READER LETTER | Sympathy for Hamas misplaced

The recent unprovoked massacre of Jews by Hamas in Israel has revealed to us the face of the anti-Semitism in our government leaders and many church leaders, both in what they have said, justifying the actions of Hamas as a liberation struggle, and by what has been left unsaid, the silences! Why? Because today the whole world is ruled by one source of authority, human rights! This is a group of mere humans, created by God, but thinks they are above God, and that they know human life better than the Creator of human life! And what’s absurd is, the whole world bows to their nonsense.

Let’s take a closer look at the Middle East. How many of the Middle East countries are a democracy? None, except Israel, which is a fully functioning democracy with a free press and independent judiciary. But it is always accused by this group of  “superhumans”, the human rights activists, of five cardinal sins against “human rights”: racism, apartheid, crimes against humanity (Hamas), ethnic cleansing and attempted genocide.

Now, I have a question to the ANC government: were there no civilian casualties during the armed liberation struggle? What does the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report published in 2003 say? The less said about the utterances of Malema, a commander-in-chief with no struggle credentials, the better.

The silence of church leaders is not surprising because majority of them are careerists. They preach politics from the pulpit, the “Phala Phala” sermon. In the past, the church has been outspoken and taken a vocal public stand against the rape and abuse of women and children and the abuse of the elderly. Members of the Anglican church in SA are requested to observe Thursdays in black in solidarity with the abused.

Yet Hamas, unprovoked, raped Jewish women, massacred babies and children and abused the elderly! We were met by a defeating silence from the church, except for a few vigils for Palestinian cause, some generalised prayers for peace and plenty of qualified fence-sitting statements that never mentioned Hamas, let alone condemn Hamas.

This really sends a wrong message that the rape of women is wrong, except if you are a Jewish woman; the murder of babies is wrong, except if they are Jewish babies; the abuse of the elderly is wrong, except if you are a Jewish elder. This exceptionalism has a name. It is called “anti Semitism”.

– Bushy Green, Kagiso