Armed Hamas militants in civilian clothes roamed the halls [of Shifa Hospital in Gaza]. Asked their function, they said it was to provide security. But there was internal bloodletting under way.And then I read Anglican Curmudgeon's piece on crucifixion as part of the new Sharia Law in Gaza. Curmudgeon includes this translation from News Blaze of one of the sections of the proposed code:
In the fourth-floor orthopedic section, a woman in her late 20s asked a militant to let her see Saleh Hajoj, her 32-year-old husband. She was turned away and left the hospital. Fifteen minutes later, Mr. Hajoj was carried out by young men pretending to transfer him to another ward. As he lay on the stretcher, he was shot in the left side of the head.
Mr. Hajoj, like five others killed at the hospital this way in 24 hours, was accused of collaboration with Israel. He had been in the central prison awaiting trial by Hamas judges; when Israel destroyed the prison on Sunday he and the others were transferred to the hospital. But their trials were short-circuited.
A crowd at the hospital showed no mercy after the shooting, which was widely observed.
Section 59 of the law establishes that "punishment of death will be enacted on any Palestinian who intentionally does one of the following: Raised a weapon against Palestine on behalf of the enemy during war, was appointed to negotiate with a foreign government on a Palestinian issue and negotiated against Palestinians' interest, performed a hostile action against a foreign country in a way that endangers Palestine in war or in harming political relations, served a foreign army in time of war, advised or helped soldiers to enlist in this army, weakened the spirit or the force of resistance of the people, or spied against Palestine especially during war."
(my bold added for emphasis)
The punishment of crucifixion is for traitors, and among those so classified would be those who have "weakened the spirit or the force of resistance of the people". I am thinking that anyone who complains about rockets being fired at Israel from their neighborhood would be accused of "weakening the spirit or the force of resistance of the people".
Why would Hamas up the punishment from death to crucifixion? I am thinking that it is because there are those who would "weaken the spirit or the force of resistance of the people" and the threat of death had not been a sufficient deterrent. Being shot dead with a bullet is a quick death. Crucifixion is used to make the death long and painful, and as a lesson for those who see it. Hamas is cracking down on any resistance among the Palestinian people, which tells me there is a desire among at least some Palestinians for an end to Hamas aggression against Israel.
So, I am thinking that it is very important for us to make a distinction between the Palestinian people and Hamas. I don't think the Palestinian people can resist Hamas right now.
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This puts the Palestinian people in a very tough spot. They are not the first people to find themselves in such a position, historically speaking. The question is, what will they do in this position? Will they submit, as their religion tells them to, or will they find it in their hearts to rebel and become free people as God our Father has intended for all people? I do not envy them, but this is a choice (and it is a choice, a real choice) that they must make. We must pray that they find the strength to make the right choice.
And we must also put down those who say that they have not choice because they most certainly do have a choice. If they were to choose to rebel, many would die in the resulting battles. This has always been the result of standing up to tyranny, but it has always led to greater freedom. If they choose to submit, then they choose to live as slaves to an evil system and become part of that system. It is a CHOICE.
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