[AP] Dalia Nammari - A new squad of morality police has begun detaining Palestinians in the West Bank who eat or drink in public during Ramadan. The 12-member squad appears to be an attempt by Mahmoud Abbas' government to challenge the monopoly on religious righteousness claimed by Hamas, the rival ruler of Gaza. The sudden deployment of Ramadan police was unexpected in Ramallah, the most cosmopolitan and well-to-do of the Palestinian cities. Morality police Lt. Murad Qendah got a radio call telling him a suspect had been spotted in the street imbibing a soft drink. He ordered his six-man squad to seize the man's identity papers pending investigation. Police spokesman Adnan al-Damari said police have arrested at least 50 alleged public morality offenders in Ramallah since the start of Ramadan on Sep. 13. Hamas has imposed no Ramadan patrol of its own in Gaza, where the population is overwhelmingly conservative and social pressure alone is enough to stop public violations of the fast.
2007-09-28 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive