Fatah vs Hamas = Sunni vs Shia ?

[seraosha]

I'm trying to see if there is more to this than just another PA power struggle.

Anyone have any views from the region? Seems from here that Iran and Syria are not only handing out arms to Hezbbalah, but also to Hamas.

[Laworkerbee]

Not to many Shia Palestinians man they are mainly either Christian or Muslim

[seraosha]

Shī‘a Islam is the second largest denomination of the Islamic faith after Sunni Islam.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shia

Sectarian violence is only one angle I see...just looking for more info from folks in the region.

[STEC06]

I don't think Fatah (PLO) was rooted in religion, which was the principle motive for the creation of Hamas. Hamas was effectively born from the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in the mid/late 1980s. So... it's just more factional infighting.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong. :|

[Warlord]

As I see it. This is more like secular (Arab nationalism) featuring Fatah vs. fundamentalist (Hamas).

But Syrian and Lebanese colleagues of mine claim that Hannieh is Ba'hai. I don't really buy it, but they do claim it so.

[IDF_TANKER]

As I see it. This is more like secular (Arab nationalism) featuring Fatah vs. fundamentalist (Hamas).
...


Yep, it pretty much sums it up.

[STEC06]

But Syrian and Lebanese colleagues of mine claim that Hannieh is Ba'hai. I don't really buy it, but they do claim it so.

Maybe, but the militant leadership of Hamas is in Damascus. I'm pretty sure Hanniyah doesn't possess any real power.

[Mr.Flint]

As I see it. This is more like secular (Arab nationalism) featuring Fatah vs. fundamentalist (Hamas).

But Syrian and Lebanese colleagues of mine claim that Hannieh is Ba'hai. I don't really buy it, but they do claim it so.

Cant be a Ba'hai for the following reasons:
Hamas - Branch of Muslim Brotherhood and supported by Iran
*Iran persecutes ba'hais en mass
*Muslim Brotherhood:
Gamal Akl of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Brotherhood), said the Baha’is were infidels who should be killed on the grounds that they had changed their religion.

[Warlord]

Muslim Brotherhood doesn't like anybody who isn't Muslim. Period.

[Mastermind]

Apparently, they don't like very many people who are Muslim, either.

[Rictor]

Although it suits us to break it down neatly into secular Fatah versus religious Hamas, the reality is probably a lot less about ideology and more about who controls the state apparatus, and therefore the Benjamins.

Just like in any screwed up warzone without a functioning state, he with the most guns rules. So I imagine that the factional fighting is not so much about abstract ideals but rather about simple, straight-forward power.

[Warlord]

Although it suits us to break it down neatly into secular Fatah versus religious Hamas, the reality is probably a lot less about ideology and more about who controls the state apparatus, and therefore the Benjamins.

Just like in any screwed up warzone without a functioning state, he with the most guns rules. So I imagine that the factional fighting is not so much about abstract ideals but rather about simple, straight-forward power.

Yes. In the guise of a politico-religious cloak.

[Nizark]

interesting...never thought of it like that. Although with Iran backing Hamas, perhaps they are expanding their self inflicted muslim civil war

[gilgoul]

I'm trying to see if there is more to this than just another PA power struggle.

Anyone have any views from the region? Seems from here that Iran and Syria are not only handing out arms to Hezbbalah, but also to Hamas.

Don't forget that Palestinians are at 96% sunni muslims, about 4% christians and not even a thousand shiites, samaritans and other.
The Alaouite minority of Syria that controls the Syrian regime in an alliance with the christian minority of Syria represent less than 25% of the Syrian population, and Alaouite, even if they are a splinter of the Shia, can't even be qualified as muslims and are considered heretics by Shiites as well as Sunnis.

The alliances in this regions are often made between people who would fight each other if they didn't have a stronger commitment to fight and destroy a common enemy first, and the recent alliance of Iran with Hamas under the auspice of Hizballah seems to be a good deal for Hamas, who wants more funds and better training, while the Hizballah and Iran get a proxy to heat up the southern border whenever they want to without having to show directly involved.