Hamas bans women from smoking water pipes in Gaza
Gaza's Hamas rulers claim that women smoking water pipes (nargilas) violates tradition and leads to divorce.
By Avi Issacharoff and The Associated Press Tags: Israel news Gaza HamasGaza's Hamas rulers are banning women from smoking water pipes (nargilas) in cafes, claiming it violates tradition and leads to divorce.
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A Palestinian woman smokes a water pipe (nargila) |
| Photo by: David Bachar |
The new order went into effect last week, and several cafe owners have been arrested for questioning in recent days under suspicion they have not been enforcing the order.
"It is inappropriate for a woman to sit cross-legged and smoke in public. It harms the image of our people," Ihab Ghussein, Hamas interior ministry spokesman, said in a statement released Sunday.
Police have warned business owners that they face heavy fines if the ban is not enforced.
Police spokesman Ayman Batneiji said Sunday that officers are enforcing Gazan traditions. He said husbands often divorce women seen smoking in public but offered no evidence to support that claim.
Smoking water pipes is a popular habit among both sexes in Gaza. Although it is considered culturally inappropriate for women to be seen smoking them in public, some middle-class ladies smoke the pipes openly, often in mixed company. Even more conservative women can be seen taking an occasional puff of their husbands' water pipes.
"This is silly," fumed Haya Ahmed, a 29-year-old accountant who said she has smoked water pipes for 10 years. "We are not smoking in the streets but in restaurants where only a few people can enter."
She predicted the ban would have the opposite effect of its intention and make water pipes more tempting for rebellious young women.
"Everything forbidden becomes desirable. The decision will lead to more smokers," Ahmed said.
Many Palestinians see the water pipe as inappropriate for women because of its sexual innuendo, and because it looks crass for ladies to smoke, said Palestinian anthropologist Ali Qleibo.
It is not clear how strict Hamas will be in enforcing the ban.
Many residents are deeply sensitive to any effort by Hamas to infringe on the few forms of entertainment available to Gaza's 1.5 million people. Many Gazans pile into beach cafes in the evenings to puff on water pipes well into the early hours.
A cafe and restaurant union representative in Gaza, Ayman Abu Khair, estimated the ban would cost cafe owners some 10 percent of their income. He said owners were not warned before Hamas police barged into their establishments Friday night issuing the verbal order. Abu Khair said the union hoped to challenge the ruling.
Since seizing control of Gaza in 2007, the Islamic Hamas has been trying to impose its strict interpretation of Islam on residents.
Gaza women are forbidden from riding motorcycles with their husbands; women are forbidden from getting haircuts at male hair salons; women are forbidden from walking on the beach without a male family member's accompaniment; and they must wear the hijab and full-length dresses to courthouses, schools, universities.
Some analysts in Gaza have said Hamas is introducing such laws in order to compete with other more extreme Islamist group in the coastal enclave. Some Hamas officials have even gone so far as to call for the adoption of Sharia law in Gaza rather than rule in the same way the Palestinian Authority does in the West Bank.
Some experts have even said that if Hamas does not authorize more hard-line Islamic laws they will lose public support in Gaza to extremist groups.
In recent weeks there have been increasing attacks on Western-linked institutions, including a United Nations-sponsored summer camp.
There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, but sources say the assailants are likely extreme Islamists who view the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, which runs the camp, as a Western body trying to wrestle control over Gaza.
In the past, Islamist extremists have set fire to dozens of Gaza internet cafes, shops that sell alcohol, and libraries and offices of Christian organizations.
The Hamas government issued condemnations of these crimes, as well as the burning of the UN camp, but has yet to achieve any real results.
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The sexual imagination of Hamas pious stalwarts is apparantly overstimulated by seeing a woman place her mouth on the nagila mouthpiece. Can a ban on women eating ice cream cones in public be far away?
these savages forgot that those women are someones mother,theirs...
I think women should be able to set with mini skirts o a carpet and suck o9n a pipe of tobbacco, what harm does it do other than the smoker?
I'm all for equality, but this one is kind of tricky. Should women have the same right to contract cancer as men?
Flocks of the same feather.
the onliest interesting at this article is that its placed at "international".
