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Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/28/AR2009072800141.html
Hamas Aims to Make Gaza More Islamic
[AP-Washington Post] Diaa Hadid - In Gaza City, police order a lingerie shop to hide its scantily clad mannequins. A judge warns female lawyers to wear head scarves in court. Beach patrols break up groups of singles and make men wear shirts. It's all part of a new Hamas campaign to get Gazans to adhere to a strict Muslim lifestyle. Having consolidated its hold on Gaza in the two years since it seized control by force, Hamas feels emboldened enough to extend its ideology into people's private lives. Hamas insists compliance with its "virtue campaign" is still voluntary, but there are reports of alleged offenders being beaten and teachers being told to pressure girls to wear head scarves. "There are attempts to Islamize this society" and Hamas' denials "contradict what we see on the street," says Khalil Abu Shammala, a human rights activist in Gaza.