Categories: uncategorized
Date: 27 June 2006 17:56:42
How many people tend to put these two subjects together?
World Cup fever has gripped the office today. I think it was my comment that England were a bunch of useless, over-hyped cretins that did it. Especially considering I was surrounded by the Day Shift as they were cloking out.
If you want to see if I'm the only one that thinks so see http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulmason/2006/06/if_sven_quit_this_morning.html
There are a lot of good points raised here and many people seem to agree.
In other news.....
There is talk that there has been a major change of thinking by Hamas. They seem to have agreed that there should be a Two State Solution to the Palestine Question. This recognises Israel's right to exist, something that Hamas' charter fundamentally opposes.
It remains to be seen if this is an actual breakthrough or not. It wouldn't be the first time that a Palestinian Organisation has publicly declared one thing but privately does another. The problem is that there are to many other groups that will not accept this. The fear would be that Hamas, like PLO/Fatah, would lose support aong the people.
Hamas is one of those organisations that is both a terrorist group and a social activist group. As well as blowing up Israeli soldiers and civilians it also runs many social assistance projects on the streets of Gaza and the West Bank. With such high unemployment and so many restrictions, Hamas has helped many people to survive with their social programmes.
Unlike PLO/Fatah they are not tainted by the corruption that is endemic in the area. The Hamas leaders are happy to live in the same conditions as the rest of the Palestinian people. Contrary to popular opinion they are also understanding of the Christian Palestinian minority. They are welcoming of Christian organisations that come to help peacefully and remain politically nuetral in the conflict.
Yes, there is plenty of evidence that Islamic Militants are using the opportunity to persecute Christians. The Gaza Bible Society has been set alight, shot at and threatened but is still there. The Bethlehem Bible School is also still working, as are a few Christian care homes.
The biggest obstacle to peace are the people. Not the majority of the Israeli and Palestinian public but the vocal minorities that want to put barriers (literally) in the way of peace. Conflict serves to increase their own feelings of power and extreme religious fundamentalism. Until this is addressed or beaten nothing will change.