New 'morality police' detain Ramadan fast-breakers in W. Bank - Haaretz

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Last update - 03:05 28/09/2007

New 'morality police' detain Ramadan fast-breakers in W. Bank

By The Associated Press

A new morality police force has begun detaining Palestinians who eat or drink in public during the fasting month of Ramadan in the West Bank, where Muslim custom has never been imposed, though widely observed.

The implementation of the 12-member squad appears to be an attempt by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' government to challenge the Hamas' monopoly on religious righteousness. Hamas won a landslide parliamentary election victory in 2006, then took over the Gaza Strip by force in June.

However in Hamas-controlled Gaza there is no Ramadan patrol.

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Islamic custom demands that believers fast and refrain from self-indulgence between sunrise and sunset during Ramadan, which this year began Sept. 13. The fast is observed across the Muslim world.

In some countries compliance is voluntary while in others, including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, it's strictly enforced.

The deployment this year of a Ramadan police in the West Bank city of Ramallah was unexpected as Ramallah is the most cosmopolitan of all Palestinian cities.

Lt. Murad Qendah of the vice squad said he's been assigned to stamp out public breaches.

"If anybody violates this respect publicly in the street, we take their identity papers and hold them for investigation," said Qendah, 27.

Police say violators are usually held for 24 hours.

Police spokesman Adnan al-Damari said police arrested at least 50 alleged public morality offenders in Ramallah since the start of Ramadan, but would not be going after
fast-breakers in their own homes.

"The duty of the morality police is to preserve public manners in public places, and to preserve the feelings of the people who are fasting, he said. "Violating the holiness of Ramadan is a violation of people's freedom," al-Damari added.

Although the piety squad has government sanction, Cabinet minister Ashraf al-Ajrami said he is uncomfortable with the operation and the impression that the government was
trying to be more zealous than Hamas.

"We are studying this issue, and there's a possibility we shall end it," he said. "We don't want to change the order of things and appear as if we are following in the footsteps of somebody or imitating somebody," said al-Ajrami.

Ramadan squads have not been set up in other West Bank towns.

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2.	Another step backward in time	04:59	\|	Murray of Montreal	28/09/07

3.	Planet Earth, calling Bush and Olmert	06:02	\|	Mark Lincoln	28/09/07

4.	Natalie Durson Waht Do You Say About This?	06:14	\|	California Caliph	28/09/07

5.	Response to #1 and #2	06:40	\|	Samy	28/09/07

6.	I just had to laugh...	08:24	\|	Gershon Reed	28/09/07

7.	these are the people who are partners for peace ?	08:34	\|	victor hardman	28/09/07

8.	Samy -- your time is up	09:20	\|	Jo	28/09/07

9.	The long-reaching snout of zionism	09:34	\|	Hannah	28/09/07

10.	Publicity Stunt	09:36	\|	Moghammad	28/09/07

11.	This is insanity	09:53	\|	H50	28/09/07

12.	to # 5 Samy	09:56	\|	Steve the Pals.	28/09/07

13.	#5 Religious Hypocrites think they are G-d	10:01	\|	Laila	28/09/07

14.	besides...	10:11	\|	sol kashberg	28/09/07

15.	So-called Hannah,post No.9	10:16	\|	Hastaroth	28/09/07

16.	Religious Police in Ramallah ?!	10:17	\|	Steve the Pals.	28/09/07

17.	The Flipside of the Passover police and leavened bread	10:23	\|	Natallie Durson	28/09/07

18.	victor hardman 7	10:37	\|	realism	28/09/07

19.	to # 6 Gershon the RUDE Reed	10:55	\|	Steve the Pals.	28/09/07

20.	#18 if you dont know realism no one can tell you	11:40	\|	victor hardman	28/09/07

21.	Maybe you missed the other story, Murray	11:43	\|	Murray	28/09/07

22.	Hilarious	11:57	\|	who cares	28/09/07

23.	Hannah and the long snout	12:15	\|	Nik Miller	28/09/07

24.	Moghammed, Jerusalem	12:22	\|	Nik Miller	28/09/07

25.	My favorite story of religious excess	12:30	\|	Natallie Durson	28/09/07

26.	Nazillie Durson	13:06	\|	Nik Miller	28/09/07

27.	involuntary fasting???	13:06	\|	akiva (zionist)	28/09/07

28.	Israel just has to wait while this lot destroy themselves	13:12	\|	Judith, Haifa	28/09/07

29.	Pigs have snouts Hannah	13:24	\|	Hannah	28/09/07

30.	Serious Clown Natallie	14:02	\|	Muhammad Rubinstein	28/09/07

31.	to #17	22:52	\|	James	01/10/07

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