The House Of Wisdom For Conflict Resolution & Governance (HOW) is a think-tank that was created in May 2008.[1][2] The Secretary-General of HOW is Dr. Ahmed Yousef, a leading Hamas official who was a former Political Advisor to Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and currently Deputy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[3][4] Dr. Youssef says HOW is playing a role in and sponsoring the Palestinian reconciliation process between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
HOW officials have testified on the Gaza–Israel conflict before the Foreign Relations Committee of the UK Parliament as well as having sponsored various delegations, conferences, seminars, and workshops.[5] In February 2013, HOW received a Parliamentary delegation from the UK consisting of 11 parliamentarians and headed by MP Philipe Hollobone and Dr Ibrahim Hewitt, the head of Interpal, a UK charity that although designated in 2003 by the US as a terrorist organization that funds Hamas, operates legally within the United Kingdom[6]
Speaking as a HOW leader, Dr. Youssef has said that the Gaza Strip smuggling tunnels "are our technology, our only weapon of war, no different from tanks or drones" and that Hamas is a Muslim Brotherhood group" with "moderate ideology and principles,."[7]
References edit
- ^ "Establishment". House Of Wisdom For Conflict Resolution & Governance. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ "Muslim Brotherhood's cohesion is also its pitfall". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ "Family of the H.O.W." House Of Wisdom For Conflict Resolution & Governance. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ El-Khodary, Taghreed (20 February 2009). "Kerry and 2 U.S. representatives visit Gaza -". New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ "Foreign Affairs Committee: Press Notice - UK Parliament". Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ "HOW 2013 Annual Report" (PDF). House Of Wisdom For Conflict Resolution & Governance. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ "Hamas,-the-Arab-Spring-and-the-West- - Al-Ahram Weekly". 15 November 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2014.