The flag of the most powerful country in the world was trampled by the feet of demonstrators Friday, and was left to burn on the ground for five minutes after it was set on fire, during a protest staged by the Hamas movement within the largest refugee camp in Lebanon. American and Israeli flags were burned and trampled by angry demonstrators at the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian camp as a protest at Thursdayâs assassination of one of Hamasâ leaders, Ismail Abu Shanab. The demonstrators recalled how Israeli extremists had burned the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in 1969, as the protesters started at the Khaled bin al-Waleed Mosque and toured the camp shouting slogans urging Hamas to fire Al-Qassam rockets against Israel.
| "Yes! Kill them! Kill them all! The Religion of Peace™ demands it!" |
At the head of the march, protesters wearing white shrouds shouted in favor of vengeance and the firing of Al-Qassam rockets. There were more than 2,000 marchers, including representatives of the various Palestinian factions, all rolling their eyes and hollering. As Palestinian camp residents lined the edge of the streets covered by the march, the flags of the United States and Israel were burned after gasoline was poured on them. While smoke was pouring out of them, they were trampled by dozens of demonstrators.
âThe truth that the Zionists cannot understand is that the Palestinian people will not give up and go down on their knees before Zionist practices no matter how unfair they are,â the Hamas representative in the camp, Abu Ahmad Fadl, said in a speech devoted to condemning the killing of Abu Shanab.
| "Fair, unfair — doesn't matter. We're against it!" |
Hamas had staged a similar ceremony on Thursday at sunset at the Al-Bass Palestinian camp near Tyre. The ceremony, which marked the 34th anniversary of the burning of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, was attended by Beirut MP Nasser Qandil and Hamas representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan. Hamdan was surrounded by bodyguards who were armed with rifles and hand guns in fear of assassination attempts, after recent reports said that Israel was determined to liquidate Hamasâ leading representatives. âAnyone vying to represent the Palestinian people should protect fighters and face up to the growing US pressure. He should not turn the US pressure into a weapon aimed at the resistance fighters,â Hamdan said in an indirect reference to Palestinian Premier Mahmoud Abbas. He also called for sealing Palestinian national unity.
| That means killing anybody who disagrees... |
Hamdan accused Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon and his defense minister, Shaul Mofaz, of âfinishing off the cease-fire.â
| "Yes, yes! They are the ones who blew the bus! They dunnit!" |
âWe gave the enemy a 38-day opportunity to sit still while we killed them, but its government has wasted it,â Hamdan added.
| "It's all their fault. Really." |
In a separate development, Hezbollah condemned Abu Shanabâs killing. âThe killing showed that there is no sense in talking about a lasting peace with Israel,â Hezbollah said in a statement Friday, which encouraged Hamas resistance fighters to continue launching attacks against âthe enemy.â
| "So that's why we didn't even mention it." |
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