Surprised? Not if you have any idea of their own stated goals -- which are routinely ignored by policymakers. From Reuters, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas militants said on Friday they would not disarm despite Israel's planned Gaza pullout so they could carry on their fight against the Jewish state.The comments by Hamas leaders sharpened a challenge to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, seeking to rein in militants to assert control over Gaza after Israel vacates its settlements in the occupied territory starting on Wednesday.
Hamas, sworn to Israel's destruction, made clear it has not budged from its historic goal of a creating an Islamic state that would encompass not only the West Bank and Gaza Strip but also what is now Israel.
``Arms are a holy issue. It is impossible for us to abandon our arms even if we all get killed. The issue of arms is not one for discussion,'' the head of Hamas's Qassam Brigades, Ahmed Al-Ghandour, told reporters in northern Gaza.
"arms are a HOLY ISSUE"
there you are, proof islam is a religion of peace
"and put not down your AKs and discard not your Semtex for the disarmed are losers in the eyes of allah(harassing fire be unto him) and none but the believers in allah(full auto be unto him)
are to be granted entrance to paradise(please remove magazines and maintain an open breech).
and verily i say to you, o islam of the lock and load, the faithful shall demonstrate the way, with blindfolded weapon-stripping in under 1 minute, for allah(tight grouping be unto him) does favor the armed and casts the unexplodable apostate down range in the molten hell of the live-fire exercise."
What? you never read the t-ham sura? to damn bad the quran is complete and unalterable. i can write this stuff all day. a shame really, a niche-market if i ever saw one. could of gotten out of this deadend job and made some REAL money.
Dear Robert Spencer,
I've been reading your site for over a year now, starting as a complete and utter layperson on Islam and Jihad, and I would have failed miserably any test on these topics.
Fast forward, present day, having read your articles and some books, I now read: "Hamas Militants Say They Will Keep Their Guns." My immediate response: "Of course, this was to be expected."
Then I click the link to the article above and read your comment: "Suprise? Not if you have any idea ..."
You have taught me well!
Jan ~:)