Last update - 00:00 02/01/2008
Palestinians shave heads in solidarity with Fatah man in Gaza
By The Associated Press
Prominent West Bank leaders of the Fatah movement shaved their heads Wednesday to demonstrate solidarity with an activist in Gaza who was shaven by Hamas men wanting to humiliate him.
"If Hamas wants to humiliate our Fatah leaders in Gaza by cutting their mustaches, we want to tell them today that mustaches are not a symbol of masculinity any more," former Fatah lawmaker Borhan Jarrar said. "Shame on Hamas for doing that."
For older Arab men, hair, and particularly mustaches, are a sign of masculinity and status. Observant Muslims often grow beards.
Hamas wrested control of Gaza from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah-affiliated forces in June and tensions have been high between the groups since then.
On Tuesday, Hamas forces rounded up a group of Fatah leaders, and shaved off half of one man's hair and mustache as humiliation. Hamas denied it shaved the man.
Also Tuesday two Palestinians were killed in a gun battle between Hamas security men and a family affiliated with Fatah, bringing the total death count to eight since the clashes between the two groups broke out Monday.
In the West Bank city of Ramallah, where Abbas' Fatah-dominated government sits, a number of prominent Fatah leaders shaved their heads, beards and mustaches Wednesday in a sign of solidarity.
Dozens of Fatah activists held signs protesting the Hamas practices in Gaza, which have included the arrest of dozens of Fatah backers. One banner read: "If the hair length measures political savvy, then this [act] was very short on politics."
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