Palestinian students (Archive)
Photo: AP
Hamas bans weddings 'to help students concentrate'
Officials in Gaza say massive weddings held in street disrupt students preparing for final exams
Gaza's interior ministry has decided to impose limitations on weddings taking place throughout the Strip, claiming that they disrupt high school students from completing their exams "in a peaceful environment".
Officials in Gaza are now demanding that all weddings be coordinated with police and receive a license. "We had a war that caused mayhem and trauma. Now we want our students to prepare for tests in a peaceful environment," a security official told Ynet.
He said weddings, which normally end with guests walking about until the small hours of the night, will now be permitted to last until 11 pm.
Another official told Ynet the exams were not the only reason for the ban. "Whoever is having the wedding takes control of the street and fills it with chairs… Why must all of the citizens alter their lives and begin finding alternate routes due to one wedding?" he said.
The official denied the ban was not an attempt at preventing Fatah supporters from holding events.
"It's true that after Hamas took over the Strip Fatah weddings became a platform for criticism against Hamas, but that has been taken care of and today no one dares turn a social event into a political protest," he said.
