Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., October 17, 2008 Tishrei 18, 5769 | | Israel Time: 02:28 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Hamas' YouTube-inspired site hits the Web By DPA Featuring content ranging from relatively conservative Syrian social drama to videos glorifying al-Qaeda, the Islamic Hamas movement has launched its answer to the popular YouTube Web site. The Hamas version, AqsaTube, shows real-time videos about the Islamist movement and is, the Web site wrote in its introduction about itself, "the first Palestinian Web site specializing in Islamic and jihad audio-visual productions." Advertisement "This site shows the latest Palestinian and Arab audios and videos about the politics, sport, jihad and many things that it would take so long to list here," the "About Us" section of the site says. In addition, the site features the popular Syrian television drama, "Bab al-Hara," or The Neighborhood Gate, relating to al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden, and videos of former Palestinian president Yasser Arafat, whose Fatah movement is locked in a bitter, and sometimes violent, struggle with Hamas. According to the site's statistics, 2,143 of its registered members signed in at the same time in the middle of August. AqsaTube was mostly unknown, except to Hamas supporters, until a few days ago when the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Centre (ITIC), an Israeli think tank, reported on the site, warning that it was dedicated to spreading propaganda and incitement against Israel. The report also showed that there was a link between AqsaTube and Hamas' Gaza-based satellite channel, al-Aqsa TV, which "increases the number of its viewers and enables it to bypass restrictions on its broadcasts," the ITIC said. Hamas internet forums have launched a campaign, urging their members to show solidarity and sympathy with AqsaTube in the wake of European reports that accused the Web site of encouraging terrorism. "Where is the freedom of expression that the West used to call for?" a member of the Palestinian Dialogue Network, a Hamas forum, wrote. "This exposes the West's blemishes." Another member, who called himself Mohammed Ali, wrote that the recent European reports about Aqs Tube "were part of the war against Islam," after an Italian report accused the Web site of sponsoring terrorism. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Plumber for president Forget Obama and McCain in the presidential election, vote for Joe the plumber. High tech spies New book explores: Is Israel's booming high-tech industry a branch of the Mossad?

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