Hamas condemns Charlie Hebdo attack

[oberliner]

Palestinian Islamist group Hamas condemned Saturday the killing of 12 people in an attack on French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo's offices by two French Islamists.

A statement in French said Hamas "condemns the attack against Charlie Hebdo magazine and insists on the fact that differences of opinion and thought cannot justify murder."

It also rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments, in which he compared the Paris attack to Hamas firing rockets from the Gaza Strip at civilians in Israel.

"Hamas condemns the desperate attempts by ... Netanyahu to make a connection between our movement and the resistance of our people on the one hand and global terrorism on the other," it said.

http://news.yahoo.com/hamas-condemns-charlie-hebdo-attack-140325193.html

[aranthus]

1. I'm not sure what to make of this.

On the one hand, I don't believe that Hamas means it. On the other, I'll take every bit of condemnation of the attack from Muslim sources as I can get. What do you think?

[oberliner]

3. Seems positive

Though it would be even more positive, in my opinion, if they also made a strong statement condemning the attack on the Jewish grocery store - which, as of this writing, has not yet been mentioned.

[world wide wally]

2. I wonder if they are beginning to understand that the entire world is getting fed up with these

mindless terrorist attacks that are simply cold blooded murder masquerading as religion or politics.
We can only hope so. It's time for Islam to grow up and admit they are part of this planet and none of us can survive if we condone murdering each other. Let's see you speak reason to your fellow believers.

[Fumesucker]

4. The problem being that it's largely the Muslim side in this battle dying in the greatest numbers

I think it's time for everyone to grow up and stop condoning murder just so long as it's the right people being killed.

[Igel]

5. Not to be entirely dismissive,

I'm just mostly dismissive.

Hamas needs France's help. France is an ally in the Palestinian's struggle. Hamas wants to be in solidarity with France.

Anything to increase France's empathy with Israel is a bad thing. It reduces Franco-Hamasian solidarity. It's counterproductive.

While I'd like to see the entire statement, nothing's stated condemning the individuals or their motivations except in the vaguest of terms. Too often condemnation of attacks stop short of condemning the people involved. At times, when pushed, the response is ultimately, "Are you sure they were Muslims?" Then it turns out that the condemnation was abstract and neither admits that a member of their group was involved. It spares the honor of those condemning. There's nothing specific: "Even denigration of the prophet Muhammed is not worth killing over."

It's like an apology by a boss that says, "Mistakes were made. It is regrettable that people were hurt." Even if Hamas was not responsible, the general similarity in behavior can lead one to think perhaps there's a similarity in motives.

I don't know if it's an attempt at a sincere heartfelt condemnation of the attack or a sincere attempt to avoid a heartfelt condemnation of the attack. Given Hamas' trackrecord, instead of the benefit of the doubt they simply get the doubt.

[leftynyc]

6. Not one word about

dead Jews other than to bash Bibi. Call me unimpressed

[azurnoir]

7. To be honest this surprised m but when even Hamas condemns ........