Monday, December 18, 2006

Initiation Rituals

This is the first written report in recent years that I have seen which suggests a terrorist organization demands the murder of a Jew in order for an initiate to be accepted into a terror organization.Ynet News carries the details of an ongoing murder trial in Israel in which the defendant is said to have murdered a prostitute to fulfill his Jew quota for membership in Hezbollah:
State prosecutors filed an indictment at the Haifa District Court against Yussef Kassem Abu Hanani, a 28 year old Palestinian charged with the murder of a Jewish woman in downtown Haifa in 2001.

The indictment charges that Abu Hanani carried out the murder to demonstrate his commitment to the terror organization he wished to join, with the act serving as the acceptance test. Abu Hanani is also accused of conspiring to murder an Israeli soldier, a plan which ultimately was not carried out.

The indictment claims that the defendant, along with a friend, sought to join the Omar al-Mukhtar terror group, operated by Hizbullah in Jordan. To be accepted into the organization the two were required to kill a Jew. The two terror-hopefuls then planned the murder, equipping themselves with two long knives purchased in the city of Sachnin in northern Israeli. The two then traveled by taxi to Haifa, with the knives concealed on their person.

Attorney Lilach Tamir of the Haifa district prosecution notes that upon arrival in Haifa the two men hailed another taxi, asking the driver to take them to an area where they will be able to find prostitutes. The driver let the men down on Independence St, where the two waited for nightfall.

It was then that they located known prostitute Dina Guetta and after a short haggle she and Abu Hanani headed towards a side alley. "The defendant them removed the knife from his clothes and stabbed the woman in her chest," details the indictment, "the defendant knocked her down to the ground and gagged her mouth with his left hand when she began to scream. He then stabbed her twice more in the chest and in her upper left thigh." The indictment claims that when the woman could finally scream no longer, the defendant left the area.

The indictment also charges Abu Hanani with conspiring to murder an IDF soldier. Along with a friend the defendant had planned to ambush the soldier from behind and break his neck while his friend stabbed the soldier from the front. The plan was never realized.

The indictment was first filed in 2004 to the Samaria military court. The indictment also included a series of terror acts carried out by the defendant in Samaria; including planting explosive devices, carrying out shooting attacks against IDF troops, dealing in arms and more. Abu Hanani's defense attorney claimed during the trial that the charge of the prostitute's murder should be filed in a civilian court.

The prosecution accepted the demand, and the charges were separated from the military court trial. Abu Hanani is charged with murder, conspiracy to commit a crime and membership in a terror organization.
It is by no means the first time allegations of this sort have surfaced. Years ago, I read similar reports which suggested the Dom community in the Palestinian Authority were subjected to similar acts of violence by those seeking membership in al-Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade in the West Bank.

5 comments:

Michael said...

Why should this be surprising? Urban street gangs in the States required prospective members to commit a random murder to prove themselves; these terrorist groups are just another bunch of overly macho thugs. I'm sure that taking a buddy to go and kill a defenseless woman was considered very brave.

"Abu Hanani's defense attorney claimed during the trial that the charge of the prostitute's murder should be filed in a civilian court."

What is interesting about that statement, from the article, is that the defense attorney doesn't claim that Abu Hanani didn't do it; only that it should be heard in a civilian court.

I hope they throw away the key.

K. Shoshana said...

Your right Michael, I should not be surprised, its just that there is something about the acting of hunting down a human being as prey that I always find utterly outrageous and repulsive.

Let me put it this way. I can understand personal murder. A couple has an argument and in the heat of passion one kills the other - while I find it tragic and regrettable, I am not repulsed per say. I can understand someone who kills your child, and you target that person and murder them - I understand. Again, not that I necessarily agree with the act but it is does not necessarily repulse me. I even understand killing in war by soldiers. But stalking and murdering another for simply being the other in order to prove one's loyalty and committment, and my mind simply cannot comprehend that kind of depravity.

I chose to post this not because criminal gangs don't engage in this kind of depravity but so often these groups (Hezbollah, Al Aqsa, IJ etc.) have legions of apologists who try to ennoble their acts. They are referred to as "freedom fighters", and we are told over and over again about all the good works these organizations provide for their communities.

I am not much of a protest kind of gal, and in fact, this year was the first time I attended any kind of protests. I went to three. One for free speech, a rally for Israel, and another to stand for Israel in the middle of a pro-Hezbollah protest held in downtown Toronto. I can't explain how chilling it was to see Hezbollah's flag flying in the streets of my country. So many of the people who chose to come out to support Hezbollah and Lebanon were not necessarily people of ill-will but are simply misguided and ignorant of the very nature of these organizations.

Michael said...

"So many of the people who chose to come out to support Hezbollah and Lebanon were not necessarily people of ill-will but are simply misguided and ignorant of the very nature of these organizations."

It's a different story in Metro Detroit, where some 10 to 15 thousand Hizbollah supporters marched through the streets, shouting "Death to Israel."

You're right that many misguided people are supporting the terrorist organizations, but that is our fault for not educating them.

But you can't forget that there really are legions of hate-filled maniacs out there, too, and that is scary.

K. Shoshana said...

"But you can't forget that there really are legions of hate-filled maniacs out there, too, and that is scary." I don't but I am praying that the vast majority of my compatriots are simply ignorant and misguided because if they are not, where should me and mine go for safe harbour?

Michael said...

We need to make our own safe harbor: be active in gov't, speak out, don't let the evil go unnoticed.

Or, as I did, move someplace where you can be you.

But in either case, it is scary.