Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS)The Main Points

The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) is the foundational document of the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement Hamas. It was drafted by Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in 1988, and has been revised several times since then. The Covenant is a comprehensive manifesto that outlines Hamas’s ideology, goals, and strategies. It is also a religious document, and draws heavily on Islamic scripture and law.

The Covenant is divided into two parts: the first part is a preamble that outlines Hamas’s ideological principles, and the second part is a detailed program of action. The preamble begins by stating that Hamas is an Islamic movement that is dedicated to the liberation of Palestine and the establishment of an Islamic state there. It then goes on to outline Hamas’s main ideological principles, which include:

• The belief that Islam is the only true religion and that the Quran is the word of God.
• The belief that the Palestinian people have a right to self-determination and that Israel is an illegitimate state.
• The belief that armed resistance is the only way to achieve the liberation of Palestine.

The second part of the Covenant is a detailed program of action that outlines Hamas’s strategies for achieving its goals. These strategies include:

• The establishment of an Islamic state in Palestine.
• The destruction of Israel.
• The liberation of all Muslim prisoners from Israeli jails.
• The return of all Palestinian refugees to their homeland.

The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement is a complex and controversial document. It has been praised by some for its commitment to Islamic values and its willingness to fight for Palestinian rights. However, it has also been criticized for its extremism and its anti-Semitic rhetoric.

In this post, we will examine the main points of the Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement in more detail. We will also discuss the Covenant’s impact on Palestinian politics and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

THE COVENANT OF THE HAMAS – MAIN POINTS

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The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement was issued on August

18, 1988. The Islamic Resistance Movement, also known as the HAMAS,

is an extremist fundamentalist Islamic organization operating in the

territories under Israeli control. Its Covenant is a comprehensive

manifesto comprised of 36 separate articles, all of which promote the

basic HAMAS goal of destroying the State of Israel through Jihad

(Islamic Holy War). The following are excerpts of the HAMAS

Covenant:

Goals of the HAMAS:

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‘The Islamic Resistance Movement is a distinguished Palestinian

movement, whose allegiance is to Allah, and whose way of life is

Islam. It strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of

Palestine.’ (Article 6)

On the Destruction of Israel:

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‘Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will

obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.’ (Preamble)

The Exclusive Moslem Nature of the Area:

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‘The land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf [Holy Possession]

consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgment Day. No one

can renounce it or any part, or abandon it or any part of it.’

(Article 11)

‘Palestine is an Islamic land… Since this is the case, the

Liberation of Palestine is an individual duty for every Moslem

wherever he may be.’ (Article 13)

The Call to Jihad:

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‘The day the enemies usurp part of Moslem land, Jihad becomes the

individual duty of every Moslem. In the face of the Jews’ usurpation,

it is compulsory that the banner of Jihad be raised.’ (Article 15)

‘Ranks will close, fighters joining other fighters, and masses

everywhere in the Islamic world will come forward in response to the

call of duty, loudly proclaiming: ‘Hail to Jihad!’. This cry will

reach the heavens and will go on being resounded until liberation is

achieved, the invaders vanquished and Allah’s victory comes about.’

(Article 33)

Rejection of a Negotiated Peace Settlement:

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‘[Peace] initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and

international conferences are in contradiction to the principles of

the Islamic Resistance Movement… Those conferences are no more than

a means to appoint the infidels as arbitrators in the lands of

Islam… There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by

Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are but a

waste of time, an exercise in futility.’ (Article 13)

Condemnation of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty:

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‘Egypt was, to a great extent, removed from the circle of struggle

[against Zionism] through the treacherous Camp David Agreement. The

Zionists are trying to draw other Arab countries into similar

agreements in order to bring them outside the circle of struggle.

…Leaving the circle of struggle against Zionism is high treason,

and cursed be he who perpetrates such an act.’ (Article 32)

Anti-Semitic Incitement:

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‘The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and

kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the

rocks and trees will cry out: ‘O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind

me, come and kill him.’ (Article 7)

‘The enemies have been scheming for a long time … and have

accumulated huge and influential material wealth. With their money,

they took control of the world media… With their money they stirred

revolutions in various parts of the globe… They stood behind the

French Revolution, the Communist Revolution and most of the

revolutions we hear about… With their money they formed secret

organizations – such as the Freemasons, Rotary Clubs and the Lions –

which are spreading around the world, in order to destroy societies

and carry out Zionist interests… They stood behind World War I …

and formed the League of Nations through which they could rule the

world. They were behind World War II, through which they made huge

financial gains… There is no war going on anywhere without them

having their finger in it.’ (Article 22)

‘Zionism scheming has no end, and after Palestine, they will covet

expansion from the Nile to the Euphrates River. When they have

finished digesting the area on which they have laid their hand, they

will look forward to more expansion. Their scheme has been laid out

in the ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’.’ (Article 32)

‘The HAMAS regards itself the spearhead and the vanguard of the

circle of struggle against World Zionism… Islamic groups all over

the Arab world should also do the same, since they are best equipped

for their future role in the fight against the warmongering Jews.’

(Article 32)

.READ: 20-year-old British soldier serving in Israeli army killed in Hamas attack

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