Silver LiningHamas Victory: Corruption vis-a-vis Extremism [Archives:2006/916/Opinion]

Mohammed Hatem al-Qadhi
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The world has been stunned by the landslide victory of the Islamic movement of Hamas. I have been watching and reading about the international community response commenting on the unprecedented democratic event in the Arab region; they all applauded the smooth way in which the election was run without any violence or fraud. I was myself impressed by this and the way Fatah has responded to the announcement of the results. The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other officials of Fatah have behaved in a way that has commanded the respect of everybody and has invited the appreciation of the world towards this growing democratic experience, despite all the obstacles. The Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qura'e has also demonstrated a good democratic example as he resigned upon hearing the preliminary results showing the victory of Hamas, asking it to form cabinet. This is really extraordinary in the Arab countries. I have felt that democracy will no longer be a luxury in the Arab countries and that its future- in this region plagued with oppression and tyranny for a long time- can be promising.

This election result is, of course, a good message to the Arab tyrannical regimes that there will be no room for them in the political spectrum of these countries when the people are given chance to practice real democracy. This is because these people are now more aware of the importance of their role in making their future through choosing their rulers through transparent and free poll. This is the power of democracy in producing a change into the life of the people.

The massive win of Hamas in Palestine and the big achievements of the Muslims Brothers in the last parliamentary election in Egypt have shown that the Arab people are fed up with corrupt and oppressive regimes and that they are ready to vote for even extremist groups that can stand against these regimes. In other words, the Arab people are given two hard choices: either to vote for corrupt regimes or sometimes extremist groups. These people are no more willing to vote for corrupt regimes that have produced nothing but poverty, unemployment and further extremism and terrorism. The Palestinians voted against corruption in all its form, poverty and unemployment more than the peace process with Israel. They have punished the corrupt officials of Fatah and their incompetence to breathe a new life into their life. Surely, the same thing will take place in any other Arab country if there is fair and free election.

I think that the result of the Palestinian election has confused the international community and put Hamas itself in a fix, taking into account Hamas stand towards the peace process with Israel and the stand of the US and the Europe towards Hamas. While the US President George Bush said that they will not deal with Hamas as far as it believes in the destruction of Israel, the European Union announced that they will deal with the upcoming Palestinian government whosoever. But, Bush has not lost hope in the way to continue supporting the Palestinians and the peace process, depending on Abbas stay in power.

I believe that isolating Hamas by the West and the US will not lead to any fruitful results and rather will incur further terrorism which might go beyond the Palestinian territories. I know that the result of democracy can be sometimes bitter. However, we have to accept its outcome. The choice of the people must be respected and it is they who should by the end evaluate the ability of Hamas to meet and fulfill their ambitions and demands or not.

On its part, Hamas has to be pragmatic, balanced and takes into account the future of the Palestinians who should not be put down. It has to be responsible towards protecting the interests of the Palestinian people at large and consequently be open to the international community. Hamas, whose leaders have recently announced that negotiation with Israel is not a taboo, can not run the government without having contacts with Israel. It can not also run the government without ending violence, testing the real intentions of the Israelis to the peace making process. Unless Hamas does not do this, it will not only face challenges in dealing only with Israel and the US, but also with Europe and the rest of the world. It has also to start fighting corruption and find out how to improve the living conditions of the people.

The coming few days will truly test the ability of the Islamic parties, whose power is growing in the Arab countries, to rule and cope up with the world current affairs and live up to the challenges ahead. Let's wait and see!
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