Khan Yunis, December 14 – The Islamist leadership of the Gaza Strip revealed a new weapon in its arsenal Sunday, then immediately told residents it was sorry for removing the weapon’s attire like some immoral Westerner.
To celebrate 27 years since its founding, Hamas paraded a new launcher for the M-75 rocket, one of its principal missiles used against Israeli communities in this past summer’s war. However, the immodest unveiling of the item appears to have offended the Islamist sensibilities of the group’s constituency, and the organization was forced to backpedal and issue an apology for the unveiling, since anything wearing a veil must by definition remain covered except in the privacy of the bedroom.
“We acknowledge the error that resulted in people’s exposure to an unveiled missile, and ask forgiveness,” said Hamas spokesman Mahmoud A-Zahar. “In our excitement to impress our people and intimidate the Zionist entity we failed to notice the moral problem inherent in removing a veil in public,” he told an assembled crowd.
The clandestine smuggling and movement of the weapons system has until now remained consistent with the modesty sensibilities of Islamic culture. The cargo remained covered during transit, eluding the eyes of would-be gawkers, and was kept under wraps until yesterday. For reasons yet unexplained, the Hamas leadership endorsed a violation of the missile’s dignity and of public morals by approving the scandalous exposure. The spiritual gaffe is uncharacteristic of Hamas, which experts say is usually very adept at keeping its military and social values consistent.
“The Hamas fighters showed extreme physical modesty during this summer’s hostilities with Israel,” noted social scholar Haiyed Aweiy. “They were so reluctant to show any part of themselves or to attract individual attention, preferring to let civilians stand in front of them and occupy the limelight. Some of them spent weeks at a time literally underground, unwilling to let their bodies be seen by the harsh naked air.”
Expert agree the episode is unlikely to have long-term consequences. “Hamas’s Islamist bona fides are pretty well established, and it would take more than a flash of exposed missile skin to undermine that,” says commentator Denaya Libido. “But if such removals of veils become more commonplace in Gaza, the organization will have to contend with more radical groups vying for the title of Most Dedicated to Islam – and those organizations from even deeper demonstrations of stringent observance.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they go so far as to mandate the use only of full metal jacket projectiles,” he added.
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