Hamas Bans Singing Competition in Gaza - United Palestine due to Fail

[AMP 54]

It seems that more and more freedoms of the Gaza strip people is being taken away by the Hammas terrorist group. Goverment at its worst:

Organizers of the Palestinian version of "American Idol" said Thursday the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers have banned residents from participating in the popular reality show.

The organizers said Hamas told them the program is "indecent," in what appears to be a new attempt by the fundamentalist militant Muslim group to crack down on behavior it sees as contrary to its conservative interpretation of Islam.

In the past, Hamas has banned women from riding on the backs of motorbikes, women from smoking water pipes, and men from working in hair salons — saying such practices were immodest. Not all bans are imposed uniformly.

The ban on competing in New Star came around the same time that Hamas police beat up members of Gaza's tiny Shiite minority while they tried to hold a religious ceremony.

Alaa al-Abed, the chief producer of the "New Star" program, said the edict would prevent Gaza's 12 contestants from competing in the upcoming second round of the competition Thursday night. It will be broadcast next month. He said he was informed of the decision last Saturday.

"This is more serious than Hamas just killing fun in Gaza — they are limiting the freedoms of the people, according to their whims," al-Abed said.

There was no official comment from Hamas.

In the past, Gaza contestants have competed via video conference due to travel restrictions imposed on Gaza residents by Egypt and Israel. This year Hamas banned that form of participation as well.

New Star is broadcast on satellite television in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Israel. A panel of judges rate performers signing pop songs, and viewers vote for their favorites.Now in its third year, it is a popular show with Palestinians.

In past years, contestants have included young women crooning in sleeveless dresses — a look that is unthinkable in conservative Gaza — while others wore Muslim headscarves. All of this year's Gaza contestants were men.

Hamas permits male barbershop style singing groups that do not use musical instruments and sing of the glory of Islam and to fighting Israel. Young, prepubescent girls also perform in their own singing groups, but teenage girls and women are never seen singing in public. Many devout Muslims believe singing by women is provocative.

Al-Abed said he was told by the head of Gaza's government press office, Hassan Abu Hashish, that the local singers could not compete because the program was not in compliance with the territory's culture and it was not morally acceptable.

Abu Hashish could not be reached for comment. But a statement released Wednesday by his office accused New Star's owners, the Palestinian news agency Maan, of incitement in a lengthy series of grievances about the company. Maan is based in the more liberal West Bank and receives generous funding from European donor nations.

"It has harmed (our) culture and traditions," Abu Hashish's statement read. They "show all of Gaza ... as if its youth search for singing programs."

Al-Abed said that Gazans were able to participate last year without any limitations. He urged Hamas to change its policy.

"People want to participate. We tried to make (Abu-Hashish) understand — even if only 5 percent of people want to sing, if they want to participate — why prevent them?"

Organizers say they hope that New Star can help unite the Palestinians, who have been divided between rival governments in the West Bank and Gaza since Hamas violently took control of Gaza in 2007. The Palestinians hope to turn the two territories, located on opposite sides of Israel, into an independent state.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/hamas-bans-singing-competition-gaza-15394026

[sandinista! 1,816]

i suppose it could be worse.

IN OCTOBER, SOME of the worst racial rioting in Israel's history broke out when hundreds of Jewish and Arab gangs took to the streets of the mixed Israeli Arab town of Acre, stoned each other, vandalised cars and shops, attacked police and set property on fire.

At midnight during the first day of Yom Kippur, one of the holiest periods of the Jewish calendar when even secular Jews fast, stay at home and don't drive, an Israeli Arab drove to the predominantly Jewish eastern part of the city where he owned an apartment. He was subsequently set upon by a gang of Orthodox students who stoned his car and beat him up.

The Jewish youths claimed he was disrespecting their holy day by driving and smoking. After news of the attack broke out, gangs of Arab youths armed with knives and bats took to the streets in protest. They were confronted by Jewish youths, forcing the Israeli police to declare a state of high alert as riot police formed a human cordon between the two sides and arrested dozens.

Earlier in the year riots broke out in Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox suburbs after members of a Jewish "chastity squad" were arrested for carrying out vigilante attacks on Orthodox Jews they believed had behaved immorally.

While one of these suburbs, Mea Shearim, is infamous for the stoning of moving cars on Shabat, the Jewish Sabbath and attacks on women who show their arms and legs, these self-appointed "warriors of God" had gone too far, even in the opinion of the majority of Orthodox Jews.

Two members of the chastity squad were arrested after they broke into an ex-Orthodox woman's apartment and savagely beating her, causing her to be hospitalised. Police arresting six members of the "chastity squad" were pelted with rocks. The "work" of the "chastity squads" has also included stoning women for wearing the "provocative" colour red and torching stores that sell MP4 players in the fear they will be used to air pornography.

Stores that sell clothes regarded as provocative have been vandalised with bleach thrown at merchandise, with suspicion all that's needed to spark an attack. Girls have been expelled from school after being seen talking to boys, a punishment that ruins their marriage prospects.

In April, a group of ultra-Orthodox men caused a ruckus on a flight of El Al, Israel's national airline, when they became abusive and rowdy after a film was shown which they considered immoral.

The squads have also made media headlines for enforcing the gender division on buses that service their neighbourhood, forcing women to sit in the back section, with those that refuse to do so being verbally abused and beaten.

An Orthodox Canadian tourist found this out the hard way. Miriam Shear says she was travelling to pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City last year when a group of ultra-Orthodox (haredi) men attacked her for refusing to move to the back of the bus.

In an interview following the incident, Shear says that she was slapped, kicked, punched and pushed by a group of men who demanded she sit in the back of the bus with the other women. The bus driver, in response to a media inquiry, denied that violence was used against her, but Shear's account was substantiated by an unrelated eyewitness on the bus who confirmed that she sustained an unprovoked "severe beating".

Public transport comes to a halt on the Sabbath even though the majority of Israelis believe it should continue to operate. Shops are forced to close and all restaurants and stores are forced to keep kosher rules, with the sale of pork strictly forbidden.

What infuriates Israelis is that the government gives special child allowances to these families, even though many of them neither work nor pay taxes. They are also exempt from taking part in military service so the bulk of financing their families and lifestyle falls on the shoulders of the secular.

This group of religious fundamentalists also presents a threat to the future of peace talks to end the long and protracted Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The rightist ultra-Orthodox Shas party refused to join a coalition government that the new leader of Israel's ruling Kadima party, foreign minister Tzipi Livni was trying to form, when she refused to promise the division of Jerusalem would not even be discussed.

Under international law, East Jerusalem is illegally occupied by Israel. The Palestinians wish to make this the capital of a future Palestinian state as they are entitled to according to UN Security Council resolutions.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+rise+of+the+Jewish+Taliban.-a0190379262

[AMP 54]

You convinced me

WHAT!!!! Get the Frack out of here. :dance:One point for the so called Zionist!!!!!!

[sandinista! 1,816]

hate speech sources, yep yep.

[Ban Hammer 13,516]

one post removed that violates tos by

Post Content intended to degrade, intimidate, or incite violence or prejudicial action against a broad demographic or group of people identified by a unifying trait or characteristic (discrimination). For instance, racist or sexist content may be considered hate speech.

do not post a link or content to this site again or face administrative action.

two posts that reference said site by name also removed.

Edited January 20, 2012 by charles!

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

It seems that more and more freedoms of the Gaza strip people is being taken away by the Hammas terrorist group. Goverment at its worst:

Organizers of the Palestinian version of "American Idol" said Thursday the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers have banned residents from participating in the popular reality show.

The organizers said Hamas told them the program is "indecent," in what appears to be a new attempt by the fundamentalist militant Muslim group to crack down on behavior it sees as contrary to its conservative interpretation of Islam.

In the past, Hamas has banned women from riding on the backs of motorbikes, women from smoking water pipes, and men from working in hair salons — saying such practices were immodest. Not all bans are imposed uniformly.

The ban on competing in New Star came around the same time that Hamas police beat up members of Gaza's tiny Shiite minority while they tried to hold a religious ceremony.

Alaa al-Abed, the chief producer of the "New Star" program, said the edict would prevent Gaza's 12 contestants from competing in the upcoming second round of the competition Thursday night. It will be broadcast next month. He said he was informed of the decision last Saturday.

"This is more serious than Hamas just killing fun in Gaza — they are limiting the freedoms of the people, according to their whims," al-Abed said.

There was no official comment from Hamas.

In the past, Gaza contestants have competed via video conference due to travel restrictions imposed on Gaza residents by Egypt and Israel. This year Hamas banned that form of participation as well.

New Star is broadcast on satellite television in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Israel. A panel of judges rate performers signing pop songs, and viewers vote for their favorites.Now in its third year, it is a popular show with Palestinians.

In past years, contestants have included young women crooning in sleeveless dresses — a look that is unthinkable in conservative Gaza — while others wore Muslim headscarves. All of this year's Gaza contestants were men.

Hamas permits male barbershop style singing groups that do not use musical instruments and sing of the glory of Islam and to fighting Israel. Young, prepubescent girls also perform in their own singing groups, but teenage girls and women are never seen singing in public. Many devout Muslims believe singing by women is provocative.

Al-Abed said he was told by the head of Gaza's government press office, Hassan Abu Hashish, that the local singers could not compete because the program was not in compliance with the territory's culture and it was not morally acceptable.

Abu Hashish could not be reached for comment. But a statement released Wednesday by his office accused New Star's owners, the Palestinian news agency Maan, of incitement in a lengthy series of grievances about the company. Maan is based in the more liberal West Bank and receives generous funding from European donor nations.

"It has harmed (our) culture and traditions," Abu Hashish's statement read. They "show all of Gaza ... as if its youth search for singing programs."

Al-Abed said that Gazans were able to participate last year without any limitations. He urged Hamas to change its policy.

"People want to participate. We tried to make (Abu-Hashish) understand — even if only 5 percent of people want to sing, if they want to participate — why prevent them?"

Organizers say they hope that New Star can help unite the Palestinians, who have been divided between rival governments in the West Bank and Gaza since Hamas violently took control of Gaza in 2007. The Palestinians hope to turn the two territories, located on opposite sides of Israel, into an independent state.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/hamas-bans-singing-competition-gaza-15394026

21st century meets 12th century.

[ScramJet 35]

WHAT!!!! Get the Frack out of here. :dance:One point for the so called Zionist!!!!!!

That was irony, therefore I am unconvinced. I will chop my balls off if I side with Zionists

[Sofiyya 1,687]

That was irony, therefore I am unconvinced. I will chop my balls off if I side with Zionists

-1 for the Zionists.

[AMP 54]

That was irony, therefore I am unconvinced. I will chop my balls off if I side with Zionists

pleas do at lest to the balls it will make the world a better place.