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How Hamas hides behind civilians to peddle victimhood: Gaza’s biggest hospital Al Shifa also served as HQ for terrorists

Pragya Bakshi Sharma
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How Hamas hides behind civilians to peddle victimhood: Gaza’s biggest hospital Al Shifa also served as HQ for terrorists

Israel has been bombing Gaza in a retaliation to the terrorist attack by Hamas on 7th October. Several hospitals have been reduced to rubble. Al Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, has also sustained damage including to the neonatal unit as Israel targets “Jihadi” infrastructure in Gaza. Here’s why Hamas is responsible for the same.

Amid the treated images of debris and dust that Gaza has become, the Al Shifa hospital, albeit partially damaged, stands as a reminder of the terrorism that has been unleashed historically from the contested land.

The Al Shifa Hospital has been the headquarters for Hamas terrorists. The Washington Post in 2014 reported that Al Shifa Hopital had become the “de facto headquarters for Hamas leaders who can be seen in the hallways and offices”.

In 2014, when Israel and Palestine agreed to a ceasefire proposal brokered by Egypt, a protester from a mosque opposite to the Al Shifa hospital blared on a loudspeaker calling the then-Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his administration “traitors” and “collaborators”.

Crowds had gathered at the hospital in July 2014 throwing shoes and eggs at the health minister who was turned away before he reached the hospital. The Al Shifa hospital is just one among the several civilian structures that have regularly been used by Hamas to launch attacks at Israel.

According to a report by Tablet dated 2014, one of Hamas’ main command bunkers was located beneath Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The bunker was equipped with sophisticated communications equipment and housed a part of the Hamas leadership.

The report claimed that in 2006, PBS aired a documentary showing how gunmen roamed the halls of the Al Shifa Hospital, intimidated the staff, and denied them access to protected locations within the building where the camera crew was prohibited from filming.

A reporter from the Finnish Helsingin Sanomat TV had also confirmed during her reporting of the 2014 war that Hamas had been firing rockets out of the Al Shifa Hospital. It was reported that a rocket was launched “right in the back of the parking lot of the hospital”.

According to a 2014 report by The Times of Israel, “The Wall Street Journal‘s Middle East correspondent, Nick Casey, wrote on Twitter that Hamas uses Shifa “as a safe place to see media,” but removed the post afterwards”.

The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (MAITIC) has alleged that Hamas and other terrorist organisations “have frequently made use of hospitals and other medical facilities for various military purposes”.

It revealed that Hamas used ambulances to move terrorists and weapons. The modus operandi, according to MAITIC, has been used by Hamas during several Israeli operations including Operation Protective Edge and Operation Cast Lead.

During Operation Cast Lead, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades – which were established in 1991 to provide Hamas with military capability – located themselves at the Al Shifa Hospital closing off some of its wings.

According to MAITIC, in 2014, the Israeli Defense Forces identified two Palestinian terrorists using ambulances to move through the Gaza Strip. The driver was reportedly wearing a white coat. The IDF did not attack the ambulance.

A video of the same was shared by the IDF on YouTube. Moreover, terrorists established positions near the hospital to launch mortar shells. Evidence collected by the IDF and Israeli intelligence has revealed the following:

“Senior Hamas and Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades figures hid in the hospital during Operation Cast Lead. They closed off some of the departments, stationed armed guards and closely examined everyone in the hospital. Hamas transferred weapons from buildings close to the hospital. The teaching and training area of the hospital next to the new delivery room was used as living quarters by Hamas operatives. A tunnel was dug under a mosque near the hospital, which served as a direct escape route from one to the other. A Palestinian suspected of collaborating with Israel was executed in the hospital.”

In September 2014, Hamas itself confessed to have used residential and civilian areas to launch an offensive against Israel. It also admitted to have used human shields to fire rockets into Israel.

Images accessed from the IDF and published by The Daily Mail showed Hamas using four rocket launch sites next to a cluster of schools and residences.

In 2021, after another escalated conflict with Hamas, Israel bombed the Al Jalaa building in Gaza, which contained the offices of several media organisations. Shortly after issuing a warning, Israel had bombed the Al Jalaa building that housed Al Jazeera and other international media outlets in Gaza city citing the presence of terror organisation Hamas’ military intelligence office in the high-rise.

In the recent conflict too, Israel has been repeatedly sharing evidence of how Hamas locates its weapon silos, and intelligence units close to schools and residential areas, creating a ‘shield’ around itself at the cost of civilian lives.

Israel has been pounding Gaza with hundreds of airstrikes. Meanwhile, the country is preparing for an all-out ground offensive on Gaza.

Muhammad Rizwan dedicates WC match win to Gaza residents: Why ICC, BCCI must take stern action against the Pakistani cricketer

OpIndia Staff
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Muhammad Rizwan dedicates WC match win to Gaza residents: Why ICC, BCCI must take stern action against the Pakistani cricketer

Pakistan played Sri Lanka on 10 October in the ongoing World Cup 2023 which ended in Pakistan’s victory. Now, Muhammad Rizwan who managed to score a century in the match has dedicated his country’s win to “brothers and sisters in Gaza.” He also thanked the Indian audience and added, “Extremely grateful to the people of Hyderabad for the amazing hospitality and support throughout.”

However, the cricketer received a lot of flak for interjecting politics into the game. The Skin Doctor questioned how his runs or Pakistan’s triumph would help the residents of Gaza. He advised the player and his team to donate all of their earnings, including match fees, prizes and endorsements in order to make an actual contribution to the Palestinian cause.

“He should go to fight against Israel. What on earth is he doing here playing cricket,” commented a social media user.

Another user brought up the barbarity of Hamas terrorists whom he called the batsman’s brothers and wrote that even ten more centuries won’t match up to the crimes committed by the former. He also attached two images highlighting the brutality of the Hamas terrorists, particularly on the elderly, women and children.

