronrossbfp@hotmail.com

1st, September, 2007

The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas believes strongly in the value of hateful propaganda and much of their material emanates from the United Kingdom.

The Israel-based Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center issued a report in August. They said, "Following the terrorist attacks perpetrated or thwarted on British territory in recent years, the British government is becoming increasingly aware of the threats posed by radical Islam. However, the British authorities have yet to take effective action to put an end to the exploitation of their country by Hamas for spreading incitement."

They point out that radical Islamic indoctrination which glorifies terrorism will strike a chord with their Arab/Muslim target audience worldwide 'but also with the Muslim community in Britain itself.

The report details disturbing literature with major influence.

a) Filastin al-Muslimah.

This is the major publication of the Hamas movement. It started in 1981 as a publication targeting the British student population on behalf of the Muslim Palestinian youth organization in Britain.

It became a monthly in 1991. In the 90's the editorial staff was situated in Jordan. In 1999, as the Hamas offices in Jordan were shut down, the editorial staff relocated to Syria and, from there, to Britain.

From 2004 the publication stopped publishing their street address in Britain and now communication is done through its email or a P.O Box located in London.

The Intel report said, 'Even now, however, there are indications that it is still published from Britain: the following text appears at the top of the list of countries where the newspaper is sold: 'Britain and European countries.'"

In recent articles the newspapers has glorified suicide terrorism and written of the perpetrators of attacks as role models In August this year, an article on Salah Shehada, the founder of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas operative-terrorist wing in the Gaza Strip was their feature.

The article praises Shehada who is responsible for many suicide attacks on Israel. (Filastin al-Muslimah, August, 2007)

Among the numerous articles researched by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center was one that focused on the suicide bombing at Mike's Place, Tel A

viv, April, 2003.

That crime was carried out by two British nationals of Pakistani descent who were assigned to the attack by Hamas.

'Following the Tel-Aviv action, Zionists fear that Muslims (from across the globe) will join the Palestinian resistance," the story read.

b) Al- Fateh, a newspaper geared to reach children and teens.

Through Al-Fateh Hamas spreads its ideology and political messages. It was first published in 2002 and is now an on-line newspaper from www.al-fateh.net.

Al-Fateh is published in London. The homepage of the main Hamas website contains a permanent link to Al-Fateh.

The Al-Fateh editor-in-chief and founder is Sami al-Habibi, an alias for Abdallah al-Tantawi, a senior figure in the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood in the mid-1990's. The report says, "Hamas being the Palestinian branch of the Mulsim Brotherhood).

In photographs displayed in a feature called "The Children of Palestine", a child in uniform and a woman carrying a rifle was designed to articulate the Hamas armed struggle against Israel. (July 2007)

Suicide bomber Raed Misk is among those offered to the teenagers as their heroes. A resident of Hebron, Raed Misk was an imam in one of the mosques, who perpetrated a suicide bombing attack on a bus in Jerusalem, August 19, 2003.

The article concludes: "To the gardens of eternity, oh, heroic martyr, Allah will bring us together with you in Paradise, Allah willing."

Al-Fateh systematically glorifies suicide bombers and affords them supreme hero status

c) Computer Games.

Nurturing hatred of Israel is the motive for this computer game. The children playing the game have to stone an Israeli solider, appearing in the guise of a snake. The winner is the first to reach the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. This game first appeared May, 2007.

Osama Hamdan, the Hamas representative in Lebanon, told Iranian television (August, 2007) suicide bombing attacks against Israel are justified. He rejected the historical Jewish connection to the Land of Israel and avowed the Hamas intention is to wipe Israel off the map.

It would be a sad day if those who attack Israel are recruited through media prepared, compiled and distributed from London.

(By Ron Ross, BFP Radio)

Ron Ross resigned as Senior Pastor of Noosa Baptist Church to become National Director of Bridges for Peace Australia. Three years ago he joined Bridges for Peace in Jerusalem to establish international radio news and an audio service webcast at www.bridgesforpeace.com Ron was Sports Editor of WINTV for 20 years before joining the full-time missions. You can contact Ron at : ronrossbfp@hotmail.com