The PIRA and HAMAS

The PIRA and HAMAS

            Political and religious differences are often the causes for dispute. Opposing viewpoints from political or religious beliefs cause friction between parties trying to determine who may be right in any given confrontation. These types of disputes are not difficult to find throughout history. For example, some groups of people in Ireland and Palestine have both confronted with opposing parties in attempts to create a sovereign state for their people. In an attempt to push the agenda of their own people in a land that oppressed them, the Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland created the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) and the Islamic people in Palestine created HAMAS. I believe in some cases terrorist groups can be negotiated with. Due to the different beliefs of each religion in each land (Catholicism and Islam), I do not believe HAMAS will find peace in Israel, like the PIRA did in Ireland.

            One of the main differences between the PIRA and HAMAS is the role religion plays in their ideological platforms. Members of the PIRA were predominately Catholic and religion bonded the PIRA together through their common spiritual ideologies. However, the acts of terror committed by the PIRA were not in the name of God, but for the people living in Northern Ireland. Furthermore, attacks on Protestant neighborhoods by the PIRA were not made so those people would convert to Catholicism, they were committed to show the discontent felt from the people in Northern Ireland. The political platform that the PIRA ran on was to unite the people of Northern Ireland and repel the oppression from Britain. Additionally, the PIRA was not fundamentally tied to Catholicism as seen through the Official IRA faction. The Official IRA was the Marxist version of the IRA that distanced itself from religion. The existence of the Official IRA further proves that the Irish Republican Army had bonds through religion but did not solely exist because of religious beliefs. The common religious beliefs of the members of the PIRA did not impede political compromise between Northern Ireland and Britain.

            In contrast, the ideology of HAMAS is defined in rigid religious positions. HAMAS’ stated position is to create an Islamist state based on Islamic law that governs over all of the land, not just the West Bank and Gaza, but Israel included. This radical version of Islam is not open to change or compromise. The political and religious views of HAMAS are one and the same, which makes change unlikely to happen. Furthermore, the opposing group in Israel, the PLO has been willing to compromise on a two-state solution, but due to the absolutist beliefs of HAMAS, there is no willingness to do so. Fundamentalist interpretations of religious texts are what makes the likelihood of peace between HAMAS and the PLO so unrealistic.

            The only way for HAMAS to gain its own state is if they accepted a two-state compromise with Israel and the PLO. However, due to their intrinsic ideological and religious views, Israel and Palestine will continue to commit acts of terror upon each other. Additionally, HAMAS refuses to recognize Israel’s right to even exist, in contrast, the IRA never questioned Britain’s legitimacy. The ideological differences in each terrorist group are what has made one group at peace, while keeping the other at war.