PFLP official: Hamas is aiming at imposing Islamic ideology in Gaza

Saturday August 23, 2008 13:15 by George Rishmawi - IMEMC News

Rabah Muhanna a senior official in the Popular Front to Liberate Palestine (PFLP) strongly criticized Hamas on Saturday over the way it rules the Gaza Strip since mid June 2007.

Dr. Rabah Muhanna, PFLP politburo member

In a statement to the press, Muhanna accused Hamas of failing to achieve the political partnership with other political factions, and taking exclusive procession of the Strip aiming at imposing its Islamic ideology on the coastal region.

Muhanna, PFLP politburo member, accused President Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayyad’s caretaker government in Ramallah for continuing the arrests and "playing with the democratic issues of the Palestinian society."

The PFLP is the second large faction among the factions represented in the executive committee of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The left-wing group is also represented the Hamas-dominant Legislative Council (PLC).

Media sources said the PFLP, which has three members in the PLC, has earlier received an official invitation from the Egyptian leadership to hold talks with senior Egyptian officials in Cairo on Wednesday to prepare for the comprehensive Palestinian dialogue.

"The Popular Front believes that strengthening the internal Palestinian front and achieving the national unity through a comprehensive and constructive dialogue is better that going for a fragile truce with Israel," said Muhanna.

The PFLP slammed Hamas for cracking down on Fatah members and its associations and slammed held Abbas responsible, as a president for the current inter-Palestinian division. "There are lobbies, which are not interested in ending the current inter-crisis.

The two lobbies, one is surrounding Abbas and the other is into Hamas, and both reinforce the internal division," said Muhanna.

gaza strip | internal unrest | news report george at imemc dot org