19 July 2010

Gaza water pipe smoke ban for women

Women have been banned from smoking water pipes in cafes in Gaza because it "leads to divorce". Hamas leaders said it was "inappropriate" for females to sit cross-legged and puff on the traditional pipes.

A spokesman said: "Many women who smoke in public were divorced when their husbands saw them." The ban is the Islamist group's latest attempt to impose Muslim rules in Gaza. But for many of the 1.5million people penned into the tiny strip by an Israeli and Egyptian blockade, smoking is one of the few pleasures. [Mirror.co.uk] Read more