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INDIGNANT: Newscaster Sally Abed has slammed the extremists who claim that women presenters are corrupting society by appearing on TV with their faces uncovered. -- REUTERS
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JERUSALEM - AMID fears that growing religious extremism may turn the Gaza Strip into a Taleban-like zone, an underground group has threatened to behead female news presenters who do not wear strict Islamic dress.
'If necessary, we will behead and slaughter to preserve the spirit and morals of of our people,' said a leaflet issued by the Righteous Swords of Islam in a weekend threat to presenters on the Palestinian Authority TV station.
The leaflet said the women presenters were corrupting Palestinian society by appearing on television with their faces uncovered.
The group is one of three Al-Qaeda-affiliated organisations which have emerged in Gaza over the past two years.
These groups have taken responsibility for the bombings of more than 30 Internet cafes, music shops and pool halls during this period. The explosions have taken place at night when there is less likelihood of death or injury, but extensive damage has been caused.
'These are extremely dangerous groups which are trying to take Palestinian society back to the Dark Ages,' said a Palestinian Authority official in Ramallah on the West Bank, who warned that existing radical groups could be replaced by even more extreme fanatic groups.
The threat to the women announcers was condemned by the armed wing of the secular Fatah, the Al-Aksa Martyr's Brigade.
'We will not allow anyone to harm our national institutions,' said a brigade spokesman.
About 50 female TV anchors and workers marched on Sunday to protest against the threat.
'Shame on you,' said Ms Sally Abed, a Palestinian news anchor, addressing the Islamist group. 'The people working in this institution are your people - if it is not your sister, it is your mother,' she was reported as saying by the Associated Press.
In many parts of the Muslim world, conservative policies keep women out of TV anchor positions or dictate they wear headscarves on air.
Most of the 15 women broadcasters on Palestine TV wear headscarves. But they also wear make-up and Western clothing, which is not considered observant by extremists.
Meanwhile, reports that Hamas leaders were inclined to seek a renewal of the ceasefire with Israel broken two weeks ago by the launching of rockets from Gaza were apparently confirmed. 'We may agree to a one-year ceasefire,' Hamas deputy political leader Moussa Abu Marzouk told the Egyptian newspaper Al-Aharam on Saturday.
Hamas has launched almost 300 rockets at Israel in the past two weeks, most of them hitting in and around the town of Sderot, where three people have been killed and others wounded.
abra@netvision.net.il
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