No dancing and no gays if Hamas gets its way
Uzi | 10.10.2005 11:00
A VISION of an Islamic society that bans mixed dancing and sternly disapproves of homosexuality has been given by Mahmoud Zahar, the most senior leader of Hamas in Gaza.
By Stephen Farrell
After controversies when a Hamas-led council halted a dance festival and Islamist gunmen stopped a rap band performing in Gaza, Dr Zahar defended the enforcement of a strict interpretation of Islam.
“A man holds a woman by the hand and dances with her in front of everyone. Does that serve the national interest?” Dr Zahar said on the Arabic website Elaph. “If so, why have the phenomena of corruption and prostitution become pervasive in recent years?”
Because of successes by Hamas in municipal polls and its likely strong showing in January’s parliamentary elections, secular Palestinians fear that it will try to impose its ultraconservative vision on them. Its Gaza heartland has no cinemas or bars, yet the West Bank has a brewery and Ramallah restaurants serve wine.
Dr Zahar condemned homosexual marriage, saying: “Are these the laws for which the Palestinian street is waiting? For us to give rights to homosexuals and to lesbians, a minority of perverts and the mentally and morally sick?”
Source:The Times online (
http://www.thetimes.co.uk)
After controversies when a Hamas-led council halted a dance festival and Islamist gunmen stopped a rap band performing in Gaza, Dr Zahar defended the enforcement of a strict interpretation of Islam.
“A man holds a woman by the hand and dances with her in front of everyone. Does that serve the national interest?” Dr Zahar said on the Arabic website Elaph. “If so, why have the phenomena of corruption and prostitution become pervasive in recent years?”
Because of successes by Hamas in municipal polls and its likely strong showing in January’s parliamentary elections, secular Palestinians fear that it will try to impose its ultraconservative vision on them. Its Gaza heartland has no cinemas or bars, yet the West Bank has a brewery and Ramallah restaurants serve wine.
Dr Zahar condemned homosexual marriage, saying: “Are these the laws for which the Palestinian street is waiting? For us to give rights to homosexuals and to lesbians, a minority of perverts and the mentally and morally sick?”
Source:The Times online (
http://www.thetimes.co.uk)
Uzi
Comments
Hide the following 2 comments
Hamas are evil
10.10.2005 15:51
Hamas have said that women should not be educated and their role in life should be to serve their husbands only; in Israel women have full rights and we have even had a female Prime Minister.
Hamas want extensive use of Judicially sanctioned Capital punishment; The Death Penalty is not used in Israel and has not been used since Eichman was hanged.
Hamas act as rackateers, stealing millions of pledged EU and US funds from the people they claim to represent.
Uzi my friend, we both know that the replies to our posts will be an attack on Israel, but let us see if anyone actually addressed the points we raise and justifies murder of homosexuals and oppression of women by Hamas.
J&P
Usual racist crap- please hide
10.10.2005 16:07
What next on Indymedia? Press releases from the BNP and the KKK?
twilight