So imagine my pain when I learned that the fashionistas from the Hamas terrorist organisation had decided that male hair stylists may no longer have women clients in Gaza City. Indeed, local guys in the trade knew they were in danger of arrest for about a year.
Harriet Sherwood of The Guardian newspaper reports that five male hairdressers were told to visit their local police station as they had continued to work at women’s salons despite news of the ban.
She was told: “One by one the men were called into a room where an unrelated detainee was chained to a wall by his wrists, and told to sign a pledge to give up their profession or face arrest and a 20,000 NIS (£3,400) fine.” Her informant’s salon had already been fire-bombed twice, each attack costing many thousands of shekels in repairs.
"I said I didn't want to sign. They said, okay but we will take you to the cells because what you do is against Sharia [Islamic law]. Then I realised I had no choice."
The same man was once stylist for Suha Arafat, widow of the late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat. His salon is still open but clients are beginning to find other stylists. He believes the move is part of the Islamisation of Palestinian society and among measures to create a climate of intimidation and fear. He would now like to leave Gaza and live in freedom in the West. But this would be difficult as departure needs permission from Hamas and either Israel or Egypt.
Another male hairdresser told Sherwood: "I am not forcing women to come to me. What is the difference between a male hairdresser and a male doctor or dentist?”
msniw
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