(Los Angeles Times) Bill Van Esveld - In Gaza, severe violations of personal freedom and repression of civil society groups that defend that freedom appear to be sharply on the rise. The Hamas government is consolidating its social control by upping its efforts to "Islamize" Gaza. A notorious example is the expanded role of Gaza's "morality police." Couples walking down the street are routinely stopped, separated and questioned by plainclothes officers asking whether they're married. "You basically have to carry a copy of your marriage license on you at all times, or risk being humiliated," one young couple told us. The writer is a Middle East researcher for Human Rights Watch.
2010-06-28 09:53:01Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive