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Source: https://www.jns.org/before-the-war-life-under-hamas-oppression/
Before the War: Life under Hamas Oppression
(JNS) Catherine Perez-Shakdam - Ever since it seized power in 2007, Hamas has exerted its despotic influence over Gaza's inhabitants, deploying an arsenal of coercion and relentless indoctrination to crush dissent and mold minds. Children were taught to aspire to become pawns in a deadly game of jihad. Television programs and radio broadcasts spewed the same dogma. Community events entrenched the Islamist narrative. Hamas controlled access to jobs and resources. The regime did not tolerate opposition. Political rivals were eliminated. Arbitrary arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings were the norm. Women were subjected to severe restrictions and discrimination under the guise of religious and cultural norms. Women were systematically traumatized and brainwashed to accept their subjugation. Child marriage is rampant in Gaza, with girls as young as 12 being forced into marriages with older men. A wife is seen as the property of her husband, her consent irrelevant. Under Hamas, homosexuality is not just taboo; it is criminal. The writer is executive director at We Believe in Israel.