A user referred to the poor economic condition of the people of Pakistan and mentioned that they can only offer verbal support and can not “even donate match fees and winning cash.”

A netizen demanded the immediate return of the Pakistan Cricket Team to Pakistan and asked the International Cricket Council to prevent the international event from turning into a “tool for supporting Hamas Terrorists.”

A user called him out for his silence at the heinous murder of thousands of Israelis and added, “Shame on you for this tweet.”

Why ICC, BCCI, and the GoI need to take stern action over Muhammad Rizwan’s post glorifying Hamas terrorists

Rizwan’s tweet appeared to be in violation of the code of conduct drawn up by the ICC, which has strict rules for cricketers indulging in making political and religious statements. In fact, in World Cup 2019, the ICC had objected to something as benign as wearing wicket-keeping gloves with Indian Army insignia and had asked former Indian wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to remove them.

“The ICC has responded to the BCCI to confirm the logo displayed by MS Dhoni in the previous match is not permitted to be worn on his wicket-keeping gloves at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019,” the ICC statement issued in 2019 read.

In 2014, the ICC banned English cricketer Moeen Ali from wearing “Save Gaza” and “Free Palestine” wristbands while playing for England. “The ICC equipment and clothing regulations do not permit the display of messages that relate to political, religious or racial activities or causes during an international match. Moeen Ali was told by the match referee that while he is free to express his views on such causes away from the cricket field, he is not permitted to wear the wristbands on the field of play and warned not to wear the bands again during an international match,” the statement issued by the apex cricketing body said.

By the same token, the ICC should also issue a statement expressing its disapproval of Rizwan’s statement supporting Hamas and ask the Pakistan Cricket Board to get its player to recant his tweet that seeks to glorify the egregious terror attacks carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians, including elderly, women, and children, many of whom were found dead with their heads chopped off.

The BCCI should also take note of Rizwan’s comment and ensure that foreign cricketers who have come to India for the 2023 World Cup don’t end up exploiting the cricketing platform to peddle individual agendas and express sympathy for terrorists who killed hundreds of civilians in Israel. The Indian government should also step in and convey to the Pakistan Cricket Board that their cricketers must refrain from politicising the sport while being in India for an ICC event. Rizwan should be made to apologise for politicising the World Cup and asked to pull down his post.

Above everything else, Rizwan’s tweet expressing solidarity with the Hamas terrorists exposes the banal tropes that former Pakistani cricketers and Pakistani journalists resort to while arguing for restoring a bilateral cricketing relationship with India. They keep harping about keeping politics and cricket apart, but the latest post by Rizwan betrays their underlying sentiments: Ummah above everything else. From former Pakistan captain Imran Khan, who had said a cricket match against India to him was jihad, similarly, decades later, for the current crop of Pakistani cricketers too, cricket only seems to be a platform to perpetuate their religious supremacism and “common brotherhood”, which apparently entails sympathising with terrorists.

Past antecedents of Pakistani cricketer Muhammad Rizwan

Notably, Muhammad Rizwan is infamous for fusing politics, religion and sports much like several of his countrymen. He recently caught the attention of many when he started offering Namaz on the cricket field during the second half of the match against the Netherlands while his teammates awaited drinks during the break. He received condemnation for doing the same just in front of Indians.

Netizens accused the wicket-keeper batsman of bringing religion into cricket, unlike Indian players who never behave in such a manner.

Interestingly, when Babar Azam-led side defeated India by 10 wickets in the ICC T20 World Cup ‘Super 12’ game on 24 October 2021, former Pakistan pace bowler Waqar Younis expressed his glee and voiced, “What I liked most is what Rizwan did. He stood in the middle of the ground and read the prayers in front of the Hindus,” after the 31-year-old Muhammad Rizwan had used the cricket match as an opportunity to flaunt his faith in front of millions of viewers.

He was slammed by Indian cricketers and commentators who called out his Jihadi mindset and he was forced to apologise with folded hands. He blamed his bigoted opinion on the “heat of the moment” and claimed that it was a “genuine mistake.” He alleged he did not want to hurt the sentiments of anyone and apologised when the controversy escalated.

ICC World Cup and fangs of Islamism

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Cricket World Cup 2023 has not been without its share of contentions. Former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden and Pakistan’s Ramiz Raja took advantage of the platform provided by the occasion and advocated for Islam while providing commentary for a practice match between Australia and Pakistan on 3 October. The two exploited the game as an instrument to spread their own religious views while consciously ignoring the unifying power of sports which irked many social media users.

When the ex-chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board questioned Matthew Hayden about his experiences as a former coach of the Pakistani team, he responded that the Islamic way of life instils discipline which he greatly admires and that Pakistani cricket is also very focused on Islam and that it is the main component of their players. The two were lambasted by the public for promoting Islam at a major sporting event who found their discourse offensive.

On 9 October, Zainab Abbas Pakistani cricket presenter had to leave India after her anti-Hindu tweets went viral on social media. The netizens asked for her deportation and Supreme Court lawyer Vineet Jindal also filed a cyber complaint against her which eventually resulted in the termination of her contract and she had to exit the country.

During the World Cup match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on 10 October repeated slogans of “Jeetega bhai Jeetega, Pakistan Jeetega” (Pakistan will win) filled the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad and proved the former Pakistani cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed correct who predicted that his country’s team is going to receive humongous support in Hyderabad and Ahmedabad due to their large Muslim population.

Cricket which is supposed to be a gentlemen’s game has become a tool of anti-India propaganda in our neighbouring country Pakistan. Whether it is Shahid Afridi or Shoaib Akhtar who repeatedly attacked India over Kashmir or former Prime Minister and ex-Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan who called a cricket match between the two nations ‘a way of Jihad’ against India, the hate against the country and Hindus in particular from Pakistan cricketers has been ever-present and palpable.

