Pay up, or we are at war...

I was very glad when Prime Minister Harper announced that Canada would not be giving money to the Hamas government. Such moral clarity was a rare thing after years of Liberal pandering to those who would see murderous terrorists as victims of the west. Of course the sympathizers of the Palestinians did not see it that way. You want the Arab world to practice democracy, they said, and then when the noble Palestinians practice it and throw out a corrupt government, voting in the only aternative, you punish them. Well, I say, democracy means becoming responsible for being the kind of people you are. Look at what you have become, Palestinians. No money until the new government completely renounces violence against Israel and mirrors words with actions.

Well, it seems Osama bin Laden disagrees with me, (then again, maybe ultimately he does not):

The West's decision to cut off funds to the Palestinians is clear evidence of a vendetta against Islam, claims Osama bin Laden in what is reported to be a new audio tape released by the infamous terrorist.

The tape was broadcast Sunday on Al-Jazeera television.

The authenticity of the tape has not yet been verified, but if indeed it is bin Laden's voice, it will represent his first public message since Jan. 19.

The person on the tape says the actions by Europe and the U.S. are part of a concerted crusade against Muslims.

"The blockade which the West is imposing on the government of Hamas proves that there is a Zionist crusader war on Islam,'' the speaker on the tape said.

He condemned both governments and individuals in the West for the so-called "crusade."

"I say that this war is the joint responsibility of the people and the governments. While the war continues, the people renew their allegiance to their rulers and politicians and continue to send their sons to our countries to fight us.''

Will this make our keffiyeh-wearing crowd more or less likely to respect Harper? In other words, is it really peace that they want?