Hamas cuts pay of Palestinian employees to fund Islamic schools
GAZA CITY Ñ The Hamas regime has slashed the salaries of employees
of the deposed Palestinian Authority.
The Islamic regime has ordered the reduction of all civil service
salaries in the Gaza Strip by at least one percent. Officials said the
deductions would be used to finance Islamic schools.
"The decision proves that the government attaches great importance to
those who teach and study the Koran, and it expresses a desire to assist
them," Hamas Islamic Affairs Minister Taleb Abu Shar said.
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Abu Shar said Hamas plans to establish Koran study centers throughout
the Gaza Strip. He said such centers would be part of a Hamas drive to
increase religious observance.
Despite the coup in 2007, about 13,000 PA employees, most of them former
Fatah members, continue to draw salaries in the Gaza Strip, Middle East Newsline reported. The employees
have received monthly paychecks based on a decision by the PA leadership in
West Bank.
Hamas has sought to bolster Islamic observance in the Gaza Strip in wake
of the Israeli war in January 2009. Palestinian sources said Hamas has been
challenged by the rise of Al Qaida-aligned groups, including the Hizb Tahrir
movement.