Abbas calls Palestinian elections for January 24

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Friday called presidential and legislative elections for January 24 in the Palestinian territories including the Gaza Strip, in a move seen as pressuring Hamas into signing a unity deal.

The Islamist rulers of the battered coastal enclave issued a swift rejection of the move, branding it illegal and unconstitutional.

Abbas issued a decree inviting "the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to take part in free and direct presidential and legislative elections on Sunday January 24, 2010," his office said.

In the decree he instructed the election committee to prepare for the vote.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iorkR04mcpKO5aerQMTcYGaEzEEg

'The Islamist rulers of the battered coastal enclave issued a swift rejection of the move, branding it illegal and unconstitutional.'

Translation: Hamas think they might lose!

Let me have a hand at that:
"The little puppet had his basically fake reign expire well over a year ago, and has existed only at the mercy of the Israeli occupation and his American masters. About as relevant as stale hummus."

What are you suggesting with that comment?

would you be questioning if the term "Jewist" was used when describing events in the Orthodox community?

Ma'an news uses the same label here:

Gaza – Ma’an – President Mahmoud Abbas plans to run for reelection on a unified ticket of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) factions and independents against the opposition Islamist Hamas movement, Palestinian officials said on Monday.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=235138

rather than Muslims in general, whether it is deserved or not
BTW I would take offense if the term "Jewist" was used

Hamas itself literally means "Islamic Resistance Movement" so I am not sure how referring to the group as "Islamist" could be construed as bigoted.

Actually, the nearest parallel term relating to the other side is 'Zionist'. Both 'Islamist' and 'Zionist' have genuine political meanings, and are used positively as well as negatively; both are sometimes used as euphemisms for 'bloody joos' or 'bloody Muslins'. However, describing Hamas as 'Islamist' or most Israeli political parties as 'Zionist' is merely factual.

I must disagree with that Islamist unlike Zionist almost always means "extremest" and has unusual appeal to those who could be called "Islamaphobes", however there are terms pertaining to race, ethnicity, religion that have been found "acceptable" depending on context by some in the past.

eta in this case it was used by Muslims IMO because of its negative connotations, and I have never seen it used in a positive manner unlike Zionist or Zionism

Do you feel that the Hamas leadership in Gaza is the true and legitimate government of all the Palestinians?