Gaza: Hamas imposes 'Koran levy'
Salaries of public officials in Strip to be cut in effort to reinforce Koran
study centers
Ali Waked YNET Published: 07.02.09, 22:11 / Israel News
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3740684,00.html

Special Hamas tax: The Hamas government in Gaza has recently decided to cut
the salaries of Palestinian Authority employees in the Strip in order to
finance Koran studies.

In an effort to reinforce Koran study centers across Gaza, Hamas has decided
to deduct one percent of the salaries of public officials in the Strip and
earmark the funds to the Koran schools.

Notably, Korean study centers in the Strip are considered a major Hamas
power source used to elicit support for the organization.

Dr. Taleb Abu Sha'r, the Minister for Religious Affairs in the Hamas
government, said the decision aims to encourage Koran studies and religious
devotion.

"The decision proves that the government attaches great importance to those
who teach and study the Koran, and it expresses a desire to assist them," he
said.

The new "Koran levy" is not the only unusual tax introduced by Hamas in the
Gaza Strip. Every few months, the Hamas government enforces a deduction in
the salaries of each public official in order to pay unemployment allowances
in the Strip.