New Gaza Ruling: Female Lawyers Must Cover Their Hair

Hamas seized power in Gaza in June 2007 and vowed never to impose 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. Police have pressured store owners to cover scantily clad mannequins, and men relaxing on the beach have been ordered to cover up. One secondary girls' school has made wearing a Muslim headscarf and loose robe a mandatory uniform in the upcoming school year.

"This is dangerous -- it's a clear violation of the law, it is taking away our personal freedoms -- and by whom? The very person who is meant to defend our freedoms"