Itongadol.- Mahmoud al-Habbash, a senior advisor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, on Thursday hinted that Hamas and other Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip should admit their defeat in Operation Protective Edge.
Al-Habbash, who until recently served as PA Minister for Religious Affairs, drew a comparison between the Battle of Uhud, which was fought in 625 between Muslims from Medina led by Prophet Mohamed and “polytheists” led by Abu Sufyan in Harb from Mecca.
The battle is generally believed to be a defeat for the Muslims, especially because of the heavy casualties they suffered. Prophet Mohamed himself was badly injured in the fighting.
Seeking revenge for their defeat in a previous battle, the “polytheists” mobilized an army of thousands of soldiers and set out to strike at Prophet Mohamed’s forces.
The Muslims initially seemed to have the upper hand, but a breach of Prophet Mohamed’s orders allowed a surprise attack from the “polytheists.” This resulted in what is perceived as a defeat of the Muslim force in Medina.
In a post on his Facebook page, al-Habbash, who currently serves as Abbas’s advisor on religious affairs and chief of Islamic courts, noted that although the “polytheists” did not enter Medina and failed to kill Prophet Mohamed, “history has registered that the Muslims were defeated because of the heavy casualties they suffered.”
In a message directed at Hamas, al-Habbash wrote: “The Muslims admitted their defeat,” he said.
He went on to quote from the Quran: “So take warning, O people of vision.” (Chapter 59, surat l-hashr).
Al-Habbas, who is originally from the Gaza Strip, defected from Hamas several years ago and moved to the West Bank, where he became one of Abbas’s top confidants. Over the past few years, he has been very critical of Hamas, especially during his sermons at Friday prayers.