Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 22, 1993 TAG: 9301220426
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
PALESTINIANS FIGHTING OPPRESSION
IN RESPONSE to Cal Thomas' article, "Deporting in self-defense," published Jan. 6 in the Roanoke Times & World-News:Resistance to the Israeli occupation is a natural act of self-preservation of one's culture and national identity. Palestinians of all walks of life and ideologies are determined to put an end to the occupation by whatever means necessary. Hamas is one of many Palestinian organizations aspiring to be free from Israeli oppression.
Hamas' members and followers, who are not terrorists, only long to be free from Jewish domination of their daily lives. The organization aspires to free its people and does not plot to kill Israel children as Thomas stated. On the contrary, Palestinian children are being killed and brutalized every day at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces.
Hamas is not the only group that opposes the so-called concept of self-government being preached at the peace talks. Most Palestinians insist on exercising their full rights for self-determination and nationhood.
Jewish settlers in the occupied territory continue daily to harass and murder Palestinian villages as the law in Israel does not protect Palestinians against the excesses and the impunity of the settlers.
The United Nations considers all settlers and the Israeli army of occupation in violation of international law and U.N. Security Council resolutions, therefore settlers must be considered a fair game in all the occupied territories. Their continuous presence in the shanty towns of Gaza is a constant reminder of their brutality and arrogance.
The deportees were expelled without due process of law to the territory of another sovereign nation, Lebanon. Only an arrogant power such as Israel can duplicate the methods, atrocities and inhumanities of a fascist-like state.
If Hamas' ideology is to fight Zionism and its brutal occupation, then Palestinians must and will support it to liberate their country from the yoke of the oppressor. NABIL F. ALAMI ROANOKE