Greek leftist politician who refuses to condemn Hamas terror attack on Israel ‘warns’ PM Modi against taking action on Arundhati Roy

OpIndia Staff
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Greek leftist politician who refuses to condemn Hamas terror attack on Israel ‘warns’ PM Modi against taking action on Arundhati Roy

On 11th October (Wednesday), a day after Delhi LG gave prosecution sanction against ‘activist’ Arundhati Roy, Greek left-wing politician Yanis Varoufakis issued a ‘warning’ to the Indian Prime Minister against taking action on her. 

Claiming that she is the world’s finest author, Varoufakis wrote on X, “Mr Modi, hands off Arundhati Roy, India’s, and perhaps the world’s, finest author.” He also shared The Guardian article report about the recent action against her in the 2010 provocative speeches case made in New Delhi.  

Notably, on 10th October, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena gave sanctions for prosecution against ‘activist’ Arundhati Roy and former Kashmiri professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain in the 2010 provocative speeches case, officials of Raj Niwas (Governor’s House) said. They added that the FIR against Roy and Hussain was lodged after the orders of the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate, New Delhi on 27 November 2010.

In a complaint filed by Kashmiri social activist, Sushil Pandit, it was alleged that several individuals delivered provocative speeches in public at a conference under the banner of “Azadi – The Only Way”. The event was organised by the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP) on 21st October 2010, at LTG Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, Delhi. The complainant had further alleged that the issue discussed and propagated during that event was the “Separation of Kashmir from India”.

Two other accused namely Sayed Ali Shah Geelani, the Kashmiri separatist leader, and Syed Abdul Rahman Geelani, a Delhi University lecturer who was acquitted by the Supreme Court in a Parliament attack case on technical grounds — have died during the pendency of the case. Although the case was also registered under Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, the LG had not given sanctions for prosecution against them in this specific section owing to the Supreme Court’s direction to keep all pending trials under Sedition at abeyance.

Former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis declines to condemn Hamas terror attack

It is worth noting that Greek left-wing politician Yanis Varoufakis has previously served as the Finance Minister between January 2015 and July 2015. In 2016, he co-founded Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25), a pan-European and left-wing political party. Since 2018, he has served as Secretary-General of DiEM25. 

While speaking to the media about the Hamas terror attack on Israel this Saturday, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis adamantly said that he and his party will never condemn Hamas’ attack on Israel. 

In an interview shown on X, he said, “Those who try very hard to extract from people like me and DiEM25 a condemnation of the attack by the Hamas guerillas will never get it.” 

He ranted, “And they will never get it for a very simple reason. Those who care about humans without any discrimination, those who care equally about a Jew and an Arab, must ask themselves a very simple question: what exactly is their idea of the cessation of hostilities? That Palestinians are going to lay down their arms and go back into the largest open-air prison in the world where they are constantly suffocated by the apartheid state?”

Varoufakis went on to compare Hamas with the ANC’s armed wing uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), which also “killed innocent civilians.” 

Equating the Hamas terrorist attack as rebellion, he justified the killing of innocent civilians claiming that rebellion has to take the lives of some innocent people with them. 

He lamented, “Any human being living under apartheid at some point will either die a terrible silent death or rebel and take some innocent people with them. The criminals here are not Hamas … The criminals are Europeans, for keeping our mouths shut while Palestinians were being killed and not Israelis.” 

While the comments seem to have been made on Saturday, the same day as the Hamas attack, Varoufakis and his party posted them on Twitter the following Monday. 

Meanwhile, the Israel-Hamas war has entered its fifth day with Israel asserting that it has regained full control of its border towns that were captured by Hamas terrorists. According to The Times of Israel, the death toll from Hamas terror and ground invasion has passed 1,200. In its retaliation, IAF has launched mass strikes in Gaza, hitting at least 150 targets overnight. These reportedly included the Homes of the Hamas commander’s father. The Israeli forces have also killed 18 infiltrating gunmen in the past 24 hours. 

USA: Harvard students start backtracking from support to Hamas after CEOs indicate they wouldn’t hire them, and University distances itself

Anurag
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USA: Harvard students start backtracking from support to Hamas after CEOs indicate they wouldn’t hire them, and University distances itself

On 11th October, Harvard students who had issued a letter in support of Palestine following a terror attack by the Palestinian terrorist organisation Hamas against Israeli civilians started backtracking from their condemnation of Israel. The “change of heart” appeared to result from worldwide criticism and the decision of corporate heads, especially Jews, not to hire anyone who expressed support to Hamas’ barbaric acts.

A former Harvard student group board member whose group had signed the statement stepped down from her position. In a thread on X, she said that the decision to sign the letter was egregious and apologised for the pain her actions caused. She further claimed that the student organisation ‘did not have a formal process’ and she did not even see the statement until they had signed on. She added, “The statement is not representative of my values, and my heart is with those impacted.”

The Nepalese student organisation, Harvard Undergraduate Nepali Student Association, also backtracked from the statement. In a post on Instagram, they wrote, “We regret that our decision to co-sign the latest PSC statement to call attention to historical injustices against Palestinians, with an earnest desire for peace, has been interpreted as a tacit support for the recent violent attacks in Israel.”

They added, “To ensure that our stance on the condemnation of violence by Hamas and support for a just peace remains clear, we retract our signature from the statement. Through this message, we hope to send love, strength, and solidarity as multiple communities worldwide, including us, continue to process the loss of those who have left us too early.”

It is notable here that several Nepali citizens have been brutally killed by Hamas in the terror attack in Southern Israel.

Harvard Ghungroo, another such organisation, also took back the support for the statement. In an Instagram post, the group wrote, “We, Harvard Undergraduate Ghungroo, would like to formally apologise for co-signing the statement made by The Harvard Palestinian Committee and have formally retracted our signature. We would like to clarify that we stand in solidarity with both Israeli and Palestinian victims and families. Harvard Undergraduate Ghungroo strictly denounces and condemns the massacre propagated by the terrorist organisation Hamas. We truly apologise for the insensitivity of the statement that was released recently.”

