Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Hitting Rock Bottom | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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I am very curious to know about the victims who died at the hands of “Fatah” and “Hamas” during the frivolous infighting between them.

Will they be called martyrs, victims or suicide bombers?

This is a new chapter of this depressing story that is still being told in the Middle East.

The day will come when history will narrate the events of the infighting that took place between Palestinians in Gaza. It is the end of the unity project, the beginning of a state of separation and the establishment of two Palestinian “statelets”.

When I wrote an article entitled “Gaza Republic” in October 2006, many thought that I was being pessimistic or senile. But the truth is that the signs had begun to appear. Adventurous parties in Palestine insisted on reviving the memory of the Six Day War and the Naqba with another catastrophe so as to represent the true face of the tragedy in darker ways.

Despite the criticism against him, Yasser Arafat was able to coexist with pluralism and was capable of maintaining communication with all parties regardless of the level that the conflict had reached. This example is completely different from the farces of “Fatah” and “Hamas”. What happened between the two factions can only be described as irresponsible skirmishes aimed at taking control of power, during which all principles and values were forsaken.

Iraq is also witnessing extremism and ignorance to the extent that shrines of Ahl al-Bayt [the household of the Prophet, PBUH] and the Prophet’s Companions are being bombed. Iraq is a perfect example of where creativity and flawed information has led to terrorism where people are being slaughtered. Lebanon, which is suffering from the outcome of a vow, warns that it “will never know security and its people will pay the price.” Lebanon is suffering from one explosion after another in all parts of the country where unrest is expanding and rifts are inflamed in a deliberate manner. The martyrs of the al Mustaqbal [Future Trend] movement who fall one by one demand the intervention of the International Tribunal to uncover the truth of the string of assassinations that is taking place. It is not surprising to hear that senior members of the al Mustaqbal movement are described as carrying their coffins awaiting death.

Amidst all this darkness, there is an emerging hope. This hope discloses the farces and lies that overwhelm the region. We live in a time in which we can no longer promote ideas that call for resistance when in fact they are the basis of despotism, and ideas that call for liberation when they are the symbol of occupation and colonialism. We cannot promote parties that seek conversation yet muzzle the voice of others and hail religion as they kill innocent people, committing the gravest of all sins. We have hit rock bottom. As these discoveries are made, all that is left is that we emerge from this darkness.