Religious scholars in Gaza issue 'fatwa' ordering policemen to return to work
Palestinian national police in Gaza before Hamas' takeover (MaanImages)29 June 2007
Gaza - Ma'an - The League of Palestinian Clerics, a body of Muslim scholars in the Gaza Strip, has called on the 40,000 policemen in the Gaza Strip to return to their jobs. The Muslim clerics issued a "fatwa" in which they said that the policemen are obliged to return to work.
Large numbers of the Palestinian police did not return to their jobs after the Hamas movement took control of the public institutions and security services in the Gaza Strip two weeks ago.
The Hamas movement promised all public servants that their rights would be preserved in full and that they would be treated fairly, assuring they would not be affected by what happened in the Strip.
The Palestinian police's hesitancy began when the West Bank-based presidency and police leadership, run and lead by Kamal Ash-Sheikh, dismissed 600 policemen in the Gaza Strip because they returned to their jobs after Hamas' "coup" there. The Gaza policemen were ordered not to return to work.
Now, since the religious scholars have issued this "fatwa", the employees and policemen are in a real dilemma. From one side, they receive orders from the Palestinian Authority and the security leadership in the West Bank telling them to stay at home, and, on the other, they receive a fatwa from the religious leaders in Gaza telling them that they are obliged to return to work; if not, receiving a salary would be considered 'haram' – religiously immoral and wrong – in the eyes of the Muslim clerics.
The Hamas movement has urged all public sector employees to return to their jobs after declaring a general amnesty and promising that none of the employees, in any sector, would be harmed.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told Ma'an, "Hamas will never negatively affect the Palestinian society or the Palestinian citizens' lives; what we have done was to make the people's lives better and we will preserve the lives of our people and we will do our best to do so."
He also rejected the suggestions to withdraw the Hamas armed men from the security services' offices in order to facilitate and ease the return of the police forces to their jobs. "We insist on running these security offices by respectful people," said Barhoum. "We have no ambitions; our goal is just to serve our people."
"We will not work according to outside agendas," he stressed. "We are going to correct this trend within the security bodies."
Regarding the concerns of Fatah members about the general amnesty, Barhoum said such fears were "baseless."
"We have announced this amnesty and assure them that we will deal with them as brothers and sons," Barhoum assued. "However, those who have committed crimes and killings will be brought to justice," he warned, adding that "the amnesty also includes those who did not commit any crimes against our people."
Gaza - Ma'an - The League of Palestinian Clerics, a body of Muslim scholars in the Gaza Strip, has called on the 40,000 policemen in the Gaza Strip to return to their jobs. The Muslim clerics issued a "fatwa" in which they said that the policemen are obliged to return to work.
Large numbers of the Palestinian police did not return to their jobs after the Hamas movement took control of the public institutions and security services in the Gaza Strip two weeks ago.
The Hamas movement promised all public servants that their rights would be preserved in full and that they would be treated fairly, assuring they would not be affected by what happened in the Strip.
The Palestinian police's hesitancy began when the West Bank-based presidency and police leadership, run and lead by Kamal Ash-Sheikh, dismissed 600 policemen in the Gaza Strip because they returned to their jobs after Hamas' "coup" there. The Gaza policemen were ordered not to return to work.
Now, since the religious scholars have issued this "fatwa", the employees and policemen are in a real dilemma. From one side, they receive orders from the Palestinian Authority and the security leadership in the West Bank telling them to stay at home, and, on the other, they receive a fatwa from the religious leaders in Gaza telling them that they are obliged to return to work; if not, receiving a salary would be considered 'haram' – religiously immoral and wrong – in the eyes of the Muslim clerics.
The Hamas movement has urged all public sector employees to return to their jobs after declaring a general amnesty and promising that none of the employees, in any sector, would be harmed.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told Ma'an, "Hamas will never negatively affect the Palestinian society or the Palestinian citizens' lives; what we have done was to make the people's lives better and we will preserve the lives of our people and we will do our best to do so."
He also rejected the suggestions to withdraw the Hamas armed men from the security services' offices in order to facilitate and ease the return of the police forces to their jobs. "We insist on running these security offices by respectful people," said Barhoum. "We have no ambitions; our goal is just to serve our people."
"We will not work according to outside agendas," he stressed. "We are going to correct this trend within the security bodies."
Regarding the concerns of Fatah members about the general amnesty, Barhoum said such fears were "baseless."
"We have announced this amnesty and assure them that we will deal with them as brothers and sons," Barhoum assued. "However, those who have committed crimes and killings will be brought to justice," he warned, adding that "the amnesty also includes those who did not commit any crimes against our people."
Labels: Palestine
posted by HRM Deborah of Israel and the Messenger of Peace at 5:28 AM
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