An Interview with a Hamas MP in Spanish Published in El Pais (May 21, 2007)
Contributed by Lucia, with her English Translation
"Hace dos décadas el farmacéutico Mohamed Shihab formaba parte del núcleo fundador del Movimiento de Resistencia Islámica (Hamás). A sus 50 años, es diputado desde la victoria de su partido en las elecciones de enero de 2006. En su casa del campo de refugiados de Yabalia, comenta la violencia que inunda Gaza de muerte. Convencido de que la lucha de Hamás contra Israel se prolongará décadas, la prioridad, asegura, no es sostener el Gobierno de unidad nacional. Adicto a los símiles, el dirigente islamista afirma de los dirigentes de Al Fatah que encabezan los cuerpos de seguridad leales al presidente: "Son un cáncer. Es el momento de aplicar el bisturí"......."
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Lucia's Translation:
The Military chiefs loyal to president Abbas are a cancer that must be removed.
Interview with Mohamed Shihab
by J.M. Muñoz, Yabalia, 21.05.07
Two decades ago the apothecary Mohamed Shihad, formed part of the founding nucleus of the Islamic Resistance MOvement (Hamas). On his 50's, he is a M.P. since his partys victory in january 2006 elections. At his home, in Yabalia refugee camp, he comments on the violence flooding Gaza with death.
Convinced as he is that Hamas resistance struggle against Israel will last for several decades, the priority, he assures, is not to uphold the unity government. Addict to similes, the islamist leader affirms that the Fatah leaders heading the security bodies loyal to President Abbas: "Are a cancer. It is about time to apply the bistoury"
Q- Why a firm agreement with Fatah is not reached?
R- our problem is not with Fatah, but with certain trends within that party. The israeli collaborators do whatever they want and nobody can control them. They don't get the Palestinian people's interests to prevail, since they must be assured that their israeli and US bosses are satisfied with them. Just 10 days ago when a new security plan was put in force, the violence blasted anew. What is happening here is a coup d'etat orchestrated by the United States.
Q - Doesn't president Abbas control Al Fatah?
R-He is nowhere. He does not lead, but he wants his party to destroy Hamas. They won't be able. We've reached agreements with Abbas, but other officers follow different agendas. These groups are a cancer that is going to destroy Fatah too. They are Mohamed Dahlan, National security advisor, Rashid Abu Shabak, chief of preventative security, and their supporters, who are forming death squads. Abbas did not want to select Dahlan, but the United States and Israel forced him to.
Q- The unity government doesn't solve the people's problems. Is it on borrowed time?
R- What is most important now is to extirpate that tumor, because these people are the ones who destroyed the previous government, destroy the current one, and will destroy the next one. I'm not worried for the unity government. We have to apply the bistoury because Fatah cannot do it. Not even many of its leaders who are openly opposed to Dahlan. Everybody knows that if the clean Fatah members reached office, the collaborators would end up in jail or dead.
Q- How long will the violence last between the two parties?
R- Dahlan has been given two months to attack Hamas and try to destroy us. But he is going to end up the same way as Antoine Lahad, chief of the southern Lebanese army, (Israel's ally), who was abandoned by the christians. In case he is still alive. Our religion says that, he who kills, must die.
Q- What will be Israel's reaction?
R- Aerial strikes. They are aware that in case they go beyond that, they'll get nothing. It will only serve to uncover the collaborators who are helping Israel.
Q- Hosni Mubarak declared on Wednesday that Egypt pretends to oust Hamas from office. Are you alone?
R- Their represenative in Gaza denied those declarations. Whatever. On the ground, they prove to be true. While the Egyptian police mistreats the Hamas leaders at the Rafah border, they let the presidential guard in, so that these fight us. We are not interested in confronting the countries surrounding us.
Q- Many people think that the catastrophic economic situation and misgovern are going to affect Hamas too
P- People know how to diferentiate. Now they feel far more menaced by violence than by the economic situation. And they also know that Hamas is not responsible for the insecurity. The economy was already destroyed, prior to when we took office.
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Thank you Lucia for great work!
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