Madman or hero? -Mar 23, 2004

One person's madman is another person's hero. That saying describes the late Sheikh Yassin, the spiritual leader and founder of the Palestinian militant group Hamas. By now, some of you have probably heard how the Israeli army killed him Monday morning in Gaza in a missile strike.

Sheikh Yassin was more than just a leader of Hamas, he was trusted by the Palestinian people. He and in fact all of Hamas are said to be the only incorruptible Palestinian leaders. Palestinians say Sheikh Yassin was a man who put Palestine first, not his pocket book, like Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority are known to do.

While the Israeli PM Ariel Sharon says it was a good idea to kill Sheikh Yassin, most Arab leaders around the world, and all Palestinians say Sharon has committed a huge mistake. One leader of Hamas said, "He has opened the gates of Hell." The Palestinians I have talked with here in Amman Jordan, agree. Most say it is only a matter of time before all the Palestinian militant groups, (not just Hamas) strike back and strike back hard. Several Palestinian here in Amman have told me that they supported the peace talks, now they do not.

This killing should not come as a surprise. In September of 2003 the Israeli army targeted Sheikh Yassin as he met with other Hamas leaders, but Yassin escaped with only a cut to the hand. It is also a tactic of the Israeli army's to kill . . . leaders from the militant groups. . . In the summer of 2003, the Israeli army killed all the Hamas leaders of Hebron, rendering the group somewhat inactive there.

If Sharon thinks killing Sheikh Yassin will cripple Hamas in general, he is most likely mistaken. Hamas is not a dumb or small time group. They are used to being targeted and have probably learned from this. They are well organized and most likely have some sort of plan already in place. Many people believe Sheikh Yassin's death will only strengthen Hamas. Some even say that Hamas will now topple the Palestinian Authority for power and leadership of the people. Only time will tell, but it shouldn't take too long to find out.

On CNN after the killing, one Israeli military leader did not seem too worried about retaliation from Hamas. He told CNN that with the death of Sheikh Yassin, Israel was now willing to talk peace with the Palestinians. But as the CNN reporter said to the military leader, "I don't think there are any Palestinians who want to talk to you now."

Greg Rollins wrote this as a letter to his supporters from Amman, Jordan, where he was waiting to find out if the Israeli Ministry of the Interior will reverse its decision denying him entry into Israel

Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative of the historic peace churches (Mennonites, Church of the Brethren, and Quakers) with support and membership from a range of Catholic and Protestant denominations. Supporting violence-reduction efforts around the world is its mandate.

Article reproduced with the kind permission of Christian Peacemaker Teams