Harvard President condemned the statement issued by Student groups

After the backlash, the University President, Claudine Gay, condemned student groups’ statement. She said, “As the events of recent days continue to reverberate, let there be no doubt that I condemn the terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Hamas. Such inhumanity is abhorrent, whatever one’s individual views of the origins of longstanding conflicts in the region.

Source: Harvard

Let me also state, on this matter as on others, that while our students have the right to speak for themselves, no student group — not even 30 student groups — speaks for Harvard University or its leadership.

We will all be well served in such a difficult moment by rhetoric that aims to illuminate and not inflame. And I appeal to all of us in this community of learning to keep this in mind as our conversations continue.“

Corporates vowed not to hire students supporting Hamas

On 10th October, Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square, wrote on X that a number of CEOs asked him if Harvard would release a “list of the members of each of the Harvard organizations that have issued the letter assigning sole responsibility for Hamas’ heinous acts to Israel, so as to ensure that none of us inadvertently hire any of their members.”

He added that the signatories’ names should be made public so that the world knows their views. “One should not be able to hide behind a corporate shield when issuing statements supporting the actions of terrorists, who, we now learn, have beheaded babies, among other inconceivably despicable acts,” he added.

Winston & Strawn LLP, a New York based Law firm, issued a statement saying that they came to know that a former summer associate published inflammatory comments about Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and distributed it to the NYU Student Bar Association. The firm rescinded the law student’s offer of employment.

The letter that stirred the controversy

The letter issued by the Harvard students went viral after a University student Yael Bar Tur shared it on X. In her post, she wrote, “This is the final crack in my broken heart – a joint statement from Harvard students. I could be sitting in class with these students, watching children brutally murdered, raped, kidnapped and their mutated bodies torn apart by a jeering crowd – and hear why it’s justified.”

The latest version of the letter without the list of the groups can be seen here. Instead of the list of the groups and students who signed the letter, it now reads, “This statement was co-authored by a coalition of Palestine solidarity groups at Harvard. For student safety, the names of all original signing organizations have been concealed at this time.“

In the letter, the student groups blamed Israel for the Hamas Terrorist Attack. It even justified the Hamas attack and the barbaric slaughter of civilians in Southern Israel that unfolded on 7th October. The letter read, “We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence. 

Today’s events did not occur in a vacuum. For the last two decades, millions of Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to live in an open-air prison. Israeli officials promise to “open the gates of hell,” and the massacres in Gaza have already commenced. Palestinians in Gaza have no shelters for refuge and nowhere to escape. In the coming days, Palestinians will be forced to bear the full brunt of Israel’s violence. 

The apartheid regime is the only one to blame. Israeli violence has structured every aspect of Palestinian existence for 75 years. From systematized land seizures to routine airstrikes, arbitrary detentions to military checkpoints, and enforced family separations to targeted killings, Palestinians have been forced to live in a state of death, both slow and sudden. 

Today, the Palestinian ordeal enters into uncharted territory. The coming days will require a firm stand against colonial retaliation. We call on the Harvard community to take action to stop the ongoing annihilation of Palestinians.“

Israel-Hamas war

On 7th October (local time), the terrorist organisation Hamas launched a brutal terror attack on Israeli soil. Over 900 people were killed in the attack. Paragliders and vehicle-borne Hamas terrorists wielding automatic weapons barged inside the border walls and attacked civilians, residential communities, and even a music festival in Southern Israel. In response to the brutal terrorist attack on Israel that killed over 900 civilians and wounded over 2,500 others, Israel has declared war on Hamas and has been pounding the Gaza Strip with bombs for 3 days now.

The US and other NATO nations have declared support for Israel. Hundreds of Israelis and foreign nationals are believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas. Hamas has massacred civilians brutally after attacking a music festival, and family homes in Southern Israel. Social media posts have surfaced where Hamas terrorists are seen killing children, women, and the elderly. The exact number of hostages is unknown.

Update: On November 10, 2023, Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square, posted that he had recently spoken to the law student who had stepped down from the student organisation board after she learned of the controversial statement, and was informed that she was away for the weekend when that statement was made and had not checked her WhatsApp. Ackman added that as co-president of another student org, the Harvard Armenian Law School Association, members chose not to sign the statement. Ackman had urged media organisations not to disparage this student’s name and had praised her as one of the few students who came out publicly to explain their actions.

BLM celebrates paragliding Hamas terrorists who killed hundreds of civilians in Israel, gets slammed on social media

OpIndia Staff
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BLM celebrates paragliding Hamas terrorists who killed hundreds of civilians in Israel, gets slammed on social media

On 10 October Black Lives Matter expressed solidarity with Palestine on social media amid the ongoing crisis between Israel and Palestine. They published an illustration that portrayed a Hamas assailant landing on the Jewish side while wearing a parachute bearing the Palestinian flag on their official X handle.

However, the internet community reacted strongly and added details about the background of the horrifying attack in the community notes and criticised the organisation for lending its support to terrorism. A netizen crossed Palestine and wrote Hamas over it as a demonstration of dissent.

End of wokeness questioned whether the adherents of the movement concur with the position adopted by the group.

Seth Dillon labelled Palestine and Black Lives Matter as terrorists.

Chairman and Chief Technology Officer of X Elon Musk also reacted to the post and stated, “Your position is clear.”

A user commented that the group is siding with those who are murdering children.

Comedian Tim Young called Black Lives Matter “trash” and referred to their action as “disgusting”.

The organisation posted a similar message on their official Instagram page titled ‘Black Lives Matter grassroots statement in solidarity with the Palestinian people’ as well which also drew a flood of condemnation.

It read, “As the world is faced with deep questions about self-determination, as we all desire and pray for a world of peace, we must stand unwaveringly on the side of the oppressed. When people have been subject to decades of apartheid and unimaginable violence, their resistance must not be condemned but understood as a desperate act of self-defence.”

The statement highlighted, “Black Lives Matter Grassroots stands in solidarity with our Palestinian family who are currently resisting 57 years of settler colonialism and apartheid.” It alleged that the resistance in Palestine was an effort to bring down the walls of the biggest open-air jail in the world which is an argument often used by extremists and their apologists to justify the violence on Israelis.

It drew a comparison with the condition of Black people living in the United States and pointed out that they are in a struggle to abolish militarism and mass incarceration in their communities. “As a radical Black organization grounded in abolitionist ideals, we see clear parallels between Black and Palestinian people.”

It further continued, “We, too, understand what it means to be surveilled, dehumanized, property seized, families separated, our people criminalized and slaughtered with impunity, locked up in droves, and when we resist they call us terrorists. We, too, dream of a world where our people may live freely on decolonized land.”

The notification desired for the borders, checkpoints, prisons, police and watchlists which it claimed to create fears in the hearts of their people to be eliminated. It hoped for a new world to be erected from their remains that honour those who lost their lives in the fight. However, it did not go into detail about what the conflict included or if the rape and murder of innocents should be denounced and forbidden from being used as a form of resistance.

“For lasting peace to come, the entire apartheid system must be dismantled. The war on the Palestinian people must cease.” It urged the government of the United States to cease financing the war right away and instead use the $4 billion that Israel spends on its military every year to repair the harm done by US-backed wars, military air attacks, coups, and destabilising interventions against oppressed people all over the world.

Notably, Black Lives Matter failed to deliver a single sentence opposing the despicable actions of Hamas terrorists and projected Palestinians as the only victims which did not go unnoticed. According to one netizen, this was not how a peaceful two-state solution for both Israel and Palestine could be reached.

Another asked if they endorsed the atrocities meted out to women and children.

An individual called out the post as “incredibly disrespectful” and stated that the group did not do any research on the matter. She mentioned that Hamas isn’t representative of all the Palestinians and added, “True BLM activists would never condone the murdering of innocent people.”

One person remarked that they have supported the Black Lives Movement but now the group is in support of the the barbaric acts of Hamas terrorists on women and children. She called herself human for life and stated, “Whatever you are. Blown away.”

Another supporter of the movement came forward and called out the group for drawing equivalences between Palestinian people and the Black Lives Matter Movement. “Do you identify with Hamas or just their supporters protesting their show of ignorance and misinformation,” he inquired. The person further referred to Jews as the “smallest minority group in the world” and accused the organisation of provoking more hate against them.

Black Lives Matter

The movement began in July 2013 with the use of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of African American teen Trayvon Martin 17 months earlier in February 2012. The organisation that was established to address the issue of racism towards black people in the United States quickly gained a reputation for looting, violence and other illegal acts.

George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed on 25 May 2020 by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, who knelt on the former’s neck for more than 8 minutes until his body became unresponsive. He was reported to the police by a store owner for attempting to pass a ‘potentially counterfeit bill.’ He was pronounced dead after being brought to the Hennepin County Medical Centre.

The tragedy sparked rioting and large-scale protests throughout several American cities led by the Black Lives Matter movement. Minneapolis, the city where George the man met his end experienced the most damage. Rocks were thrown at and damaged police cars. The police used tear gas and rubber bullets to calm the enraged crowd in order to pacify the situation.

Windows of unmanned stores were broken. Many stores and boutiques were looted and destroyed by the violent rioters in various parts of the country. A woman protestor of the BLM movement had defecated on an overturned police car. Home goods such as rugs and coffee makers were stolen and stores were set ablaze. The mob also breached security and reached the police precinct in the neighbourhood where George Floyd passed away. The building was set on fire by the unruly mob amidst slogans demanding justice for the victim.

Multiple statutes including that of Mahatma Gandhi were defaced. A Black Lives Matter protestor named Christopher Hamner was charged with hate crimes against Asian American women in 2021. In the same year, Black Lives Matter (BLM) co-founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors came under fire for buying a series of properties worth millions, especially a home that cost $1.4 million in a predominantly White neighbourhood.

Hamas Attacks Israel

A surprise attack deemed ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’ by Hamas on Israel which combined gunmen breaching security barriers with a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza was launched at dawn on 7 October during the Jewish high holiday of Simchat Torah which resulted in the gruesome murder of at least 1000 people including children and elderly while more than 2000 were wounded.

The terrorists also raped women and abducted hundreds in one of the deadliest attacks in history. Israel then launched ‘Operation Iron Swords’ in retaliation and invoked Article 40 for the first time since the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and officially declared war.

Mohammad Deif masterminded Hamas terror attacks: Read about the terrorist who led the operation ‘Al Aqsa Storm’ into Israel

Gopal Tiwari
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Mohammad Deif masterminded Hamas terror attacks: Read about the terrorist who led the operation ‘Al Aqsa Storm’ into Israel

So far, more than 1200 people have been confirmed dead in the attacks of the Islamic terrorist organization Hamas on Saturday (7th October) in Israel. Hamas’s Al Qassam Brigades are behind these attacks. The leader of this group is Mohammad Deif.

His full name is Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, though he is also recognised by aliases such as Mohammad Masri and Mohammad Deif. It is believed that he is the mastermind behind the entire plot to target Israel.

Mohammad Deif has been involved in terror activities in Israel for a continuous span of three decades. As per reports, he sustained severe injuries, losing one eye, one arm, and one leg in an Israeli airstrike. He currently leads Hamas’s terrorist unit while using a wheelchair.

Mohammad Deif has described the attack on Israel as revenge. He said that it is revenge for 16 years of cutting Gaza off from the world, Israeli police entering the West Bank and violence in Al Aqsa.

Who is Mohammad Deif alias Mohammed Masri?

Mohammad Deif alias Mohammad Masri was born in 1965 in the Khan Younis area of Gaza. Khan Younis is the same area where Israel is currently bombing terrorist bases. Masri joined Hamas at the age of 25. Prior to that, he was associated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Masri is a graduate who has been involved in the Palestinian fight since college time. He was arrested by Israeli security agencies in 1989. But then after 16 months, he was released.

Mohammad Deif was linked to the Qassam Brigade by Yahya Ayash, a Hamas “engineer”. Ayash was an expert in making bombs. Daif was his disciple. By 1996, he carried out several incidents in Israel, working at the behest of Ayash.

Ayash was killed by Israeli security forces in 1996. After this, Mohammad Deif carried out several suicide attacks in Israel as revenge, in which about 50 people died within a week.

Deif is considered an expert in making rockets, preparing suicide bombers and tunnelling attacks. He is said to have very limited people around him and always lives like a normal citizen. In 2002, he was made the leader of the Al Qassam squad. In 2014, he threatened major attacks on Israel.

Mohammad Deif was targeted by Israel many times, but he managed to escape.

Mohammad Deif has been targeted by Israeli security forces and the Mossad intelligence agency at least seven times. But each time he managed to survive. In 2002, his car was targeted by Israel with a missile. Two of his companions were killed in this. But he somehow escaped.

In 2004, Israel carried out an air strike targeting Deif. But he survived the attack and his close aide Mohammad Adnan-al-Goul was killed. Adnan was known as Hamas’s rocket expert.

In 2006, based on intelligence, an air strike was carried out on a house. Israeli security forces learned that Deif was meeting with some terrorists in that building. He suffered a spinal injury in the attack.

In 2014, Masri’s house was attacked once more. Masri’s one leg and one hand were blown away in this attack. He also lost one eye. It is said that since then he has been in a wheelchair.

‘My daughter is alive in Gaza’: German woman Shani Louk, who was paraded naked by Hamas terrorists, reported ‘alive’ by unconfirmed sources

OpIndia Staff
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‘My daughter is alive in Gaza’: German woman Shani Louk, who was paraded naked by Hamas terrorists, reported ‘alive’ by unconfirmed sources

The German woman later identified as Shani Louk, whose lifeless and naked body was paraded and spat on by Hamas terrorists during the attack on Israel on 7 October, could still be ‘alive’, her mother has claimed in another recent video message. In a self-recorded video message published by the Wall Street Journal, her mother, Ricarda Louk, stated that a family friend in the Gaza Strip has told her that her daughter was alive in a Hamas hospital. However, she added that her condition is critical and every minute is important as her daughter had suffered a serious head injury during the Hamas terror attack. 

Ricarda further pleaded with the German government for assistance in ensuring Shani’s safety. In the video message, Ricarda could be heard saying, “We now have information that Shani is alive but has a serious head injury and is in critical condition. Every minute is critical. And we ask…no, we demand the German government to act quickly,” as per English subtitle provided by WSJ.

She further pleaded before the German government and urged them not to raise the argument of jurisdiction and ‘act’ to ensure Shani’s safe return from the Gaza Strip. 

She urged, “One should not argue about the question of jurisdiction. One must act quickly to get Shani out of the Gaza Strip. This is really my desperate call to the entire country of Germany to help me get my Shani back home healthy.” 

The family friend added that Shani Louk is in the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia in the Gaza Strip. However, a German news outlet Der Siegel reported that the family friend who told Shani’s family about the message of her survival was not allowed to visit her in the hospital himself.

It is notable that earlier Louk’s family had said that they were informed by Louk’s bank that her credit card was used in Gaza, indicating that the Hamas terrorists were robbing her.

According to the victim’s social media handle, German citizen Shani Louk is a tattoo artist who was present at the Tribe of Supernova music festival which was taking place close to the Gaza border in southern Israel on 7th October, the ill-fated day when Hamas terrorists launched a massive multi-front surprise terror attack on Israeli citizens. 

Subsequent to the terror attack, she was captured by the Hamas terrorists, and her lifeless body was paraded through the streets in the back of a pickup truck while Hamas terrorists surrounded the vehicle and chanted religious slogans, ‘Allahu Akbar’, some of them even spat on her naked and battered body. The video of the same was shared by the terrorists which had gone viral on the internet. 

Hamas HAD initially claimed that the lifeless body was of a female Israeli soldier. However, it was later ascertained that the woman being paraded in that video was a German tourist named Shani Louk. Apparently, the tattoo on one of the legs of the woman in that video helped in her identification. Her presence at the music festival which was attacked and the fact that she was not answering phone calls further confirmed that she was a victim of the terror attack.

Her cousin Tom Weintraub Louk said, “We knew she was in the party. She didn’t answer.” The Washington Post further reported her saying that Shani’s legs were unnaturally laid out in the back of the truck. Her parents watched the video to confirm it was their daughter. 

Louk added, “We recognised her by the tattoos, and she has long dreadlocks.” Although her whereabouts and whether she was dead or alive were not confirmed by official channels, the family hoped that she was alive despite initial reports claiming that she had been killed by Hamas terrorists. 

Despite Hamas themselves claiming that the body was of an Israeli female soldier which proved to be false, Iran has started to float a conspiracy theory that Hamas terrorists didn’t massacre innocent partygoers at the music festival where incidentally Shani Louk was also present which was confirmed by her family members. Instead, pro-Iran and pro-Hamas handles have started to float that they got killed in crossfire.

Australian media quoted her first cousin saying, “It is definitely Shani. She was at a music festival for peace. This is a nightmare for our family.” As per reports, Shani had attended the music festival which was the first site of attack by Hamas terrorists. On Saturday morning Hamas attacked a dance party near Kibbutz Urim and other Israeli communities, unconfirmed videos of such music festivals have surfaced online in which Hamas terrorists can be seen in backdrop paragliding.

It was later found out that Shani Louk was probably robbed as well. In an interview with the German media outlet Der Speigel, her parents revealed that they had learned via Louk’s bank that her credit card had been used in Gaza.

