GAZA ISLAMISTS THREATEN TO BEHEAD WOMEN BROADCASTERS WITHOUT HEADSCARVES

Gaza militants threaten to behead women broadcasters without headscarves
(AP)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- An Islamic group threatened to behead female TV broadcasters if they don’t wear strict Islamic dress, frightening reporters and signalling a further shift toward extremism in the Gaza Strip.

The threat to “cut throats from vein to vein” was delivered by the Swords of Truth, a fanatical group that has previously claimed responsibility for bombing Internet cafes and music shops. The new threat was the first time the organization targeted a specific group of people.

In many parts of the Muslim world, conservative policies keep women out of TV anchor positions or dictate they wear headscarves on air. Headscarves for TV broadcasters are uncommon, however, in Lebanon and Jordan, and even Egypt keeps newscasters who wear them off its TV stations.