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Last update - 00:00 06/03/2007
Suspected vice squad of Muslim militants targeting Gaza Internet cafes, music shops
By The Associated Press

KHAN YUNIS - A note stuck to the door of his tiny music shop warned Mohammed al-Shaer several months ago that selling tapes and CDs of popular Arabic music was haram, or forbidden by Islam.

Al-Shaer paid no heed until a bomb went off outside his business this week - apparently the work of what Palestinian security officials now suspect may be a secret vice squad of Muslim militants.

In recent months, about three dozen Internet cafes, music shops and even pharmacies have been attacked, with assailants detonating small bombs outside businesses at night, causing damage but no injuries.
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The bombings started in October, a new phenomenon even in violent Gaza, where more than 130 people have been killed in factional fighting between Hamas and Fatah in recent months. The attacks could point to a further spread of religious extremism in Gaza, where poverty and lawlessness have been on the rise.

Police initially believed the attacks were part of local business disputes, but increasingly came to suspect an orchestrated campaign by religious extremists, said one law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the subject.

There have been no arrests, but Gaza police spokesman Ramzi Shaheen noted that the method of operations was the same in all cases.

"We can't exactly say who is behind this, but the repeated nature of the attacks leads us to certain conclusions," he said without elaborating.

In the town of Rafah on the Gaza-Egypt border last week, a huge bomb wrecked a pool hall in a building owned by Ramzi Abu Hilao, blowing out the front wall and littering the interior with metal scraps. He said there was no warning before the blast.

"I received a written message after the bombing from a group called 'The Swords of Truth' that began with a verse from the Koran and said they wanted to correct the bad behavior in Palestinian society," he said.

There has been no credible claim of responsibility for the attacks, police said, discounting one statement on a news Web site in December that an unknown group with alleged links to Al-Qaida was responsible for a rash of bombings in a single night.

There has been no conclusive proof that Al-Qaida has established a Gaza branch. Observers believe the vice squad is most likely homegrown.

In deeply conservative Gaza, devout Muslims would consider Internet cafes to be dens of vice because young men are known to view pornography there. Music shops could be a target because some believers fear pop music distracts from prayers. The targeting of pharmacies remains a mystery, though, officials say.

Fears of an Islamic cultural crackdown have risen since the Islamic Hamas movement took over the government a year ago after winning an election. On Monday, Palestinian Education Ministry officials said they removed an anthology of folk tales from school libraries because of explicit sexual language, destroying 1,500 books.

In Gaza, entertainment is extremely limited. There are no movie houses or theaters. Surfing the Net and listening to music are among the only outlets for the young, and hundreds of small Internet cafes and music shops operate across Gaza, some even near mosques.

In Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, several music shops received warnings in recent months not to sell pop music, said Khamis Abdeen, 20, whose family shop sells costume jewelry, lingerie and music tapes.

Abdeen said he removed most tapes and CDs but left several dozen tapes with the latest songs on the shelves, hoping he could sell them quickly. At the beginning of the year, the shop was attacked, damaging $5,000 worth of
merchandise, he said. Abdeen has stopped selling tapes.

In another music shop in Khan Yunis, al-Shaer was replacing the metal shutters twisted in a bombing attack late Sunday. The blast also blew out his shop door. Al-Shaer, 19, said he received a warning note several months ago, signed by Shebab al-Islam, or Islamic youth, an unknown group. He ignored it.

Al-Shaer said he believes the attackers were religious extremists trying to force people to stop listening to music. "If they cared about their religion, they would [instead] stop people from killing each other," he said angrily.

In Gaza City, Shawki Abdel Karim, 39, said he recently blocked access to adult Web sites on the 24 computers in his Internet cafe, but he can do little else to stop attacks.

The cafe is separated by gender - girls upstairs, boys
downstairs.

"After I go home, all I can say is to pray to God to protect my place," he said.

"The bombings are the latest sign of a society buckling under the pressure of more than six years of fighting with Israel, internal strife and deep-rooted poverty," said Anwar Wadi, a psychologist at the Gaza Community Mental Health Center.

"This is a poisoned society," he said. "Since Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip [in 2005], hidden problems have come to the surface.

Shaheen, the police spokesman, said solving problems by violence has become the norm.

