Hamas backtracking? Not so fast.

According to recent reports, Hamas negotiates with Gaza’s other armed factions to establish a unilateral cease-fire, after killing eight Israelis on August 18th – and more, via rocket attacks. While some might believe it suggests Hamas is scared and wants to prevent further destruction of its assets, it is likely that the scheme is more sophisticated than that.

Hamas understood in advance that attacking Israeli civilians would provoke Israeli response and no condemnation of the Arab league would defend the Strip. Realizing political winds around the world, though – UN in particular – Ismayil Haniyeh, Hamas’ leader in Gaza believed he could terrorize Israelis, scoring points with his superiors and some neighbors, while suffering relatively little to no damage.

Haniyeh understands that leveraging international press – as well as bodies such as the United Nations and the Arab League – is a cinch; on all previous occasions, the international community was quick to call upon Israel to halt counter-operations in Gaza. The talk of a cease-fire is no more than a ruse to leave the scene unscathed, after achieving Hamas’ goals.

When Hamas declares another lull – which never is what Hamas claims it to be – Israel will have two options. Either abide by the newly set game rules, hence suffering political defeat vis-à-vis Gaza, or continue the armed campaign. The latter option is also split into two: either Israel keeps destroying Gazan targets from the air (mostly an ineffective tactic) or it moves into Gaza with armed forces, an operation similar to 2008-09 operation Cast Lead.

Haniyeh calculated that whatever path Israel chooses, Hamas wins. If Israel halts its attacks, Hamas claims it won the battle. If Israel keeps bombarding the area, each civilian casualty (real or invented by Palestinian press handlers) plays against the Jewish state. And, finally, if Israel moves into Gaza with ground forces, Gaza’s ruler is confident the Israelis will not cause significant damage to Hamas’ infrastructure, learning his lessons from past experiences.

Iran issues fatwa against pets like cats and dogs

All Iranian media have been forbidden to publish any advertisements about pets or pet-related products.

Iranians with their pets. This photo has been published by the free Iranian press in exile.

The decision was made by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

The fatwa was issued as a Press release on Tuesday by Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, from the the ministry’s Advertisement and Information Dissemination Office (AIDO).

– Based on his response, publishing any advertisement about keeping, buying, and selling pets is forbidden, AIDO Director Alireza Karimi said.

In addition, ads promoting pet foods and shops selling pet accessories, especially for cats and dogs, have been banned by the fatwa, he added.

Karimi demanded that all the various media outlets decline to publish the above-mentioned ads. Based on shariah, a dog is essentially unclean.

Keeping pets, especially dogs and cats, has become remarkably common among Iranians, particularly those living in metropolitan areas. Police have been assigned the task of stopping people from walking in public or driving with their pets.

Months ago, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi was asked a question about the cleanliness of dogs in shariah. Such a question, called an istifta, is a request by someone for a fatwa, a ruling based on shariah.

The istifta inquired why is a dog considered unclean under shariah despite a lack of any references to dogs in the Holy Quran.

In his response to the istifta, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi emphasized that under shariah, dogs are indeed considered unclean. He said the uncleanliness of dogs is based upon riwayahs, reliable narrations handed down from the Prophet Muhammad (S) and his household (AS).

He described the current Iranian inclination toward dogs as “blindly imitating the West”; something that he believes will result in “evil outcomes.”

“Many people in the West love their dogs more than their wives and children,” he stated.

Source: Iranian News agencies.

My comment:

The Bibles says the deceivers will go from bad to worse, deceiving them selves and their listeners.

What good can the Islamic culture bring to the free and democratic nations in the West?

If the Iranian people do not get rid of this totalitarian corrupt, and evil Islamic regime, their leaders will not only rob them for their pets. The Iranian people will be robed for their peace of mind, and eventually the salvation that is available for for all who obey Jesus of Nazareth.

I am Israel

 

Each and every day, Israel’s very existence is at stake – John Boehner.