GAZA, Oct 3 (KUNA) — While the economic and socio-political effects of the tensions and confrontations between Fatah and Hamas were more or less expected, the toll took an all new level and affected another facet of Palestinians’ lives as immobility now hinders marking religious rites during the holy month of Ramadan.
Palestinian travel and Hajj (pilgrimage) and Omrah (lesser pilgrimage) agents and travel services recently declared inability to serve Palestinians wishing to head to Saudi Arabia this Ramadan for Omrah and cast doubt on ability to serve them even in the upcoming Hajj season, still a while ahead.
In addition to the Israeli restrictions on Palestinians’ mobility, the people of Gaza Strip are now faced with the added disappointment of the government in Ramallah stating the list of names approved for Omrah by the deposed cabinet was null.
Director of Al-Mizan Human Rights Center Essam Younes told KUNA the people of Gaza were suffering the chaos resulting from poor or non-existent coordination between Hamas in Gaza and the government in Ramallah, as if the difficulties caused by Israel were not enough.
The odds are better for Ramallah though, he said, as the government had some contact and coordination with Israel which could solve some of the problems related to restrictions of movement.
So far in Ramadan, Palestinians affiliated with Fatah have shunned mosques controlled by Hamas and in some cases, actual confrontations took place that escalated into fights in which knives and sticks were used.
Bloody confrontations of this sort left many injured and arrested in an incident that took place in a Khan Younes mosque recently. That particular incident followed the change of the Imam (preacher) by the deposed government’s Awqaf Ministry.
Fatah movement recently issued statements for its supporters indicating which groups and preachers “it is advised they pray with.” Numbers of people in mosques for evening and late night prayers were seen dropping in some mosques while others were almost overcrowded due to such preferences.
A spokesman for Fatah, Hazim Abushanab, told KUNA the boycotts and choices of mosques were “mainly caused by the inflammatory and accusative attitudes and speeches of some preachers and accusations of treachery and even breach of main concepts of the Muslim faith against the people and their leaders and representatives.”