VZCZCXRO0604
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1515 2371401
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 251401Z AUG 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5861
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001515 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA, NSC FOR SHAPIRO/KUMAR, 
DEPT PASS TO USAID FOR BORODIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PTER KPAL KWBG KISL KWMN SCUL
SUBJECT: HAMAS IMPOSES CONSERVATIVE DRESS FOR SCHOOL GIRLS 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Summary.  The school year in Gaza began on August 
23 with Hamas imposing a requirement for girls to wear 
conservative Islamic dress.  Teachers and administrative 
staff were also directed to work segregated by gender.  This 
follows a July order requiring female lawyers to appear in 
court in conservative dress, and seems to be the latest 
attempt to impose conservative Islamic social behavior in the 
Gaza Strip.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  Contacts in Gaza report that Hamas-run public 
schools have begun requiring female secondary school pupils 
to wear the hijab, a head scarf, and the jilbab, a 
long-sleeved dress, as of August 23, the first day of the 
school year.  According to the media, students who failed to 
comply were reprimanded and instructed to return to class the 
next day in compliance with the new dress code.  OCHA 
contacts in Gaza reported that the vast majority of 
(Hamas-appointed) teachers support the policy, and some 
schools displayed banners announcing it.  While Palestinian 
news media has reported some students' displeasure with the 
new rules, contacts in Gaza expect all students to comply. 
The Palestinian Authority (PA) Ministry of Education, based 
in Ramallah, issued a statement condemning the new policy in 
Gaza as a violation of human rights and of the Palestinian 
Basic Law.  Gaza-based international NGOs also voiced 
opposition to the policy, with little effect. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  This decision appears to have been executed at the 
district level, and the role of the Hamas "government" in the 
policy change remains unclear.  Following the media storm 
about the issue, Hamas "authorities" expressed support for 
the new dress code in the press, and criticized the PA,s 
response.  Media and local contacts noted that the Hamas 
"government" may have given schools the authority to 
determine their own dress code, with the understanding that 
conservative attire would be required.  CHF contacts in Gaza 
noted that local stores already replaced the traditional 
school uniforms with jilbabs. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  The media also reported that male teachers and 
administrative staff are now forbidden to work at girls' 
schools, and the same rule will apply to female teachers and 
staff concerning boys' schools.  According to the latest 
statistics provided by PA Ministry of Education, 235,131 
students attended public schools in Gaza during 2005-2006, 
and 26,172 were girls in secondary school.  According to 
UNRWA, another 198,860 students attend its schools, which 
operate independently from the Hamas-controlled "Ministry of 
Education" in Gaza. 
 
¶5. (SBU)  This new policy appears to be the latest step in a 
campaign to impose conservative Islamic behavior.  On July 
26, the chief justice of the Hamas judicial system required 
female lawyers to wear a hijab and jilbab in court.  Over the 
last few months, Hamas authorities have pressured civil 
society organizations to separate boys and girls in organized 
youth activities.  "Modesty patrols," while still relatively 
uncommon in the streets of Gaza, reportedly have forced women 
to wear the hijab, especially at Gaza's beaches, and have 
inspected cars to prevent unmarried couples spending time 
together alone.  Contacts reported that nearly all women now 
wear the hijab in certain public areas, like markets, due to 
the increasingly conservative environment. 
WALLES