More Palestinian Child Sacrifice - The Bani Hamas

  While Hamas screams bloody murder accusing Israel of deliberately killing Palestinian children, that terrorist organization employs those same children as human shields and "soldiers"; and has been doing so for years.

  The future for these children is mot hopeful. A short life that begins with a moment of joy at birth, then quickly turns into toddlers of war, child suicide bombers and ends in a little box.

  Hamas is using children to support its fighters during combat with IDF troops as they carry out counterterrorist operations. Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) has created a five-minute compilation of key representative segments from Hamas TV that document indoctrination of children into the culture of terrorism, including a music video that teaches that bombs to kill Israelis are more precious to an Arab mother than her children. PMW also cites an Arabic-language weekly Kul Al-Arab articke in which a child, "Khaled, from A-Rimal", who described the activities of children as they support adult terrorists.

Child Soldiers

  A child in Gaza describes how he and other children are being used in combat support roles for Hamas fighters. According to the Palestinian child, children are being used as scouts to follow Israeli movements, and as couriers to supply ammunition and deliver information to the Hamas fighters.

  "We, the children, in small groups and in civilian clothes, are fulfilling missions of support for the [Hama Resistance fighters, by transmitting messages about the movements of the enemy forces or by bringing them ammunition and food," he said. "We ourselves are not aware of the movements of the Resistance fighters. We see them in one place, they suddenly disappear, and then reappear somewhere else. They are like ghosts, it is very hard to find them or hurt them."

Called to form a human shield

  "During earlier Israeli counter-terrorist operations against Gaza terrorists in March 2008, Hamas repeatedly called upon civilians to gather near buildings which they they expected to be targets of IDF air strikes; the buildings were typically used to store weapons.

  The Israeli Air Force warned Muhammad Weil Baroud, responsible for firing Kassam rockets at Israel, to evacuate his home in Beit Lahiya in advance of an air strike. Instead, hundreds of locals, mostly women and children, were recruited to Baroud's house. Israel suspended the air strike, lest these human shields be harmed. In response to the incident, Hamas crowed: "We won. From now on we will form human chains around every house threatened with demolition."

  "Hamas's al-Aqsa TV issued a special call to children at the time to form a human shield at the home of Abu al-Hatal of the al-Shouqaf quarter in Sajaiyeh in order to deter an anticipated IAF air strike.

  "A month earlier, Hamas Member of Parliament Fathi Hammad claimed in a speech broadcast on February 29, 2008 on Al-Aqsa TV that for PA Arabs, "death has become an industry at which women excel… The elderly excel at this, and so do the mujahideen and the children."

  "In the video clip captured on tape and translated by the Washington DC-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Hammad is shown saying, "[The enemies of Allah] do not know that the Palestinian people has developed its [methods] of death and death-seeking. For the Palestinian people, death has become an industry, at which women excel, and so do all the people living on this land. The elderly excel at this, and so do the mujahideen and the children. This is why they have formed human shields of the women, the children, the elderly, and the mujahideen, in order to challenge the Zionist bombing machine. It is as if they were saying to the Zionist enemy: "We desire death like you desire life."

Umm Nidal, who sent three of her sons, including one 17 year old, on suicide attacks, said "I love my children, but as Muslims we pressure ourselves and sacrifice our emotions for the interest of the homeland. The greater interest takes precedence to the personal interest." She was later elected to the Palestinian legislature on the Hamas ticket. According to Human Rights Watch.

Death Cult

  Anne Speckhard, adjunct associate Professor of Psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical Center and Professor of Psychology, Vesalius College, Free University of Brussels, writes:

  In the Palestinian territories, there exists a "cult of martyrdom". From a very young age children are socialized into a group consciousness that honors "martyrs", including human bombers. Young children are told stories of "martyrs". Many young people wear necklaces venerating particular "martyrs", posters decorate the walls of towns and rock and music videos extol the virtues of bombers.

  Each act of suicide terrorism is also marked by a last testament and video, which are prepared ahead of time by the "martyr" who can later reach great popularity when the video is played on television. Despite the very deep and real grief of the family and friends left behind, the funerals of “martyrs” are generally accompanied with much fanfare by community and sponsoring organization. Often, the effect of this is confusing to outsiders as it can disrupt, delay and even circumvent the family’s ability to focus on its grief over the loss of a family member and it may even support the family in claiming to outsiders joy over the loss of its loved one.

