Hamas tries to detain woman walking with man

[oberliner]

JERUSALEM (AP) — An attempt by Hamas police to detain a young woman walking with a man along the Gaza beach has raised alarms that the Islamic militant group is seeking to match its political control of the coastal territory with a strict enforcement of Islamic law.

The incident was the first time Hamas has openly tried to punish a woman for behaving in a way it views as un-Islamic since seizing power two years ago. But it follows months of quiet pressure on Gaza's overwhelmingly conservative 1.4 million residents to abide by its strict religious mores.

Hamas officials in Gaza have publicly urged shopkeepers to take down foreign advertisements showing the shape of women's bodies and to stash away lingerie often displayed in windows. Officials search electronic shops to check if they are selling pornography on tiny flash drives.

"There's an open, public program to preserve public morals in Gaza," said local rights activist Isam Younis. "In reality that means trying to restrict freedoms."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hPvcLvm0Fzm3RrgvrEHNlKal1F4wD99A4AD80

[izzie]

1. Gee in SA women and men and men and men do that

Holding hands seems to be a thing with the people and SA is full of puritans in this field and they also have all the religious police walking around.

[varelse]

2. Will this help shore up Hamas' sinking approval rating?

They are losing ground as it is. It's hard to see how this kind of action could help them.

[timeforpeace]

3. Barbarians.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. islam/sharia in action

and they want to bring it to a town near you

[LeftishBrit]

5. Sharia yes; Islam does not always equal sharia..

E.g. Turkey is not run by sharia law.

Re Palestine, Hamas would like sharia; Fatah wouldn't.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. Islam = Sharia, however it is not the legal code in some muslim nations