[Ha'aretz ] Avi Issacharoff - The number of those praying at the A-Sahabah mosque in Gaza City - controlled by the salafis (believers) - has skyrocketed since Hamas' takeover of Gaza a year ago. Salafis, who have long beards and seek to imitate the ways of the prophet Mohammed, now number between 40,000 to 50,000 Gazans. They are not a political group, yet some Hamas members see them as a threat. Violent brawls have broken out over attempts by Hamas to throw salafis out of the mosques where they have taken control. The salafis' avoidance of politics makes Hamas look like a gang of power-hungry politicians, especially in light of its mistakes over the past year: the violent takeover, torture and corruption.
2008-06-30 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive