The Toulouse killer’s claim that the Palestinian struggle was the motive behind his recent murdering spree is just the latest example of terrorists’ misappropriation of the cause for their own selfish reasons.
After shooting dead three soldiers, three Jewish children and one teacher over the last 10 days, Mohamed Merah was Wednesday cornered in his apartment by police. The Frenchman, of Algerian descent, has allegedly declared allegiance to Al-Qaeda, and said that the killings were designed to avenge the deaths of Palestinian children.
But this hypocritical stance cannot be taken at face value. This Islamist militant, previously detained by the U.S. in Afghanistan before being sent back to France, evidently has no concern for the Palestinian cause or its people, and is more likely angered by French deployment overseas – his other given motive.
It has taken years of tireless campaigning for the Palestinians to convince the world that they want to live in peace with their neighbors, and that they have abandoned violence.
Furthermore, Palestinians have never described the Jewish people as their enemy: rather the political networks in Israel which have for so long oppressed them, and rendered all Palestinians victims of state terrorism.
But now the Palestinians, and all those who support their rights, must again battle new associations between violent, extremist acts carried out around the world, whether by terrorists or psychopaths, and their own, peaceful cause.
The Palestinians have condemned every atrocity carried out by Al-Qaeda, or those acting on its behalf. For Palestinians, perhaps more than any other people, know what terrorism means. On a daily basis, they are subjected to terror at a state level: their land and property stolen by settlers, their mosques attacks by right-wing Zionists, their most basic rights denied to them and many imprisoned for months on end without charge.
They do not need the support of one spineless murderous French murderer to further their cause.
With a record of juvenile convictions, it appears Merah is yet another young man to have been taken in by a terrorist ideology, giving up his freedom in exchange for the protection of a network of violent minds, more than willing to indoctrinate him with their beliefs.
But in the name of protecting Islam, these terrorists have killed more Muslims than anybody else.
It is imperative that all Arab leaders, regardless of their politics, condemn these actions in the strongest possible way, and stress that these cowardly, atrocious acts of violence bear no connection to the Palestinian cause – one that is inspired by its commitment to a shared humanity and the diplomatic, peaceful resolution of disagreement.
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