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.

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.

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