  This "cult of martyrdom", which has a strong underpinning in longstanding cultural roots (the honoring of martyrs), appears to have developed principally over the last decade, as the first act of suicide terrorism occurred in Israel only twelve years ago.

  This is not just about Palestinians targeting Israeli civilians. It’s about Palestinians targeting Palestinian children. This is much worse than child abuse; when you raise a child from infancy to fight, to be prepared to die in terrorist acts it is premeditated murder!

  Where is the outrage? Shame on the EU! Shame on everyone accusing Israel of deliberately murdering Palestinian childern! Their tireless complaining about civilian casualties, belies any knowledge of the facts the Gaza War. Where is UNICEF?

Contact UNICEF

  A mere toddler, let alone an infant, has no say in the acts of the adults around them, and we must all see that these children are given at chance at peace, a chance at a future. However if children are continually allowed to be used as propaganda, let alone weapons, in a centuries old war, then the end will continue to become more and more obscure. It makes one question weather each generation is becoming increasingly more violent than the last!

  "For a people who count Abraham (or Ibrahim) among their ancestors, this willful child sacrifice violates the fundamental tenets of morality and ethics," said Steinberg. "The message of Abraham's non-sacrifice of Isaac was, and remains first and foremost, the absolute rejection of such practices."

Brainwashing

How can children be sold on dying in battle?

  Hamas threatens children if they're not willing to commit jihad and tells them they will be punished by God if they do not commit jihad. If they do commit jihad, they and their families will be rewarded. Their families are promised major financial benefits if they kill themselves in suicide attacks against Israel."

  To calm their fears they are assured by their teachers that they're not going to die at all.

  "A popular video on Palestinian television not too long ago portrayed a mother, after one of her teen-age sons has been killed by Israeli 'terrorists,' producing a Palestinian flag rifle and handing it to her next eldest son as if to say, 'It's time to go and kill yourself for the homeland.

The Conqueror

  The name of both a popular Hamas web site for children, al-Fateh.net, and of one of the main cartoon characters – a small boy on horseback wielding a sword – is al-Fateh, "The Conqueror," glorifying shahada (martyrdom). The site presents the deaths of terrorists attacking Israelis as a time of celebration.

  Stories of the Shaheeds is egalitarian in its encouragement of martyrdom, with a prominently featured drawing of a girl garbed religious dress participating in violent attackson both the homepage and on a second page. The drawing is accompanied by a poem glorifying Jihad, Islamic conquest, and Shahada.

  The following are excerpts from a translation of a poem on the site in the "Stories of the Shaheeds" section:

We Rose Up
We rose up against the thieves
We rose up against [them], and we shall never surrender
We will rise up in determination, like our ancestors
We will sacrifice, sacrifice our lives

Our father's bidding has taught us
That Jihad is the eternal path
And that the oppressors will be defeated...
We have become devoted and we will never surrender
One day we will defeat all the invaders
We bless and honor the proud
The blood of the shaheed has taught us
That Shahada is a new life
O Allah, bless the steps of the rebels
Indeed, Shahada is an open victory
[Al-Fateh website, March 7, 2006]

Stories of the Shaheeds

  A recent story honored Hamas terrorist Naseem Ja'abari, who murdered 16 people when he blew himself up on a bus in Be'er Sheva on August 31, 2004.

"...Our shaheed today is the the Shahada-seeker, the hero Naseem Al-Ja'abari."

  Naseem's mother tells of her son's merits and says that when she heard of his terrorist action, she took the money he had left her and "went to buy dates and candies for the people who came to congratulate [us]." She goes on to tell how she heard her son committed the suicide bombing. Finally, she sends her greetings to all those people who want to become shaheeds.

