Things You Should Know About Hamas But Were Probably Too Afraid To Ask

You mean it's not the delicious chick pea dip?

Hamas is the militant Sunni Islamic organization that controls the Gaza Strip.

The Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, was founded in 1987, during the First Intifada, as a separation group from the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. The group is made up of Sunni Muslims and has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2006 when it won the Palestinian Parliament election, ousting Fatah. Hamas has a militant wing, known as the Izz ad-Din al-Quassan Brigades.

Hamas is indicated by the Secretary of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

The United States is not alone. Canada, Japan, Israel, and the European Union all consider Hamas as some type of terrorist organization. Iran, Russia, Turkey, China, and an array of Arab countries have made no such allegations. Hamas is among al-Qaida, Boko Haram, and many other groups registered as a terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State. You can see the full list here.

Iran supports the controversial organization.

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Hamas is constantly receiving monetary and military support from the Islamic Republic of Iran. In March of this year, much controversy came about over an IDF-intercepted ship, supposedly from Iran en route to Gaza. The ship was carrying rockets, missiles, and over 400,000 bullets.

The organization is vehemently anti-Israel and anti-Semitic.

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The Hamas Charter includes many passages that call for the destruction of Israel and for the massacre of Jews. An excerpt from the charter states, "Israel will exist and continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it." Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook, deputy chairman of the Hamas political bureau, said recently, "Hamas will not recognize Israel . . . This is a red line that cannot be crossed."

Hamas celebrated 9/11 and later mourned and condemned Bin Laden's death.

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Hamas has been known to celebrate the work of radical Islamic terrorists throughout the world. They parade and rally for those who have been successful in killing Israelis and Americans. After September 11, 2001, they celebrated. When Osama Bin Laden was executed, Hamas condemned the action, claiming it was a "continuation of the United States policy of destruction."

Hamas has been caught indoctrinating its children with hate and terror tactics.

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Thousands of Palestinian children participate in "camps" and activities hosted by Hamas, which often include the use of live ammunition and/or a simulation of the kidnapping of an IDF soldier. Hamas also utilizes television and children's shows to instill ideas in its youth. Many shows encourage kids to kill Jews or glorify those who have killed themselves in suicide bombings. In one instance, a young girl was shown the reenactment of her mother's suicide bombing to learn how precious that "duty" was to the "homeland."

Hamas continues to defy all efforts of peace and acceptance.

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The United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations called for Palestinians to recognize Israel's existence, renounce violence, and abide by previously binding Israeli-Palestinian agreements. Hamas did not accept any of the principles. As seen above, the Hamas Charter claims peaceful solutions and initiatives are in contradiction with their guiding principles.