Palestinians shave heads in solidarity with Fatah man in Gaza - Haaretz

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Thu., January 03, 2008 Tevet 25, 5768

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		A Fatah man being shaved in the W. Bank city of Ramallah on Wed. to show solidarity with a Fatah official in Gaza. (Reuters)

Last update - 20:25 02/01/2008

Palestinians shave heads in solidarity with Fatah man in Gaza

By The Associated Press

Tags: Fatah, Hamas, Gaza

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.

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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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Five killed as violence erupts at Fatah rally in Gaza Strip

News / Some officials deny Hamas mulling truce with Israel

IDF land and air strikes kill six armed Gaza Strip militants

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1.	Hamas	16:59	\|	Omar	02/01/08

2.	Fatah PR stunt	17:13	\|	1 state	02/01/08

3.	Welcomed aproach, a lotbetter than shooting/killing each other	17:29	\|	Rami	02/01/08

4.	I hope the Taras Bulbas will prevail over Hamas`s black Santas	17:33	\|	S	02/01/08

5.	Hamastan is not my country. Hamastanese are not	17:48	\|	Fawzi	02/01/08

6.	One people?	18:02	\|	Assi Benayoun	02/01/08

7.	If This doesn`t confirm Fachism then what does	20:12	\|	Vespucci	02/01/08

8.	#1 OMAR - Hamas is out for power at any price	20:29	\|	GPS	02/01/08

9.	Assi - Israeli gov`t policy is to force Abbas to confront Hamas	21:11	\|	Pablo B	02/01/08

10.	What is fair and just in the Middle East	22:02	\|	1 + 22 states	02/01/08

11.	To Fawzi	22:07	\|	SarahIndependently	02/01/08

12.	Fawzi GOOD FOR YOU!	22:35	\|	Gil	02/01/08

13.	Palestinians Shave Heads in Solidarity with Britney Spears	23:14	\|	Shuki	02/01/08

14.	Omar....exactly right!!	23:28	\|	Lynn	02/01/08

15.	Even if Hamas kills all the Palestinians, some idiots	23:54	\|	Brit Palestinian	02/01/08

16.	Hamas...Forever COMEDY In Action! Isn`t This Against Conventions?	00:06	\|	Proud Pal Defender	03/01/08

17.	Yul Brynner shaved his head in solidarity in "The King&I"	00:06	\|	Alan	03/01/08

18.	HAMAS The LESSON & The Fiasco: Has The Lesson Been LEARNED?	00:16	\|	Proud Pal Defender	03/01/08

19.	FACT: shaving of mustache done by other Fatah members	02:30	\|	nobodysacred	03/01/08

20.	Hamas...Forever COMEDY In Action! Isn`t This Against Conventions?	04:25	\|	Proud Pal Defender	03/01/08

21.	HAMAS The LESSON & The Fiasco: Has The Lesson Been LEARNED?	04:30	\|	Proud Pal Defender	03/01/08

22.	For years Fatah has shaved arrestees to humiliate them	04:33	\|	Susan	03/01/08

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