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Was Syria Right to Hail Hamas Victory?

(Daily Star-Lebanon) Ibrahim Hamidi - Syria is now surrounded by Islamic regimes or groups that have used elections to gain power. To the north, Turkey's Justice and Development Party rules democratically. To the east, the Shiite coalition in Iraq has come to power through elections. Further east, Iran is ruled by Islamists who came to power during the 1979 revolution. To the west, in Lebanon, Hizballah has proven its legitimacy in elections. To the south, in the Palestinian territories, Hamas has a parliamentary majority. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood scored well in parliamentary elections last year - an experience Jordan may replicate in elections tentatively scheduled for next year. Syria, which is ruled by a secular socialist and nationalist party, therefore looks increasingly isolated in an "Islamized" environment. The Hamas victory will inspire Syrians to become more involved in Islamic political movements. Lest we forget, Hamas is the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, whose Syrian branch is banned. Hamas' victory could tempt Palestinians in Syria (with a refugee population of some 450,000) to join Islamist groups.
2006-03-23 00:00:00
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