Militant Islamic groups yesterday tore into Yasser Arafat’s police as well as his leadership of the Palestinian Authority after Palestinian cops used force to put down a rally supporting Osama bin Laden.
Most of the anger was directed at police handling of Monday’s near-riot at the Islamic University in Gaza City, where two people were killed and dozens injured.
But there was also criticism of Arafat’s Palestinian Authority.
“There is strong anger against the Palestinian Authority,” said Mahmoud Zahar, a leader of the militant Hamas movement.
Zahar said that, while Hamas does not want a confrontation with the Palestinian Authority, “the majority of [Palestinians] are not accepting the [Authority’s] policies nowadays.”
Arafat’s police force used guns, clubs and tear gas to battle hundreds of protesters, mostly Hamas supporters, armed with guns and stones.
The police said masked gunmen opened fire from inside the university and were responsible for the two deaths.
But witnesses blamed the police.
The militant group Islamic Jihad demanded that Arafat investigate the shootings and charge those responsible.
“After one year of the uprising, the Palestinian Authority has returned to its rule as a police force that defends Israeli security and is directing its fire at the holy warriors in Palestine,” it charged.
Sami Rifranji, whose 13-year-old nephew, Abdullah Rigranji, was killed in the violence, also blasted the police.
“We are so angry and condemn completely the Palestinian police for using live bullets,” the uncle said.
At the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Qatar, Arafat accused Israel of taking advantage of the U.S war against terrorism to tighten its control on Palestinian territories.
“While the world is busy with the American tragedy, the Israeli government is using its military might to escalate its aggression against our people and to reoccupy our land,” he said.
Israel rejected the accusation.
“What Israel is doing today is exactly what the U.S. is doing after it was attacked. It is exercising the right of self-defense,” said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s spokesman, Raanan Gissin.