while scope of hamas vote may have been surprising given polling data (and i've a hunch that some folks who told pollsters that they were going to vote fatah had no intention of doing so) candidates running as 'islamists' have won elections in number of countries - algeria, jordan, sudan, yemen, lebanon, tunisia...
'new class' of modern/educated islamist political elites blends islamic precepts with western political discourse, question for hamas (btw: do any in hamas leadership acknowledge israeli assistance in organization's early years) would seem to be what impact its entry into gov't will have for ideology that sees islam and west being involved in historic power struggle of lengthy duration, since crusades, continuing through european colonialism, zionism, american imperialism....
hamas' politics have blamed west - particularly u.s. - for support of unjust regimes in morocco, egypt, kuwait, saudi arabia, for backing military usurpation of civilian gov't in algeria, as well as its unconditional support for israel (u.s. intransigence in this matter with regard to seculari plo/fatah was major contributor to rise of religious politics), hamas (and some other groups such as jihad and hezballah) has considered violent struggle against such unjust governments and rulers to be jutifiable strategy of liberation... mh