  Naseem's mother also gloats that in light of "the success of the heroic attack in Be'er Sheva, the Zionist Secret Service admitted they failed in eliminating the Resistance [euphemism for terror group], its roots and infrastructure." [Al-Fateh website, March 7, 2006]

  A story, entitled “A Palestinian Girl's Heroism,” describes how Suad, ayoung girl, calmly progresses, step by step, though the planning and execution of the terror attack, in which she dies. In death she is said to be "smiling, lying on the grass, because she died as a Shaheeda, martyr for Allah, for Palestine."

  “The illustration with the story on the web shows a young smiling girl with four candles,” a report by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) points out. “The image of a living, smiling child in a story about the death of a child appears to echo a familiar message in PA children's education, that those who die as Shaheeds (Martyrs for Allah) are not really dead.”

A Palestinian Girl's Heroism

  "Suad, the bright Palestinian girl, remembered what the Zionist criminals did when they killed her father and mother.

  "One day while Suad was walking, she heard a voice from the trees. She turned and saw three men planting land-mines on the road leading to the Zionist camp.

  "Suad kept on walking. After a while, she saw a car with some Zionists and an idea popped into her mind. She walked to the officer who was in the car, and told him: ‘I'll lead you to Palestinian Fida'yon (literally: self sacrificing fighters) in return for food, because I am hungry.’

  "The officer was afraid of the Fida'yon's reputation, and didn't believe what Suad told him.

  "He then said to his soldiers: "Take her to the camp so we will clarify her story." In the camp, the soldiers brought food to Suad, so she would lead them to the Fida'yon. She told them: ‘Before I taste any food, I must lead you to the Fida'yon.’

  "The officer was very happy and told his soldiers: ‘Let's go fast.’

  "On the way, Suad got ready to carry out her plan. She decided to cause the car to ride over the land-mines, so that all of the soldiers would die.

  "Suad sat next to the driver, to direct him, and she led him to the land-mines. Then the [car] blew-up and all of the soldiers were killed. As for Suad, well she became a Shaheeda (Martyr for Allah) on the grass, while smiling, because she died as a Shaheeda for Palestine". [Al-Fateh - Hamas Website, March 15, 2006].

Basic Training

  In December of 2008 the Associated Press reported on a graduation ceremony for some of Gaza's children who had received military training.

  Youths leaped through fiery hoops as gunfire echoed in an action-packed graduation ceremony for a Hamas summer camp aimed at preparing the youngsters for battle against Israel.

  About 200 teens dressed in the uniforms of the Hamas military wing showed off their new skills Sunday in a sandy, ramshackle stadium in the eastern Shejaiyeh area of Gaza City. The goal of the Hamas camp was clear - train the youth in military tactics and impart the militant Islamic ideology that has characterized Hamas.

  The youths leaped through hoops set on fire and summersaulted over the backs of others as older Hamas militants fired rifles. Random small bombs were also detonated in the sandy field.

  An older youth lay on the ground as a minivan drove over him - the tire rolling over the youth's body to cheers and gasps by hundreds of onlookers. He later smashed concrete plates set on fire with a quick snap of his hand. Other youths also smashed concrete blocks piled on the youth's body, as organizers set a small fire nearby, increasing the pressure.

  A black-suited trio sung strident pro-Hamas music as the youths back-flipped off scaffolding into a pool of water below, held onto a rope to glide across a metal cable fixed above the ground, and leaped off wooden bars, a few landing in a smoldering fire pit lit below them - all while bearded gunmen fired their assault rifles in the air and around the youths' feet.

  They later lined up breathing heavily and standing still as khaki-clad camp leaders walked sternly among them.

  "They are tomorrow's leaders!" thundered Khalil Hayyeh, a senior Hamas leader.

Sources:

Speckhard, Anne. “Understanding Suicide Terrorism: Countering Human Bombs and Their Senders” in Topics in Terrorism: Toward a Transatlantic Consensus on the Nature of the Threat (Volume I) Eds. Jason S. Purcell & Joshua D. Weintraub Atlantic Council Publication 2005.

Hamas using children in combat support roles; http://www.pmw.org.il/Bulletins_Jan2009.htm#b130109

Hamas summer school graduates now ready for battle with Israel; http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1010449.html

Hamas Launches Web Site Encouraging Kids to Become ´Martyrs´; http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/99839

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29535; Hamas launches webzine for kids