Faruqi Fights Back to End Vilification

There’s a belief amongst the brainwashed hacks throughout Australia’s media that Hamas of circa 1980’s is the same entity of 2024.

Writing about geopolitical affairs and pedalling propaganda and what the US and AIPAC demand, suggests nothing other than journalists incapable of doing good journalism, ill-equipped to report on matters they know little of as well as a rotten media.

That’s today’s media - ignorance steering a ship of fiction. Whether Australia or the world’s media understand the politics of Palestine and the Middle East - Hamas is the representative government of Gaza.

Since 2005, Hamas has moved on from the terrorist organisation Israeli Prime Minister and war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu first set up - to divide Palestinians and destabilise the Palestinian Authority.

Not even ignorance can excuse the poor standard of geopolitical reporting that currently exists.

Brewing in Australian politics is a growing revolt amongst some Australian politicians with a moral conscience. It’s a rare commodity possessed in the modern world of politics.

Recently, former Federal Labor Senator, Fatima Payman, set politics in Australia alight, when she spoke out against the barbarism of Israel’s genocide toward Palestinians and its attempt to enact its final solution - strange for a race who 90 years ago faced the same fate by a Nazi regime desperate to rid the world of Jews.

Senator Payman’s defense of the right of the Palestinian People to live free of oppression and not be slaughtered offended many in Australian political circles. So much for elected officials caring for the sanctity of life and humanity.

So last week, Senator Payman did what any politician of good moral conscience would do, she politely told Federal Labor to “stick it” and defected to become an Independent. Senator Payman should be applauded.

Now, another Australian politician is being badgered into declaring the dismantling of Hamas. For AIPAC and the Israeli Lobby, the world is hastening its rejection of Zionism and Israel as a nation. Their desperation to stem the growth of hatred escalates. And that makes the recent criticism of Australian Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi compelling.

Senator Faruqi has come under fire for refusing to state whether Hamas shouldn’t be dismantled. The attack on  Faruqi, fails to capture the entirety of her position – and that is her commitment to self-determination and justice for Palestinians.

Her position must be understood within the context of the Greens' policy on Palestinian statehood. The Greens have consistently advocated for the recognition of Palestine as an independent state. But Faruqi's refusal to dictate the future of Hamas seems to have all those within Australian politics bought by the Israeli Lobby up in arms.

What is failing to be appreciated is Senator Faruqi is not evading the issue but why Palestinians should have the right to self-determination.

Faruqi’s recent appearance on ABC TV's Insiders saw her reiterate Hamas as a listed terrorist organisation and that the Greens do not advocate for changing this designation. However, it seems Faruqi’s response has been seen as an endorsement of Hamas, rather than a defense of the Palestinians' right to self-determination and governance.

Faruqi’s position remains that the future of Hamas, like any other political entity in Palestine, should be decided by the Palestinian people, particularly in the context of achieving statehood and self-determination.

Faruqi's stance is intertwined with the principles of self-determination, a cornerstone of international law and human rights. By advocating for Palestinian self-determination, Faruqi aligns herself with a long-standing international consensus that peace and stability can only be achieved when all people can govern themselves and make decisions about their future.

Imposing judgments on what political entities should or should not exist within a future Palestinian state undermines the principles of self-determination. Instead, Senator Faruqi believes the Palestinian people, once granted statehood, should have the sovereign right to decide their own political structure, including the role of Hamas.

Senator Faruqi's comments highlight a broader issue of vilification and discrimination faced by Muslim women in Australian politics. Following the departure of Senator Fatima Payman from the Labor Party, Senator Faruqi spoke out against the "vilification" campaign allegedly launched against Payman for her stance on Palestine - critical in understanding the challenges faced by minority women in politics who take strong positions on contentious issues.

Faruqi’s speaking out against the vilification of Senator Payman has drawn attention to the systemic biases and discriminatory practices stifling diverse voices in political debate. Her advocacy isn’t about one issue but part of a larger fight for inclusivity and fairness in politics.

The Greens' stance on Palestine is not about supporting any specific faction but about advocating for the rights of Palestinians to live in peace, free from occupation and violence. Faruqi’s refusal to dictate the future of Hamas is consistent with the Greens position. It reflects a commitment to the idea that true peace can only come from recognising and respecting the rights of all people to determine their own futures.

Baseless narratives that frame Faruqi's stance as an endorsement of Hamas fail to understand the complex nature of the matter and the deeply held principles she holds. By focusing on self-determination and the rights of Palestinians, her stance on Hamas and Palestinian statehood isn’t a refusal to condemn terrorism but a principled stand for self-determination and justice.

Faruqi’s advocacy for Palestinian rights is part of a commitment to equity, fairness, and peace, in Australia and internationally. By respecting the right of the Palestinian people to decide their own future, Senator Faruqi champions a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.