(Jerusalem Post) Khaled Abu Toameh - Islamic religious leaders in the West Bank city of Kalkilya have called on the new Hamas cabinet to shut down the local YMCA under the pretext that it is involved in "missionary activities." "How can there be such an organization in a city which does not even have one Christian living in it?" said their petition. The Hamas-controlled municipality has expressed support for the call. The campaign against the YMCA began earlier this week when arsonists set fire to some of its offices. The PA-appointed governor of Kalkilya, Mustafa Malki, pointed out that all of YMCA's workers were Muslims. "All the non-governmental organizations operating in the Palestinian territories are run or funded by Christians. I never heard anyone object to their presence," he said.
2006-04-21 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive