Hamas rulers marshaled hundreds of thousands of supporters to a huge anniversary rally held in Gaza in 14 December 2008, marking 21 years of its founding. The Islamic extremist group bragged about its violent exploits, promised more money to Gaza's impoverished people, and announced it would soon stop recognizing the legitimacy of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), who now rules only the West Bank. Hamas organizers said that about 300,000 Hamas supporters crowded into a dusty outdoor arena and spilled over into nearby streets. Many waved flags and sported baseball caps in the Islamic group's signature green color. In the chilling and appalling skit, Hamas paraded a Palestinian speaking Hebrew and dressed in an Israeli soldier's uniform - a reference to Israeli Sgt. Gilad Schalit, captured by Hamas-allied terrorist in June 2006. The mass rally was marking Hamas’ political aspirations towards the unification of the Palestinian territories under its rule reflecting this aspiration on a huge banner behind the central dignitaries podium,” West Bank [and] Gaza … Unity [and] Pride”[1]
During the rally, Hamas’s Prime Minister Ismael Haniya was standing in front of the dignitary’s stage waiving a wooden shaft with the Islamic green flag. Hamas's green flag already carries the “Shahada”, which also appears on the Saudi flag. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan also had similar writing on its flag. Under the Hamas’ Islamic flag the Palestinian traditional flag was attached.[2] The sharp-sighted could have noticed at a very symbolic and substantive change while looking closer with more attention to the traditional PLO flag. The Palestinian flag included caption of the Islamic declaration of faith, Shahada, "La Ilaha Illa Allah" (There is no god but Allah). This formal symbolic act preformed by Hamas leader Haniya was a clear cut challenging manifestation of the radical Islamic Hamas on the Palestinian Authority and the secular nationalistic PLO.The fact that the Islamic flag was above the Palestinian flag has also a symbolic message stating that the PLO is under and subordinated to the Islamic rule and dominance.
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Notes: [1] http://www.palestine-info.info/Ar/DataFiles/Contents/Files/gallery/2008/dec/7amas_14_12_08/7amas_32.jpg [2] http://www.palestine-info.info/Ar/DataFiles/Contents/Files/gallery/2008/dec/7amas_14_12_08/7amas_98.jpg [3] According to a senior PA-Fatah official in Ramallah. [4] Ibrahim Al Ghausha, “Juzur al Khilaf Bain Fatah wa Hamas” (The roots of conflict between Fatah and Hamas) Al Majd, 29 September 2008. See http://www.almajd.net/article/details/details.asp?id=2843. [5] Tariq Alhomayed, "Gaza: Following Afghanistan's Footsteps", October 6, 2008. http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=2&id=14308 [6] Ibid.