Meanwhile, during the clearance operation, it was revealed that Hamas terrorists turned the Israeli music festival into a massacre from where more than 260 bodies were recovered. The survivors also narrated that women were raped near the dead bodies of their friends and dozens of partygoers were taken to Gaza as hostages by the uniformed Hamas terrorists. On 11th October, the Israel-Hamas war entered the fifth day with the death toll crossing 3000 from both sides with the majority of the casualties suffered by Israel.

The New York Times publishes a report calling Hamas ‘terrorists’, changes to ‘gunmen’ after some time

OpIndia Staff
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The New York Times publishes a report calling Hamas ‘terrorists’, changes to ‘gunmen’ after some time

On Tuesday (10th October) The New York Times published a news regarding the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel. In this story, The New York Times called Hamas ‘terrorists’. However, it replaced the word ‘terrorists’ with ‘gunmen’ after some time, in line with the left-liberal media policy of not using the term terrorist for jihadi terrorists.

The news article titled ‘Hamas Leaves Trail of Terror in Israel’ was published on 10th October by The New York Times. In the subtitle of the article, the American newspaper wrote, “As Israeli soldiers regain control of areas near Gaza that came under attack, they are finding evidence seen in videos and photos and confirmed by witness accounts of the massacre of civilians by Hamas terrorists.”

After some time, The New York Times changed the last word in the sentence ‘terrorist’ to ‘gunmen’. The NYT was called out on social media for calling terrorists just gunmen in order to score Islamoapologetic secular credentials. American journalist Greg Price wrote, “Holy shit you can’t make this up. The New York Times published a story referring to Hamas as “terrorists” and then changed it to “gunmen”.” Greg Price also shared the screenshots of the news before and after the change.

The archive of the report shows the term ‘terrorist’ used by NYT before it was replaced.

Interestingly, while the original report used the term ‘terrorist’ in the subtitle, it was used only once in the report, while the word ‘gunmen’ was used throughout the report. The publication has not replaced the lone occurrence of the term terrorist in the report, which appears in the second paragraph. The word ‘gunmen’ appears 8 times in the report text, sometimes called ‘Palestinian gunmen’ or ‘Hamas gunmen’. There is no mention in the report that Hamas also fired over 5,000 rockets into Israel, many of which hit civilian areas after overwhelming Israel’s air defence system Iron Dome.

Referring to the 9/11 terrorist attack in the USA, Greg Price also wrote, “Untold pain suffering was caused by the amateur pilots on 9/11.”

Another X user with handle ID @WithRitesh posted, “Learning from their brothers across Atlantic! This is Left Media!” In this post, he added a screenshot of a BBC news that called Hamas terrorists just ‘gunmen’.

Syzmon Thomas posted, “Our media is contemptible and morally bankrupt. I am glad they are slowly, but surely, going the way of the newspaper.” He also added a screenshot of news by the Washington Post calling ISIS terrorist Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi an ‘austere religious scholar’. The words used for the ISIS terrorist were later changed to ‘extremist leader’ after the news outlet faced criticism.

Bruce Balley wrote, “Next? Alleged miscreants? Late-term abortionists? Misguided souls? Hands of God?”

John Ashbrook wrote, “Would pay to for a transcript of their internal editorial debate over this.”

The New York Times is known for its age-old soft-corner towards Islamism. It has repeatedly provided a platform for Islamic bigotry. In April 2021, NYT published a news article that said that the onus to convert is on non-Muslims in case of an interfaith marriage involving a Muslim and a non-Muslim.

The New York Times is also notorious for its anti-India anti-Modi agenda. In March 2023, the New York Times published an article written by Anuradha Bhasin, the Executive Editor of The Kashmir Times who criticized PM Modi’s stance against the Indian media and its freedom of expression. Donning an anti-India outlook on the international media platform, she alleged that the Modi-led government had imposed ‘repressive’ media policies in the country and was deliberately targeting the media organizations who chose to voice an opinion against it or the Prime Minister.

The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Youth Affairs, and Sports Anurag Thakur lashed out at the New York Times for this anti-India editorial published on 8th March 2023. Anurag Thakur had said, “We don’t need to learn the grammar of democracy from agenda-driven media.” Now, The New York Times has called the Hamas terrorists as gunmen.

The recent Israel-Hamas war started after the State of Israel came under attack by Palestine-based Islamic terror outfit Hamas on Saturday (7th October), resulting in the death of more than 900 Israelis. About 2400 people have been wounded and over 100 still remain in the captivity of the terrorists. 

‘Yes, I am in favour of wiping out Jews’: Watch old video of Muslim student from University of California proudly supporting Hezbollah

OpIndia Staff
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‘Yes, I am in favour of wiping out Jews’: Watch old video of Muslim student from University of California proudly supporting Hezbollah

As the Israel-Hamas war is approaching its peak, a video from 2010 has gone viral in which a Muslim student who identified herself as Jumanah Imad Albahri at the University of California in San Diego expressed her support for the Lebanese Shia Islamist terrorist organisation Hezbollah’s leader’s hostile intentions towards Jews.

The Muslim student tried to get David Horowitz’s views on Muslim Student Associations (MSAs) in Universities. Horowitz is an American conservative writer and activist who founded the right-wing David Horowitz Freedom Center. He is the editor of FrontPage Magazine and director of Discover the Networks, which tracks individuals and groups affiliated with political left ideology.

The MSA was founded in January 1963 at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, to “spread Islam as disciples in North America”. ​​In 2004, an FBI investigation uncovered a Muslim Brotherhood internal paper a Brotherhood leader identified the MSA as “one of our organizations.” MSA reportedly has “almost 600 chapters” in the United States and Canada and is “the most visible and influential Muslim student organization in North America,” with conferences, special events, publications, websites and other activities in this regard The organization has former case officials with clear links to terrorist groups. Al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki (Colorado State University), Somali al-Shabaab militant leader Omar Shafiq Hammami (University of South Alabama), and MSA’s Washington, D.C., mission.

