Bethlehem – Gaza – Ma’an – Last week, the chief editor of Ma’an News Agency received direct threats on his mobile telephone from Hamas spokesperson, Fawzi Barhoum, who demanded that Ma’an avoid criticizing the Hamas movement. He threatened that, if Ma’an does not stop criticizing the Hamas movement, they will embark on a campaign of defamation against our news agency, and accuse it of reporting false news and of antagonizing the Hamas movement.

Threats are nothing new to our agency, and our chief editor, in particular, is not influenced by this kind of intimidation. Recently, after several Palestinian leaders lost their balance and many factional spokespersons became politically blind, believing themselves to be more important than Palestine and the Palestinian people, Ma’an News has been the focus of several threats.

Under such circumstances, Ma’an’s administration convened and decided to submit a written complaint to dismissed Prime Minister Isma’il Haniyeh, against the threats to defame Ma’an, in an attempt to force us to change our independent and impartial editorial policy.

The message sent to Isma’il Haniyeh by the chief editor read, “Punishment for defamation is to be imposed by courts, not by individuals when they are upset.” Unfortunately, Isma’il Haniyeh has yet to respond.

Two hours after Barhoum’s threats, Hamas websites started to denigrate Ma’an and its correspondents in Gaza, aiming to stop our reporters from performing their duties. This has now been continuous for a week.

Barhoum challenged Ma’an to prove the validity of a report published [on Ma'an's Arabic news page] of a Fatah activist in Khan Younis having nails driven into his feet by Hamas activists. We accept the challenge, and here publish the photo. We hold Barhoum and others responsible for the legal, security and professional repercussions of this campaign of defamation. We continue wait for a response from former Prime Minister Haniyeh.

Another interesting report from Ma’an is on the popularity of a rap song mocking both Hamas and Fatah among Palestinian youth on their mobile phones:

The producer of the song refused to reveal his identity for fear of both movements. The new song uses rap music, it demands Palestinian leaders to either solve their problems or leave the Palestinian people alone.

“Either you solve it or leave us… Government and presidency have aroused the fire of dispute… Oh Mahmoud Abbas and Ismail Haniyeh, the Palestinian people are suffering from the civil war.”

The song derides the Palestinian rival parties and says that their dispute revolved around power rather than Palestinian interests.