Tuesday May 31, 2005

Column:

SHHHH. All we have to do is listen.

Listen to what they are saying and we will know what our enemies are thinking. We will know what they are planning. Regrettably, listening is an art form too many mainstream leaders of today are neglecting.

True, sometimes there is misinformation out there, deliberately spread misinformation. The Zarqawi rumors swilling through the mill, the internet, the airwaves and diplomatic corridors last week were just that, deliberate misinformation. But if you listened carefully, like I did, you can differentiate the truth from the disinformation. Just listen. And pay attention.

Hamas is a murderous Palestinian based terrorist organization. They are also one of our best sources as to what is happening inside the Palestinian Authority. They do not sugarcoat their words, they have no need to sugarcoat their message. Hamas just tells it like it is.

Four months ago, for example, when I heard a Hamas leader say that Palestinian Authority officials were pressuring this pseudo-political terrorist organization and other Palestinian politicos to postpone elections, I knew there was real substance in the remarks. And you know what, voila, Palestinian elections will indeed be postponed.

Hamas leaders seldom have reason to cater their message to meet Western images of leadership and democracy. Hamas has one purpose for democratic changes. It is a tool they manipulate in order to gain power for their cause. How do I know? How can I say that? I listen to what they say.

And the messages I have been hearing from Hamas leaders over the past few weeks are particularly worrisome.

Hamas is now threatening the British Empire, they have words of warning for England.

Read the following sermon delivered by a leading Hamas Imam, Sheik Ibrahim
Muderas. This sermon, like many of his other sermons, was broadcast on Palestinian-controlled TV. The translation of the sermon comes from World Net Daily and can be trusted for content and accuracy.

"We take this opportunity to hold Britain accountable and say there is revenge we can never forget. We cannot forgo the revenge we want to exact from Britain. We hold Britain responsible for what happened in Palestine. Britain is the cause, 'til this very minute, of every drop of blood dripping into this land."

"I say to you: You must look at our situation with an outlook of confidence in Allah's victory! If you help Allah (spread Islam), Allah will bring you victory. We once ruled the world and the day will come when, by God, we will rule the entire world. The day will come when we will rule the United States, the day will come when we will rule Britain, we will rule the whole world (and all will live in peace and comfort under our rule) except the Jews."

Listen to what this man, this Hamas religious leader, this Imam is saying.
Put aside the rhetoric about controlling the world and the rhetoric about ruling the United States. Those lines are commonplace in almost every sermon dealing with the theme of revenge. Call it wishful thinking. The reality is that while these Moslems certainly do pray for the downfall of the United States, they do not have the infrastructure to successfully design a serious attack at this time.

When it comes to Britain, however, the situation changes. In altering his normal anti-Western canard Imam Sheikh Ibrahim Muderas is telling us that, indeed, they do have the infrastructure necessary to exact punishment in England. He goes so far as to explain the why's and stops just short of the how's the who's and the when's.

Now listen to me. This sermon signals an enormous challenge not just for Britain, but for the West. Until now, only Israel was dead center in the crosshairs of Hamas terror. Now, England might be there as well.

I am not an alarmist and this is definitely not idle speculation. This is not "chatter" as intel analysts like to call it. Intelligence operations must infiltrate to stop what is certainly a planned terrorist strike by Hamas. These are no longer the words of an Imam chosen to stir up his crowd of listeners. This is a not so veiled threat, a statement of intention.

This is a warning we should heed.