Hamas's struggle against Zionism is worthy of support, especially when it has the backing of the Palestinian people. This flows from an understanding that the resistance of a colonized people, no matter what form it takes, should be supported, particularly when left alternatives have discredited themselves. (Popular support for Hamas rose only in conjunction with the betrayals of the secular left.) Furthermore, the Hamas of today is not the same organization as the Hamas of 1987. It has gone through many shifts in response to the day-to-day challenges of fighting Zionism and imperialism. One of these shifts is the downplaying of its Islamist ambitions and a corresponding emphasis on its nationalist politics.

DEFINE: Defines a political principle: the author's stance that resistance by colonized people should be supported unconditionally, regardless of its form.

Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politi…, loc. 361