If we catch anyone eating or smoking in a public area, we take their identification and we bring them to an interrogation center
October 11, 2007 8:24 am Hamas, Israeli-Palestinian conflictFatah uses ‘morality police’ to burnish image | csmonitor.com, October 11, 2007
Ramallah, West Bank - With a red armband identifying himself as “morality police,” Lt. Ameen Theeti describes his job of the past few weeks as combing the streets of central Ramallah to maintain both “public order” and “tradition.”
The new Palestinian Authority (PA) outfit’s mission has been to bust anyone caught violating the fast during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month ending this week. That means potential arrests and jail time for simply chewing gum.
Although the enforcement of Ramadan customs is common in the Arab world, this is the first time the PA has instructed police to look for offenders. It’s a move seen here as an effort by Fatah to compete with Hamas – seen by many Palestinians as the more pious and less corrupt Palestinian faction – for the hearts and minds of West Bankers.
“If we catch anyone eating or smoking in a public area, we take their identification and we bring them to an interrogation center,” says Lieutenant Theeti.