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In West Bank, Mosques Become Part of Battle Between PA and Hamas

By Howard M. Friedman

IPS yesterday reported that in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority's Fatah Party is using mosques in its battle against rival Hamas, as well as against critics within its own party. Earlier this month, the PA Ministry of Religious Affairs distributed a prepared sermon that imams were ordered to read before Friday prayers. While the PA has been dictating imam's speeches for a year, the sermon earlier this month was particularly controversial. It attacked Qatar-based Sheikh Youseff El-Qaradawi, an outspoken opponent of PA President Mahmoud Abbas. When some worshippers hurled abuse at imams reading the sermons, PA security forces raided a number of mosques and arrested some of the worshippers.

Qaradawi is considered a prominent scholar of Islamic law. He condemned Abbas for thwarting U.N. action on a report critical of Israel's 2008 incursion into Gaza. The rhetoric is heated. Qaradawi called for Abbas to be stoned in Mecca if it is shown that he instigated Israel against Gaza. The controversial PA sermons delivered in response called Qaradawi an ignoramus and a puppet of the government of Qatar.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 28, 2010 (boomark / email).