Righteous Natives, Right or Wrong

A British chap who identifies himself (herself?) as Elis has posted a comment on the Guardian website that explains clearly why Hamas is right, irrespective of its actions, ideas, intents or even self understanding. A fine example of the demise of the Enlightenment in one of the countries of its birth:

To call Hamas a fascist junta, Marty, is rather foolish.

It is neither a junta nor fascistic, though it is undoubtedly authoritarian and fundamentalist in its muslim views.

In essence Hamas is a Colonial Liberation organisation, part of the latest wave in the anti-imperialist movement which is replacing the earlier secular and socialistic National Liberation Fronts. These last having been either massacred or corrupted into ineffectiveness.

What is a constant, is the refusal of subject peoples to bow to their colonial masters. Sometimes this finds expression under leaders like Kenyatta, at other times DeValeras, Sukarnos, Nassers or Ho Chi Minhs come to the fore.

Interestingly enough, all of these movements have been denounced, by CIA leftists, as fascistic; and unfavourably contrasted with the enlightened, and democratically elected, leaderships of the Colonial powers.

It is really self indulgent to expect the political leaderships thrown up by a population under the pressure and in the predicament of that of Gaza, to be low key, unemotional and moderate.

Such circumstances militate against the thoughtful and sensible debates, and careful examination of context, which characterise our enlightened politics: you cannot expect a Third World refugee camp under siege to throw up such sterling chaps as George W Bush or Gordon Brown. Even an Abu Mazem is rarity, an exotic exception in the rough and tumble of liberation politics. (We shall not soon see his like again.)

If, then, one favours colonial freedom Hamas, (whether we be Muslim Brothers or not), deserves our sympathy. Those who believe in the benefits of white rule and of the progressive nature of Empire will support the Israelis and the imperialists for whom they are working, who arm them, pay them and prevent discussion, at the UN, of their crimes.

For my own part I honour the courage and steadfastness of the Palestinian people. I am conscious of the sad role that my country, including my family members, played in causing the suffering there.

It was British cowardice in 1947 which allowed the mandate to pass into the hands of callous and racist US politicians, many of them determined only not to allow Jewish refugees into the USA and happy to send them anywhere else. It is our place, now, if we will not actually do anything for the victims of our country's selfishness, not to insult the victims of the criminals whose path to power we smoothed.