(Gatestone Institute) Khaled Abu Toameh - Al-Aqsa University in Gaza has decided to force female students to dress in accordance with Islamic teachings. All female students are required to wear the hijab or niqab which cover their heads and faces. This latest measure is part of a Hamas campaign aimed at "inculcating [Islamic] values and virtues," Hamas officials explained. Hamas also announced a ban on low-waist trousers, Western-style haircuts and tight gowns. In recent years Hamas has banned women from smoking a waterpipe in public places, forced female lawyers to wear the hijab during court appearances, and prohibited boutiques from using female model mannequins. Hamas is well aware that its campaign enjoys the support and sympathy of most Palestinians, not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank. Just last week, arsonists torched three restaurants in the West Bank town of Bir Zeit, a secular stronghold, after accusing the owners of selling alcohol and allowing young men and women to sit together. What is happening in Gaza is one of the by-products of the Arab Spring, which has seen the rise of Islamists to power. Foreign activists who continue to arrive in Gaza to voice solidarity with Hamas need to know that they are complicit in the effort to establish a repressive and brutal entity that has no respect for freedoms and despises Western culture and values.
2013-01-31 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive