Israel hit a mosque in Gaza that was being used to store weapons, and the international condemnation was fierce. Somehow I doubt that those who were so angry about that attack on a mosque will be upset about this one at all. More on this story. "Mosque gun battle rages in Gaza," from the BBC, August 14 (thanks to Dupont):
At least six people have been killed and dozens injured in a fierce gun battle in Gaza, emergency services say.Eyewitnesses say hundreds of Hamas fighters and policemen surrounded then raided a mosque where followers of a radical Islamist cleric were holed up.
They had fired rocket-propelled grenades at the mosque in Rafah, near the Egyptian border, witnesses say.
It is thought that at least 100 supporters of the al-Qaeda-linked group, Jund Ansar Allah, were inside.
Hamas said a grenade fired from the mosque killed one of its fighters. The other fatalities were reported to be gunmen, and a child was also killed.
Fighting pledge
Earlier, during Friday prayers, hundreds of worshippers at Ibn-Taymiyah mosque declared Gaza an "Islamic emirate".
The mosque's imam - Abdul-Latif Moussa - and armed supporters swore to fight to the death rather than hand over authority of the mosque to Hamas.
Jund Ansar Allah (Army of the Helpers of God) gained some prominence two months ago when it staged a failed attack on a border crossing between Gaza and Israel.
The group is very critical of Hamas, which governs Gaza, accusing the Islamist group of not being Islamist enough....
"I would have such a fellow whipped for overdoing Termagant; it out-Herods Herod: pray you, avoid it."
Anyway, I guess now Hamas is officially and undeniably "moderate." Let the jizya flow!
According to the BBC, Hamas were bravely restoring calm in the face of these upstart 'radlcals'.
I think it's criminal the way we haven't given these good people a state yet!
From my archives:
*This* is how the discussion went, when this article was first up, on IntDeb:
PULSAR said: "A Muslims worst nightmare is another Islam believing Muslim showing up at his door with guns...Allah must laugh everytime he sees this....".
SORROW said - We should have Jihadists versus Jihadists as a board game. When mutually assured destruction occurs, the world wins.
IslamMachtFrei said - "Thank God for the Sunni-Shia split, and all other internecine Islamic fights.
I just saw a report of that are now 30 paradise-bound (hmm, do they count as shahids or infidels???? tough call).
It's great that no matter how crazy one faction might be (Hamas in this case) there's always another to out-crazy them, and see them as Islamo-slackers. And we all know what that means - blood in the streets. How long before this gets blamed on the Jews???"
TOTAL said - (quoting) "The group is very critical of Hamas, which governs Gaza, accusing the Islamist group of not being Islamist enough...."
- An overwhelming proportion of Hamas's attacks are on civilians. When the IDF comes, they flee and melt into the civilian population. How can Hamas possibly be any more Islamist?
EBONYSTONE - (quoting) "The mosque's imam - Abdul-Latif Moussa - and armed supporters swore to fight to the death rather than hand over authority of the mosque to Hamas."
I sincerely hope they fulfilled their oath.
JETCAL said - For now it is an internal affair. Let them sort it out. I would of course prefer to see this done with no external interference.
NOTOSHARIAH - Just hearing on BBC that Hamas have the Mosque have the mosque surrounded and are bombarding it with fire.
Chances of Western writers and artists getting up a petition about this shocking violation of the sanctity of a holy building used by civilians?
YANKEL said - Warriors" for allah?
Well, you can't get much more islamic than that.
DSINC said - Allah's army, where the best armed, and most devout, is the last man standing.
STEPHENA said - Saturday morning update: The imam, Moussa, and many of his gunmen are now dead, see:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8202...
-DDA said - Good riddance.
PULSAR said - (quoting) "Eyewitnesses say hundreds of Hamas fighters and policemen surrounded then raided a mosque where followers of a radical Islamist cleric were holed up."
- well, so far, the Muslims aren't blaming any Christians in this display of Muslim upon Muslim violence....it was probably a mosque of Al-Fatah supporters anyway....".