Seriously haaretz posting news like this only lowers your status! Seriously
I think the international community and Israel pear the responsibility for Hamas existance in Gaza.The world must unite to extact hamas(caser) from the earth
the Pals got whatt they wanted. Tthe Hamas charter,the" how to "handbook in action
Forcing women to quit smoking because of religious rules: Bad Idea Forcing women to quit smoking to promote good health: Good idea.
Hamas has gone too far. What about men? its OK for them to smoke? Hamas needs to worry about more important things like how to end the seige and improve the economic situation for Gazans.
banned from smoking in public and not banning them from smoking
I fin d myself for the first time im my life supportive of Hamas on the issue of smokin in general and narcotics in particular. The so called water pipes are drug delivery systems. As it is known today to neurosience, the substanses in the "Smoking mix" extremlly dangerous to developing brain of the unborn.
whatever ban women this ban women that; caveman doing the oldest job in history bossing women and children around in order to make themselves feel like little big bosses
♫ ♪ "You've come a long way, Baby, to get where you've got to today. You've got your own water pipe now, Baby; you've come a long, long way." ♪ ♫
america bans marijuana smoking--hamas does not--but i don't see that posted as an article on haaretz.
Women of Gaza there is only one way to get your right to smoke - overtrow the Hamas!
have i got it right.
WHAT ABOUT ,SMOKING MALES,RIDING A MOTOCYCLE,GOING ALONE TO THE BEACH, GETTING A HAIRCUT, ONLY GOOD TO HAVE CHILDREN ,CAN A WOMEN HAVE THREE HUSBANDS ,OF COURSE NOT ,FOR MALES IT SI ALLOWED . GREAT FREE PEOPLE !!!!
...instead of being dictated to by a bunch of unelected, unaccountable male idiots.
Looks like women are forbidden to do just about anything in Gaza, except blow themselves up. There are more and more female suicide because of encouragement from their teachers, schoolbooks, government and parents. And no, you can't blame this horrific child abuse on Israel. There have been many "peoples' with struggles in modern day history and these "oppressed" people whoever they may be mourn the loss of a child, they do not celebrate like I have seen in Gaza. So, many "peoples" have been "occupied" (as you say, although I thought Gaza was now under PAL control) and they do not send their children off to blow themselves up, make videos before they go, and then name streets after them. How is it that no blame is placed on the other Arab countries who do not help them except by arming them and keeping this cycle going. If there is an answer that does not involve making Israel the reason, which is really getting old, I would like to hear it.
Considering pretty much everything is banned anyway these days doesn't seem much point in Israel letting it into Hamastan. They elected these guys. The palestinians really don't have anybody worth voting for come election day.. alternatives are Fatah which is the party of corruption and all the top brass have made themselves rich by siphoning off international aid money and Hamas who are banning just about everything and are even considering Sharia.
That is absolutely ridiculous law IF it is true. I am not a smoker and I hate to be close to a smoker. BUT, (1) There should be no ban, but tax can be increased so people think twice before they smoke. (2) Smoking inside buildings and in public places must be banned anyway. (3) The issue of smoking should not be related to gender in any way shape or form.
No drinking no smoking. No wonder it´s overpopulated.
of the population of Gaza descends from refugees that were ethnically cleansed out of what is now Israel. If that hadn't happened the population would be about a third of what it is now. But that is not something you can make fun about, huh?
They have thrown their Fatah brothers of 10th stores buildings. They have killed women in honor crimes. They have done the worst kind of terrorism during the peace process, a time that people had hopes They are the best representatives of a doomed people. What can anyone expect from these criminals ?
I can see why the world supports these people. I thought it was just the violence aimed at Jews that made them so popular but its also, and this story reminds me of this, they anti-woman, anti-gay, anti-anything that isn't traditional oppressive Islam, that must appeal to its supporters. What does this actually tell me: hatred of Jews is greater than the world love of humanitrarian values! In short, nothing new.
