Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Gaza Strip)

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Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice
هيئة الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر
Flag of Hamas
Agency overview
Formed2007; 17 years ago (2007)
TypeIslamic religious police enforcing traditional Muslim codes of behavior (Sharia)
JurisdictionGaza Strip, Palestine
HeadquartersGaza City
Parent departmentHamas Ministry of the Waqf (Islamic Endowment)

The Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (

Arabic: هيئة الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر hayʾa al-ʾamr bil-maʿrūf wan-nahī ʿan al-munkar) is a group in the Palestinian territory of Gaza Strip, responsible for enforcing traditional Muslim codes of behavior (Sharia).[1][2][3] According to journalist Khaled Abu Toameh and Middle East researcher Dr. Jonathan Spyer, the group forms part of the police forces of the Hamas de facto government.[1][4]

In 2009, the Hamas government's "Islamic Endowment Ministry" deployed Virtue Committee members to warn citizens of the alleged "dangers" of immodest dress, card playing, and dating.[5]

The force was aimed to "fight those who are being corrupted by Satan, and do not observe sharia law."[1][2][6][7]

Overview

The Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice was mentioned in a 2007 report on

Khan Younis clan, "for committing sins such as disrespect for God and disturbing people ... That was a warning for them. Hopefully, they will come to their senses."[3] Citing a report in Al-Quds Al-Arabi, Al-Arabiya said one of the first acts of the group was to beat up a singer in Gaza after he gave a concert in Khan Younis.[3] Al-Arabiya noted that "There was no official comment from Hamas leaders on the acts or declarations of Gaza's self-styled religious police."[3]

Detention of Asma al-Ghul

In 2009,

niqab and gloves, "with only an eye slit visible".[2] Citing unnamed local Gaza reporters, the newspaper states that the Hamas de facto government has not publicly acknowledged the force's existence because it fears being branded fundamentalist.[1]

Another incident attributed to the group by The Jerusalem Post concerns Asma al-Ghul, a female Palestinian journalist, who stated that policemen from the force:

attempted to arrest her under the pretext that she came to a Gaza beach dressed immodestly and was seen laughing in public..."They accused me of laughing loudly while swimming with my friend and failing to wear a hijab," Ghul told a human rights organization in the Gaza Strip. "They also wanted to know the identity of the people who were with me at the beach and whether they were relatives of mine."

Al-Ghul added that the officers confiscated her passport, and that she had received death threats from anonymous callers following the incident.

nargilas and partying in a public place".[1] The Guardian reported the same incident also citing al-Ghul, but attributing it only to "Hamas police". Their report noted that Islam Shahwan, the Hamas police spokesman, denied it ever happened.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Khaled Abu Toameh, 'They accused me of laughing in public' Archived 2011-06-16 at the Wayback Machine, Jerusalem Post 04-08-2009
  2. ^ a b c d Jonathan Spyer, Analysis: The Islamic republic of Gaza, Jerusalem Post 29-09-2009
  3. ^ a b c d Gaza gets its own 'religious police', Al-Arabiya 08-10-2007
  4. ^ Jonathan Spyer, Analysis: The Islamic republic of Gaza Archived 2011-06-16 at the Wayback Machine, Jerusalem Post 29-09-2009
  5. ^ Hamas Bans Women Dancers, Scooter Riders in Gaza Push By Daniel Williams, Bloomberg, November 30, 2009
  6. ^ AKI, Middle East: New Jihadi Cells Multiply in the Gaza Strip, October 8, 2007. "In Gaza, there also appears to be a morality police, or "authority for the propagation of morality and the prohibition of vice," a name frequently used by Saudi Arabia's religious police and used by Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, to impose and respect Islamic rules."
  7. ^ Hamas Rules: The Talibanization of Gaza. by J. Schanzer, National Review. August 15, 2007
  8. ^ Hamas tries to detain woman walking with man, July 8, 2009, Diaa Hadid, The Guardian