Regardless of its terror and villainy, Daesh (the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) is good at propaganda and it has proved many times that it can use its acts of depravity to capture headlines around the world. But its political messaging has been less sure as was proved yet again last week when Daesh’s message to the people of Gaza simply made it look foolish.
Daesh announced that it would come to Gaza and impose sharia, in spite of the “tyrants of Hamas”, in a direct challenge to the deep-rooted Palestinian political party, which was dismissed along with Israelis as “the state of the Jews and you and Fatah, and all of the secularists are nothing”. Such a challenge is ludicrous and nowhere near reality.
Hamas’ Islamist ideology is a problem and its friendship with the Muslim Brotherhood remains a significant issue for the region, but the terrorists of Daesh have nothing to do with that. The people of Gaza need good governance, a unity government in Palestine and an inclusive administration that cares for its people. Terrorists are not the answer and their bizarre call should be rejected by all concerned.
