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Hamas rejects support of al-Zawahri
(AP)
Updated: 2006-03-06 08:49
Hamas officials shrugged off the support offered by al-Qaida's No. 2 leader,
saying Sunday the Palestinian militant group has a different ideology than the
terror network and won election through a moderate approach to Islam.
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| Al-Qaida's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, is seen in this
Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005 file image made from videotape posted on Internet.
In a video broadcast Saturday, March 4, 2006 on Al-Jazeera, al-Zawahri
accused the West of insulting Islam's prophet, charging that the Prophet
Muhammad and Jesus 'are not sacred anymore.'
[AP] |
In a video aired Saturday by Al-Jazeera, Ayman al-Zawahri called for jihad,
or holy war, to reclaim Palestinian lands and implied al-Qaida's support for
Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel despite international pressure since the
militant Islamic group swept parliamentary elections in January.
A Hamas official in Gaza, speaking on condition of anonymity because the
movement did not want to formally respond to al-Zawahri's support, said: "Hamas
believes that Islam is completely different to the ideology of Mr. al-Zawahri."
"Our battle is against the Israeli occupation and our only concern is to
restore our rights and serve our people. We have no links with any group or
element outside Palestine," the official said.
Hamas is setting up a new Palestinian Cabinet after defeating Fatah, which
had ruled Palestinian politics for four decades. Hamas does not accept the
presence of a Jewish state in the Mideast and has sent dozens of suicide bombers
into Israel. The United States and European Union consider Hamas a terrorist
organization.
Al-Zawahri complained in the videotape that the previous Palestinian
leaderships "sold Palestine" through peace agreements in Oslo and Madrid and the
U.S.-backed road map peace plan. "This is a dangerous deal which should be
dropped immediately," he said.
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