The Taliban of Ramallah?

In the last few days innumerable Western pundits have been trying to guess what the victory by Hamas in the Palestinian elections will mean. The answer is that no-one knows, or indeed can know, least of all the leaders of Hamas themselves.

Some people in Hamas are definitely terrorists, and some are clearly Islamic fundamentalists who were willing to go along with the "western paganism" of elections only as a route to establishing a religious Islamic state. For example, Sheikh Mohammed Abu Tir, no. 2 on the Hamas list, has been quoted as saying that Hamas will make Islamic Sharia law a source of legislation in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

In contrast, there are many Palestinians, including many who voted for Hamas, who understand that the word "democracy" means far more than just holding elections. It implies a pluralistic society, with a division of powers, respect for the rule of law, and protection of the rights of all citizens, including members of minority groups. Most importantly, political parties in democratic societies agree to accept "the will of the people": when defeated they relinquish office.

Democracy usually means a secular state, one in which citizens may follow any religious belief of their own choosing while the state follows none, or follows one blandly and innocuously, without imposing it on unwilling citizens.

My hope is that the realities of office may persuade Hamas to become more democratic in the widest sense of the term. I believe that the majority of people in the West Bank and Gaza would want this to happen, as a change of attitude by Hamas is a necessary precursor to any settlement with Israel, which so may Palestinians now appear to want. My fear is that Hamas may quickly become Palestine's own Taliban, and the Palestinian people surely deserve something better than that.