In a conversation with Horowitz, the Muslim female student was evasive about her stance on condemning the Palestinian terrorist organisation Hamas. When Horowitz asked if she would denounce the organisation, she hesitated and expressed concerns that her reply would put her in the way of potential legal consequences and a negative public image.

However, Horowitz remained persistent in his line of questioning and expressed his concerns over the student’s failure to condemn Hamas, implying she supported the terrorist organisation. Towards the end, when Hotowitz again asked her if she would condemn Hezbollah’s leader’s hostile intentions towards Jews or if she was “for” such intentions, the student said, “for it”.

The 13-year-old video went viral on social media when Hamas attacked Israel unprovoked and killed almost 1,000 Israelis, including children, women, and elders. In retaliation, Israel declared war against Hamas, intending to wipe it from Gaza completely. As Israel launched the counterattack, Islamists and leftists worldwide have come out in support of Hamas and Palestinians.

The video holds importance because student groups of Harvard University issued a joint statement in solidarity with Palestinians, although Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel, killing around 1,000 people. Blaming Israel for the situation, the student organisations blamed the Jewish country for taking away land, launching air strikes and doing target killings of Palestinians. They wrote, “Palestinians have been forced to live in a state of death, both slow and sudden”. Following the uproar against the support by the student organisation, the President of the University condemned the attack, and some of the organisations retracted their names from the statement.

Furthermore, students of Aligarh University in India also conducted a march to support Palestine and are now facing police FIR for the same. Left organisations are famous for supporting Islamic propaganda in universities worldwide. How can one forget events organised by left-backed student groups in Universities in India in support of terrorists like Afzal Guru? The slogans like “Bharat Tere Tukde Honge Insha Allah” are often raised by these organisations. Universities like AMU, Jamia Milia Islamia and others are often criticised for allowing anti-Hindu and anti-India events. Recently, Jamia students blamed Hindus for Nuh violence despite Islamists mercilessly attacking Hindu devotees in a planned manner.

IUML, which Rahul Gandhi called secular, extends support to Palestine even after Hamas beheads and rapes Israelis 

OpIndia Staff
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IUML, which Rahul Gandhi called secular, extends support to Palestine even after Hamas beheads and rapes Israelis 

On Tuesday (10th October), the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) announced its support for Palestine while asserting that Israel’s ‘occupation’ of the state of Palestine is the main cause of the surging tensions in West Asia.

In its resolution, IUML stated, “It is a hot reality that Israel’s occupation of Palestine is the root cause of the entire West Asian tensions.

Moreover, the League claimed that Israel’s ‘encroachment’ of Khuds Mosque is “extremely unjustified”.

Interestingly, while it was the Hamas terrorist organisation that launched an unprecedented attack on Israeli civilians this week, the IUML asserted that Israel is “not just against Palestine but against the entire global human community.” The IUML termed the Israel-Hamas conflict as a human rights issue.

Furthermore, the IUML urged the United Nations to bring up a peaceful solution to the ‘Palestinian issue’ adding that India has always stood with Palestine.

The party offered its “strong support to the Palestinian people and also expressed its protest over the “unfair developments” in Palestine.

When Rahul Gandhi called IUML ‘secular’

It is worth noting that the IUML which is an offshoot of the Muslim League that played a significant role in the partition of India is an ally of the Congress party. While the IUML has links with Jammat-e-Islami and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), both accused by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of spreading radicalism in Kerala, Rahul Gandhi had called the IUML a ‘secular’ party.

During his controversial US visit in June this year, Rahul Gandhi asserted that the Muslim League, a Muslim political party in India which played a vital role in the partition of India on religious lines, was “completely secular”. The interviewer asked him, “You talked about secularism and democracy while opposing the Hindu party BJP, however, the Congress in Kerala has been in alliance with the Muslim party, the Muslim League in Kerala, the state from which you were an MP”. To this, Rahul Gandhi said, “Muslim League is a completely secular party, there is nothing non-secular about the Muslim League. I think the person has not studied the Muslim League”.

Notably, while the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) claims to be born after Indian Independence in 1948, is actually an off-shoot of Pakistan founder and Islamist Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s All India Muslim League (AIML). The All India Muslim League was succeeded by the Muslim League in Pakistan and the Indian Union Muslim League in India. While the IUML on its website claims that it is “uncompromisingly anchors the nationalist and secular principles”, the party’s activities have been in sharp contrast to this.

Congress backs Palestine

The IUML backing Palestine is not surprising since a Muslim party’s leaders feel religiously obligated to stand with the Ummah. On 9th October, the Congress party passed a resolution backing the Palestinian people while raising concerns over the situation.

“The Indian National Congress has always believed that the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a life of self-respect, equality, and dignity must be fulfilled only through a process of dialogue and negotiations while ensuring the legitimate national security interests of the Israeli people. Violence of any type never provides a solution and must stop,” the Congress party said.

Interestingly, the Congress party’s resolution did not even mention the words Hamas or Israel. Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in a conversation with IndiaToday said that “Hamas cannot be called a terrorist organisation”. He asserted that while the US has labelled Hamas as a terrorist organisation, the government of India has not made any such classification. Tharoor’s assertion comes even when Prime Minister Modi has explicitly termed the attacks on Israel as “terrorist attacks”.

Perhaps out of political imperative to avoid upsetting the ‘vote bank,’ the Congress party cannot comprehend that Hamas holding innocent Israeli people hostage, killing children and families, and raping numerous civilians is terrorism.

The recent Israel-Hamas war began on Saturday (7th October) when the State of Israel was attacked by the Palestine-based Islamic terror group Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya commonly known as Hamas, resulting in the deaths of over 1000 Israelis. Nearly 2400 people have been wounded, with dozens are still being held captive by the Hamas terrorists.

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