"Everybody has guns. There's no rule of law. We've reached a stage where a person is a hero by how he can break the law.
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  1.   Shia did it, they come from outside by tunnels 20:02  |  Tamir Gaza 06/03/07
  2.   vice squad targeting Gaza Internet cafes, music shops 20:15  |  Sam 06/03/07
  3.   Say hello to Hamas`s ideal society 20:18  |  Michael 06/03/07
  4.   Music 20:42  |  Moses 06/03/07
  5.   These are nothing more than THUGS on the loose! 21:02  |  Joe 06/03/07
  6.   so!. what the excitment about? they get the government they voted 21:03  |  ralph 06/03/07
  7.   then they take over the soccer stadium.... 21:07  |  rob 06/03/07
  8.   Today`s Saudi News 21:13  |  Ed 06/03/07
  9.   These are nothing more than THUGS on the loose! 21:15  |  Joe 06/03/07
  10.   Fundamentalism vs Secularism 21:28  |  El Haq 06/03/07
  11.   Welcome Al-Qaeda to Palestine 21:31  |  Middle East Hater 06/03/07
  12.   Frankly, my dear, I don`t give a damn 21:32  |  Jake 06/03/07
  13.   WHO IS WATCHING 21:38  |  TOBIA 06/03/07
  14.   Islam..Religion of Peace 21:49  |  Nemesis 06/03/07
  15.   Well, this certainly ought not sit well with the EU 22:15  |  natan 06/03/07
  16.   MUSLIMS OF AMERICA SPEAK UP. 22:15  |  TOBIA 06/03/07
  17.   Hamas = Taliban 22:22  |  Seth 06/03/07
  18.   noop, Tamir it were aliens form the purple 22:35  |  the pope 06/03/07
  19.   "EL HAQ the truth " , is correct. 23:11  |  Gabriel 06/03/07
  20.   THE ARAB TALIBAN AT WORK , NO SURPRISE 23:13  |  paul harris 06/03/07
  21.   Good catch Sam # 2 23:35  |  Michael O. 06/03/07
  22.   This is the Palestine the world wants to see? 00:32  |  Polybios 07/03/07
  23.   # 8 Ed .... Until they nuke the Satanic Centres of ... 12:05  |  Klaudia 07/03/07
  24.   To Joe in Ramallah 12:14  |  Klaudia 07/03/07
  25.   PALESTINIANS.The downside of Hamasvictory,the Hamas-Iran alliance 12:18  |  PETER SM 07/03/07
  26.   EL HAQ The religion has not changed is right.How many invasions 12:36  |  PETER SM 07/03/07
  27.   RAMALLAH JOE.Govenments USE these thugs to controll. 12:43  |  PETER SM 07/03/07
  28.   Have they `twinned` with Meah Shearim? 13:33  |  Joe 07/03/07
  29.   The Hit Parade: A Blast from the Past 13:33  |  Ronnie Wolman 07/03/07
  30.   They voted for Hamas 13:36  |  Ben Azai 07/03/07
  31.   Song for Gaza 13:48  |  Ronnie Wolman 07/03/07
  32.   Muslim Vice squad? What a joke 13:49  |  Asef Munit 07/03/07
  33.   Islamis Tolerance? Religion of Peace? 13:52  |  Sonja Haraldson 07/03/07
  34.   I S L A M 13:56  |  Johnny 07/03/07
  35.   EU AND UK GONNA BECOME CALIPHATES!!! 13:56  |  alonitzafoni 07/03/07
  36.   oooops!! 14:35  |  Dhimmi Hendrix 07/03/07
  37.   Extremism blossoms in chaos and lack of order 14:38  |  Yaakov Sullivan 07/03/07
  38.   Religious Fanaticism Allows attacks the Word 14:55  |  Yaakov Sullivan 07/03/07
  39.   Sounds like Friday morning in Jerusalem 15:00  |  Talula 07/03/07
  40.   "War of the music shops" instead of "War of the busses"....?? 15:07  |  Swiss (Dino) 07/03/07
  41.   Blatant , Flagrant abuse of Human Rights by Arabs 15:13  |  Joseph E . Post 1 07/03/07
  42.   FREEDOM FIGHTERS 15:17  |  B 07/03/07
  43.   Blatant , Flagrant abuse of Human Rights by Arabs 15:18  |  Joseph E . post 2 07/03/07
  44.   Klaudia and her anti-islamic fanaticism #24 15:28  |  Yaakov Sullivan 07/03/07
  45.   41 & 41: I absolutely agree with you but Israel is also guilty... 15:51  |  Tupac 07/03/07
  46.   Coming to London and Paris shortly 16:01  |  Herbert Kaine 07/03/07
  47.   46 posts and not one word of "Mossad"......... 16:22  |  Swiss (Dino) 07/03/07