Hamas won 1 election but then committed a violent coup, throwing people off buildings. Hamas no longer represents anyone but the creeps in Damascus who supply and control it.
but Egypt banned Israelis from breast cancer conference
these islamic nut jobs are now on a kick of making women breast feed men who work with them so they can be considered "family". I jest not...have read volumes on this craziness...how can anyone deal with these insane backward people?
This is a typical reaction of people from outside the area who feel compelled to voice their opinions even though they have no idea what they are talking about. There were democratic elections and Fatah and Hamas were ruling in a coalition until Hamas violently kicked Fatah out. The people of Gaza are getting exactly what they wanted.
Israel's arresting a woman for waiving a Torah scroll near the Western Wall.
Do not execuse it with light words as "unfair"
Israel to impose their beliefs and oppression on their woman, but it is worse than unfair for Gaza to impose their beliefs and oppression on their women? Or are you agreeing with me that both Israel and Gaza are equally sexist, but that I should have chosen a stronger word than "unfair"?
Women in Israel are allowed to smoke, drive, demonstrate against their own government in public, write in a free press, etc.
these 'poor gazans' are the ones who got themselves stuck. if they wouldn't have supported a terrorist government and allowed gaza to become a breeding ground for terrorists, maybe the there wouldn't be such a need for checkpoints. be
a slow news day for Haaretz to waste valuable web page space on mundane issue....
It must be an awful day for Haaretz to waste valuable space reporting something that does cast Israel in a bad light.
There would still be morons like them anywhere on the planet. Surely they'll wise up eventually, or the women become more involved?
if this sorry globe survives and its sorrier biped humanoids are not extinct, the male of the species will instinctively desire to subjugate the female, and, sadly, enough females will be so stupid as to comply, witness, even in our progressive United States, the wacko group Yearning for Zion, with its polyginist, little girl rapist machos who, thanks to imbecilic females, maintain the sick lifestyle to which they wish to remain accustomed.
...well that is what they voted for.
in sand and stoned to DEATH by holy MEN who will accuse them of being, "WHORAHS" , for , "HAVING A NARGILA".
Lift the siege and reduce the pressure that feeds extreme views.
There will always be some simpleton who will find a way to blame all and everything bad on Israel. You did it pal.
Catch-22 is that 'Hamas needs the embargo to retain excuse for control, and Israel needs 'Hamas to keep extremist Gaza separate from the future Falasteen on the West Bank.
oh, so israel should let terrorists run around freely in israel? we tried that already, and were repaid with the second intifada. we're supposed to learn from history, so we don't repeat mistakes....
gee I didn't know there was a siege in Egypt...Saudi Arabia or Iran. Can't you see the truth for what it is...evil abides in hamas/hezbollah,iran and the taliban. What do you need to see this...a microscope?
Hamas will lose support either way. Either because exstremists who are more powerful will take over or because gazans will be disatisfied with the yoke of tyranny under hamas. Gazans want to be able to live normal lives and that does not incluide Shari law. Enforcing Sharia law as a means to stay in power is stupid stupid stupid. Loosen the laws lete them live normal lives and watch how many more votes you get.
The real ones want shar'ia
From what I saw women are most activ, at least 2 women on one man.
According to studies by the WHO, smoking a waterpipe is unhealthy and as usual further studies have to be done. (standard comment to keep a good job going). Healthy traditions are good for freedom !
This ban is actually feminist? To protect the women, and let the men die? Are you saying Hamas is a feminist organisation? Say that to their face, if you dare.
You mean this organization who released upon the world a wide-scale paranoia during the so-called "Mexican flu", so as to get them Pharm Corp buddies to sell zillions of vaccines ? They're all a bunch of corrupted, money-craving crooks. Long live the narghile ! puff...puff...
Haneyah should learn from king Solomon expertise with his 500 wives!
That maybe Solomon wasn't so wise after all.
for that we must accept em as political partie. our strategy of democracy with wished leaders failed. we must talk to those who r there and who speaks for the ppl. its the only way to peace - as in north-ireland - and its the only way to build some domocratic possibilities.
He talked to Herr adolf ,no "wished for leaders".
See my reply to a later comment.
for never givin up fighting my grandfathers - to garantee my free, save, uncontrolled life. which allows me to talk uncensored over the world.