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(AP)
–
7 hours ago

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Gaza’s top judge says he has ordered female
lawyers to wear Muslim headscarves when they appear in court.

The
move is the latest sign that Gaza’s Islamic militant rulers are
increasingly imposing on residents of the coastal strip their strict
interpretation of Islamic law.

Supreme Court chief justice
Abdul-Raouf Halabi says he issued his headscarves order to conform with
Islamic law, which says it’s forbidden for a woman to show her hair in
public.

Hamas seized power in Gaza in June 2007 and vowed never
to force its conservative values on others. But it has taken a series
of steps in recent months that appear to be aimed at forcing residents
to accept its Islamic-oriented social agenda.

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