Your questions to Hamas. [Live ? BBC 1PM EST - Could be a Hoot!]

BBC "WORLD have your Say" ^

[ml/nj]

Hamas - or someone who can speak on their behalf - will be taking your questions today, following the appearance of Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev on yesterday’s programme.

I must say i was impressed with the level of engagement you showed with Mr Regev ; You were courteous and respectful and to the point, without compromising your strongly held opinions ; a credit to the WHYS community.

Since the programme aired , it’s being reported that a high ranking Hamas leader - Nizar Rayyan, has been killed in one of the attacks, which have continued on government buildings in Gaza, and there’s a suggestion of divisions within the Israeli leadership. the UN Security council meeting broke up without a vote on a ceasefire, though aid is getting through.

In short, there are few signs of a quick resolution but diplomacy continues : The Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, is meeting the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, in Paris today — just a day after the Israelis rejected a French proposal for a forty-eight hour ceasefire in Gaza. The visit comes ahead of Mr Sarkozy’s own diplomatic mission to the Middle East, which begins on Monday. Meanwhile, the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan — who’s on a Middle East tour aimed at halting the fighting in Gaza — is meeting President Mubarak in Egypt.

Now, getting Hamas on the programme (regulars will know they’ve been on a good few times before) isn’t as straightforward as asking Mr Regev to appear. For understandable security reasons, they spokespeople can’t be tied to one phone for an hour. There’s a language issue as well.

Hi, it’s Shaimaa here. I’ve been on the phone all day yesterday and the day before with Hamas officials and spokespeople in Gaza, Damascus and Beirut and as Mark mentioned getting them on air for an hour is very difficult. All of them told me that they basically can’t be in the same place on the same phone line for an hour as that compromises their safety. I’ll keep trying for Hamas officials and let you know if they agree on a last minute appearance.

In the meantime, Dr.Azzam Tamimi has agreed to step in for Hamas. He describes himself as a sympathiser and supporter of Hamas and is good friends with its leader Khaled Mesha’al. He’s also written a book called Hamas: Unwritten Chapters. I’ve spoken to him about what we’re doing on today’s program and he’s happy to take your questions , so keep them coming.

Latest Update:
Hi it’s Shaimaa again. I just got off the phone with Osama Hamdan, he’s the Hamas representative in Beirut and he’s agreed to come on the program to answer your questions. He’s doing a series of interviews before World Have Your Say, but promised he’ll be on so we’ll start off with Dr.Tamimi and as soon as we get Mr.Hamdan we’ll put him through.

[ml/nj]

I just received an email from HonestReporting alerting me to this program. HR says it is to begin at 1 PM EST, but the BBC site is less clear about this. It seems it could have been yesterday and/or maybe it starts at noon. But, the program isn't on yet (@ 12:40 EST) and their podcast archive does not yet have a listing for this program.

In addition to the text above, there are quite a few listener comments.

For the HonestReporting infomation Click Here.

For the BBC, go to the link supplied with this post and chose the appropriate link to the right of the text.

ML/NJ

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Mr Hamas person. Please answer this. Why do you teach your children to hate every Jew and Christian? Why do you make their lives miserable and give them no hope for happiness except in the false promise of 72 virgins that come with killing oneself and a few Jews or Christians?

Get a life, and stop blaming your misery on Christians and Jews.

[DManA]

Mr. Hamas. Are you aware that the Shiites in Iran hate your guts and want to destroy you as much as they want to destroy Israel?

[Mr. Mojo]

HamAss, are you aware that the 72 virgins you “martyrs” will be meeting for eternity are all Helen Thomas lookalikes?

[Raven6]

MY QUESTION:

Dear Mr. Hamas Jihadi, which would you prefer:

a) for me to shoot you in the head with a pistol, or

b) for me to stitch you across your body with a full magazine from an M4 carbine?

I will glady let you choose... In the past, your fellow Jihadi's seemed to prefer the M4 handiwork, as they just wouldn't stand still for the other. But still, the choice is yours... Just let me know when and where. I'm happy to deliver.

Regards,
Raven6

[Texas Eagle]

Okay, Hamas guy, how much money do you want this time?

[mojitojoe]

Jihadi, why do you adults throw rocks at people? Don’t most people outgrow that by around age 7?

[ml/nj]

Most interesting question, I thought, was from a guy supposedly calling from Gaza who asked the Hamas guy in Beirut, why leaders were off in the relative safety of Beirut while the actions they have been taking were subjecting people like the caller to the expected Israeli retaliatory bombings.

ML/NJ

[muir_redwoods]

Here's a question for Hamas. Since no, so-called, Palestinian (in reality, ousted Jordanian street trash) ever accomplished anything other than violence why wouldn't you try to learn something from the Israelis so that you children and grandchildren could grow up to be surgeons, violinists or physicists instead of bomb-throwing morons?

Just asking

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

Who ever said the 72 virgins would be the opposite sex? ;-) Or to further quote Walter, why not 72 slutty broads that know what they're doing?

Really though, what I'd ask them is why the profess peace, but teach and practice violence.

Maybe a more succinct question would simply be: WTF were you thinking?