  48.   Knock, Knock...anyone home in Israel? 16:56  |  Rachel Corrie 07/03/07
  49.   A Poisoned Society by Anwar Wadi 17:03  |  Chick Corea 07/03/07
  50.   El Haq 17:34  |  Itsik 07/03/07
  51.   Cant blame this one on Israel...can you? 18:09  |  SLAVO 07/03/07
  52.   Promote self control - not coercion 18:10  |  Avrum 07/03/07
  53.   Partners? 18:16  |  W 07/03/07
  54.   next for a sharia in gaza 18:29  |  common sense 07/03/07
  55.   Do not understand who appointed Hamas as guardians. 18:36  |  El-Birawi 07/03/07
  56.   This was expected 18:51  |  KUTW 07/03/07
  57.   55el-birawi. "save us from israel & hamas" 18:55  |  common sense 07/03/07
  58.   This is nothing new 18:56  |  Gaza Bar and Grill 07/03/07
  59.   EL HAQ: Fundamentalism is NOT the problem 19:00  |  Psalm 07/03/07
  60.   58Gaza Bar and Grill. Perhaps... 19:27  |  bat yam 07/03/07
  61.   Gaza Bar and Grill hahahaha....you also left Tel Aviv for canada? 19:29  |  Tamir Gaza 07/03/07
  62.   Psalm: All is not Rosie 19:31  |  Ronnie Wolman 07/03/07
  63.   Fundamentalism taken further 19:40  |  El Haq 07/03/07
  64.   You have your problems too 19:44  |  El-Birawi 07/03/07
  65.   Fundamentalism continued... 19:46  |  El Haq 07/03/07
  66.   Gaza Bar and Grill 19:48  |  Gee 07/03/07
  67.   El-Birawy You forgot... 19:59  |  Jooha 07/03/07
  68.   Thank you bat yam 20:00  |  Gaza Bar and Grill 07/03/07
  69.   # 44 Yaakov Sullivan 20:03  |  ChanahS 07/03/07
  70.   Tamir, is war funny to you? 20:05  |  Gaza Bar and Grill 07/03/07
  71.   This is why Muslims over everyone else should reject Al-Qaeda 20:06  |  Dave 07/03/07
  72.   Tupac #45 20:18  |  KT 07/03/07
  73.   70Gaza Bar and Grill. Don`t be to hard on tamir. 20:27  |  bat yam 07/03/07
  74.   The problem doen`t end with occupation 20:34  |  Stephen Connor 07/03/07
  75.   Ronnie Wolman: on the cheek 20:34  |  Psalm 07/03/07
  76.   El-Haq 20:42  |  Stephen Connor 07/03/07
  77.   # 45 Tupac @ NY / USA 20:45  |  Joseph E . Post 1 07/03/07
  78.   Usual distortions from chanahS #69 20:46  |  Yaakov Sullivan 07/03/07
  79.   # 45 Tupac @ NY / USA 20:46  |  Joseph E . post 2 07/03/07
  80.   Michael O by the way...#21 20:47  |  Yaakov Sullivan 07/03/07
  81.   Gaza Bar and Grill, best of luck to you 20:50  |  Dave 07/03/07
  82.   Swiss (Dino) on Mossad.....Hmmmm #47 20:51  |  Yaakov Sullivan 07/03/07
  83.   Gaza Bar and Grill I miss your sister 20:54  |  Tamir Gaza 07/03/07
  84.   Israel and Palestinian Fundamentalism - O`Connor 21:03  |  El Haq 07/03/07
  85.   To 29 hit parade 21:05  |  JERRY GARCIA 07/03/07
  86.   #58 Gaza bar and grill 21:14  |  Gilbert 07/03/07
  87.   48 BAD TASTE 21:27  |  Calm 07/03/07
  88.   Jerry Garcia: They are already under the influence... 21:32  |  Ronnie Wolman 07/03/07
  89.   El Haq 21:33  |  European 07/03/07
  90.   # 82 Yaakov Sullivan 21:35  |  Swiss (Dino) 07/03/07
  91.   to #55 Your question: who appointed Hamas? 21:40  |  Chick Corea 07/03/07
  92.   #70..Gaza Bar and Grill 21:42  |  Barry 07/03/07
  93.   Psalm of those laws 21:42  |  Ronnie Wolman 07/03/07
  94.   Gaza must have forgotten how evil the Israeli "occupation" was 21:45  |  Evan Butzlaff 07/03/07
  95.   KLAUDIA 21:48  |  Gabe1 07/03/07
  96.   Tamir, you are very lucky #83 21:54  |  Gaza Bar and Grill 07/03/07
  97.   SAME STORY.. FROM PAKISTAN TO PALESTINE 22:12  |  JACKAL 07/03/07
  98.   more like Broke Down Palace 22:19  |  phil lesh 07/03/07
  99.   sonja 22:19  |  eva 07/03/07
  100.   EL HAQ: I disagree still 22:21  |  Psalm 07/03/07
  101.   Rachel Corey 22:27  |  Dan 07/03/07
  102.   This promises to be the mother of all occupations,goons of Hamas 22:32  |  PETER SM 07/03/07
