Hamas: We bring our kids up “on love of Jihad and Martyrdom-death”
Hamas Interior Ministry:
We bring our kids up
"on love of Jihad and Martyrdom-death"
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
Hamas does not intend to foster peaceful relations with Israel. Hamas' Ministry of Interior posted a photo on its Facebook page of a little boy, no more than five years old, posing in military uniform and holding an automatic rifle. The text beside the photo explained that children under Hamas rule grow up learning "the love of Jihad" - religious war for Islam - and aspire to die as Martyrs for Allah:
"These are our lion cubs.We have brought them up on the love of Jihad and Shahada (Martyrdom-death)"
[Facebook page of Hamas' Ministry of Interior, April 10, 2015]
Hamas' Ministry of Interior is part of the unity government formed between the PA and Hamas last year. However, in practice, the PA and Hamas have been acting independently in the last few months.
Palestinian Media Watch has shown that similar to Hamas, both Fatah and Fatah's youth movement this year have released statements supporting Martyrdom-death:
The [Fatah] Culture and Information Commission: "We believe that Martyrdom-death (Istish'had) for Palestine is a destiny we assume willingly and serenely, for a free and dignified life for our people in the paradise of the eternal homeland."
[WAFA (the official Palestinian news agency), Jan. 7, 2015]