Unsolved Gaza Attacks Targeting Women

Unsolved attacks in Gaza may be work of "Swords of Islamic Righteousness" seeking to eliminate signs of Western culture.

Rafah Today via BBSNews 2007-03-06 -- By Mohammed Omer. A number of sudden, unsolved attacks in the Gaza Strip have left unexplained the bodies of three Palestinian women, allegedly executed by unidentified militants.

Unsolved attacks in Gaza may be work of "Swords of Islamic Righteousness" seeking to eliminate signs of Western culture. Image Credit: Mohammed Omer, Rafah Today 2007-03-06.

Last week, the body of a 31 year old woman was found close to the Salatin area, west of Beit Lahi. The second, 45 years old, was left in the Al Darraj area of Gaza City. And a third victim, 40 years old, was found on Al Nafaq street in Gaza City.

Officials say that the three women were killed all in the same methodical way: One bullet to the head and another to the chest. Investigators say the women were prostitutes, and that, while no group has claimed responsibility, officials are investigating whether the women were killed by the Swords of Islamic Righteousness, an obscure group whose alleged aim is to rid Gaza of Western influence which, according to statements attributed to the group, may been seen as a corrupting influence.

A leaflet accredited to the Swords warned: “Go back to Allah and away from all these dirty, corrupting behaviors, otherwise you will never endure the fires of hell and the torture at the end of your life.” The admonition was left after an unidentified attack, also accredited to the Swords, on a Gaza City Internet cafe.

A Palestinian board-member, who prefers to remain anonymous, was obviously worried by such crimes saying: “This is affecting a lot of people, and we fear that if this continues, then it will be a hidden war by militants.”

The bombings attributed to the so-called Swords have mainly been closed Internet cafes, music and DVD shops, clubs and other Gaza Strip modern cultural targets.

No one knows for certain who the Swords of Islamic Righteousness are, but the attacks on wedding parties, and on different celebrants, have increased markedly. Gazan eyewitness Abu Mahdi, 43, related one of the incidents: a group of militants attacked a wedding venue where, among the celebrants, 11 people had received financial aid by benevolent organizations in the Gaza Strip. He doubted that this could be linked to any political party, but he insisted that the attack could be related to the financial aid.

These vague and unknown incidents occur, but all Gazans learn is that one was killed here, another injured there; an internet café was bombed here, a CD shop targeted over there. Or we learn of the kidnapping of the owner of an internet café where young people sit and pass the time. These events are all still nebulous and unknown, but they bring to mind the ‘80s before I was even born, when the situation were more or less similar. The aim is to make Gaza more conservative than it currently is and to vehemently prevent any Western culture from entering Palestinian culture.

Despite the warnings which have been attributed to the Swords of Islamic Righteousness, it is worth considering the uncertain nature of the group’s identity and who stands to benefit from further chaos in already shell-shocked Gaza. The Palestinians I know yearn for calm and peace, are open to change, and simply want to get on with their lives, as much as they can in the present circumstances. Yet further disruption, attributed to this unidentified mystery group, only prolongs the process of achieving peace, giving fodder to those who would find reasons not to end the economic sanctions on Gaza.

These events fall during a media blackout in Palestine which leaves journalists finding it difficult to report, first because circumstances are unclear and vague, and second, because a journalist reporting on this risks putting his/her life in the dead centre of the target.

Mohammed Omer is a young journalist/photographer in the Gaza Strip. He and his family have a very rough time in living day to day and they have lost much. In October of 2003, one of Mohammed's younger bothers, Issam, was injured and had to have a leg amputated. Later in the same month another younger brother, Hussam Al-Mouhagir, was killed in his home; shot to death by the Israeli Army that occupies and regularly devastates Palestine. These stories are written by Mohammed who knows no peace, only the continued devastation forced upon civilians who have little voice in the world. Mohammed has covered the Occupied Territories for several years. In 2006 Mohammed won the New American Media National Ethnic Media Award for best Youth Voice. Visit Mohammed's Web site, or write to him to get a more complete picture of what is really happening that main-stream news sources rarely brings to its audience. We are proud to feature articles from Mohammed Omer here at BBSNews, his reporting is some of the only original, on the ground reporting available from the Israeli Occupied Territories.