Hamas bans men from women's hair salons

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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Gaza's Islamic militant Hamas government has banned men from working in women's hair salons.

Thursday's announcement comes amid a Hamas campaign to impose Islamic customs on Gaza's 1.5 million people.

Since seizing Gaza in 2007, Hamas has taken gradual steps in that direction while avoiding a frontal assault on secularism. However, the movement is under growing pressure from more radical Islamist groups to prove its fundamentalist credentials.

The Hamas Interior Ministry says those violating the new ban face legal consequences, but will not elaborate.

Islamic tradition forbids women from showing their hair to men who are not their husbands or blood relatives.

Still, until now allowances were made for male hairdressers working in women's salons in Gaza City.

The Associated Press: Hamas bans men from women's hair salons