  103.   Psalm : Helping an old lady across the street 22:48  |  Ronnie Wolman 07/03/07
  104.   Rachel Corrie - back from the dead #48 23:06  |  William 07/03/07
  105.   El-Birawi - are you sure?? #64 23:11  |  William 07/03/07
  106.   Ronnie Wolman: on justice 23:13  |  Psalm 07/03/07
  107.   Mini-me Iran 00:01  |  Jane 08/03/07
  108.   The real problems now exposed 00:07  |  Read me 08/03/07
  109.   Ronnie Wolman: helping an old woman 00:08  |  Psalm 08/03/07
  110.   #45 Tupac - I feel offended 00:15  |  * BEN JABO 08/03/07
  111.   Welcome Al Capone, Frank Nitti et al 00:23  |  * BEN JABO 08/03/07
  112.   Psalm: Koran vs Hadiths 00:50  |  El Haq 08/03/07
  113.   Hadith -a better definition 01:18  |  El Haq 08/03/07
  114.   EL HAQ: Koran vs Hadiths 02:10  |  Psalm 08/03/07
  115.   IDF 02:26  |  Maureen Ann 08/03/07
  116.   Tupac, please get a grip 02:30  |  sg 08/03/07
  117.   Ordinary Palestinians will suffer greatly 02:34  |  Psalm 08/03/07
  118.   Yaakov Sullivan watches TV 02:41  |  sg 08/03/07
  119.   Ahmadinejad Meshal meeting 02:41  |  American Iranian 08/03/07
  120.   #58 Glad to lend a hand... 02:46  |  Alex 08/03/07
  121.   Joe, get off Israel`s back. 02:51  |  Edifice 08/03/07
  122.   Typical of the religious right 02:56  |  Mark Lincoln 08/03/07
  123.   #63 El Haq 02:59  |  Alex 08/03/07
  124.   #68 Gaza bar and grill 03:05  |  Alex 08/03/07
  125.   Psalm... 03:06  |  El Haq 08/03/07
  126.   ed in boston....i heard something like that too. 03:09  |  maria 08/03/07
  127.   Psalm (continued) 03:10  |  El Haq 08/03/07
  128.   religion of peace 03:11  |  maria 08/03/07
  129.   #81 Dave and Gaza Bar 03:14  |  Alex 08/03/07
  130.   Gaza 03:28  |  Edidice 08/03/07
  131.   el haq...they need to revise your hadith. 03:29  |  maria 08/03/07
  132.   Where will the leftists hang out now? 04:44  |  Efox 08/03/07
  133.   this comes from oppression 04:54  |  Humanist to the core 08/03/07
  134.   Gabe 1: Regarding Klaudia 05:04  |  Stephen Connor 08/03/07
  135.   # 44 Yaakov 05:07  |  Lynn 08/03/07
  136.   What could be the cause? 05:13  |  Gordon 08/03/07
  137.   Giving money to Hamas = murder of innocent people 05:19  |  Terje 08/03/07
  138.   Any society that celebrates murder-suicide is "poisoned" 05:44  |  John 08/03/07
  139.   If humans who are "oppressed" arent responsible for their actions 05:49  |  Also humanist! 08/03/07
  140.   Yaakov Sullivan # 44 06:20  |  Klaudia 08/03/07
  141.   #115 Maureen Ann -Silly, Silly 06:32  |  * BEN JABO 08/03/07
  142.   They are learning from the Turks 06:48  |  Holden 08/03/07
  143.   All you hypocrites, wheres your outcry for these humanrights 08:18  |  Adam 08/03/07
  144.   *141 BEN JABO Disabled, neglected US soldiers. 09:05  |  Maureen Ann 08/03/07
  145.   *141 BEN JABO Disabled, neglected US soldiers. 09:05  |  Maureen Ann 08/03/07
  146.   *141 BEN JABO Disabled, neglected US soldiers. 09:05  |  Maureen Ann 08/03/07
  147.   Humanist to the Core? #133 10:22  |  GAZA BAR AND GRILL 08/03/07
  148.   Mr. Lincoln, your opinion is jaundissed 10:33  |  Gaza Bar and Grill 08/03/07
  149.   Failure to provide even basic human rights 10:52  |  Ben Azai 08/03/07
  150.   EL HAQ: Still not convinced 12:20  |  Psalm 08/03/07
  151.   #144 Maureen Ann - today we`ll cover two subjects 12:56  |  * BEN JABO 08/03/07
  152.   #146-2 Maureen Ann - Disabled, neglected 13:07  |  * BEN JABO 08/03/07
  153.   Just like Nazis scapegoated Jews for everything wrong in Germany 19:20  |  AV 08/03/07
  154.   Left vs Right. Forward vs Backward. 19:48  |  AV 08/03/07
  155.   Posiened society 22:41  |  anwar 05/08/09
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