Beirut-based Al-Akhbar has published an article titled “Welcome to Hamas’ Gaza: No Jobs for Mosque Outliers” which looks at mosques under Hamas rule in Gaza and their role in cementing control Hamas control over the population. The report begins:
Hamas
July 26, 2013 Gaza – Mohammed Ibrahim, 25, graduated from Gaza’s al-Azhar University three years ago with a degree in social services. When he learned that a local charitable organization was in need of a social researcher, he was thrilled that he’d finally be able to secure a job in his field.
Dressed to impress, Mohammed headed to the charity center and filled out an application. During his interview, he was asked about his academic qualifications and experience, but the charity was persistent on obtaining one peculiar detail of his life: the closest mosque to his house. When Mohammed inquired about the relevance of this information, the interviewer responded: ‘to ask the mosque congregants about you.’
Mohammed told them the name of the nearest mosque and returned home with a sense of despair. He told Al-Akhbar he did not get the job because he has no social connection to his local mosque – he only goes there to pray. He explained that in order to get a job at this particular charity, you have to be a committed mosque goer.
Rashad Zenhom’s story is similar to Mohammed’s. He applied for a job as a radio producer at the editing department of al-Aqsa Radio. As he filled out the application, he was surprised that he had to provide the address of the mosque closest to his home. The management at the radio station was impressed with his qualifications, but the mosque question was a necessary condition for employment at the station.
The mosque congregation in Gaza has become like the intelligence in the old days, that is, they provide a full report on every neighborhood resident. Rashad said, ‘The mosque congregation in Gaza has become like the intelligence in the old days, that is, they provide a full report on every neighborhood resident.’ He complained, ‘Mosques are places where Muslims gather to worship God, not write reports about people.’ Rida Ahmad’s story is a bit different from the others. Rida, 24, graduated two years ago from the al-Quds Open University with a degree in administration and economics. Unemployed since graduation, he finally went to one of his neighbors who works at the premiership’s headquarters to ask for help in applying for a government job.
The neighbor asked him if he performs his prayers at the mosque. When Rida said that he prays at home, the neighbor explained to him that if he wants to get a job, he has to regularly attend a mosque and foster relationships with its congregants. They are the ones who will be asked to provide a recommendation, which will help him nail a job.
The Hamascharter says that it is “one of the wings of the Muslim Brothers in Palestine” and soon after Hamas took over the Gaza strip, Muslim Brotherhood representatives traveled to Gaza from Egypt through the newly-opened border to review Hamas military formations. A Hamas journalist has acknowledged the role that the “international Muslim Brotherhood” has played in providing funds for the purchase of weapons and Hamas is known to be supported financially and politically by the global Muslim Brotherhood. A Muslim Brotherhood spokesman revealed that a coalition of London-based Muslim groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, were behind the mass demonstrations staged to protest Israeli actions in the 2008 Gaza war and the Global Muslim Brotherhood and its Turkish affiliates were also intimately involved, along with the Turkish government, in the June 2010 Gaza flotilla that was involved in a violent altercation with Israeli naval forces.
