The measure irked one of the victims of the ban.
“Next thing you know, they will ban doctors from treating women, and will only let women treat women,” said Barakat Al-Ghoul, a 44-year-old hairdresser. “Tomorrow, they will ban everything.” Al-Ghoul, who has cut women's hair for 26 years, said a ban would be devastating. He said he has no other way of making a living.
Mohammed Fares, a salon owner who employs only women, said the first salons for women sprang up in Gaza in the 1950s.
Some of the male stylists have a devoted following, and their customers accept long waiting periods to get appointments.
Fares said Hamas' new ruling takes away one of the last remnants of a more liberal lifestyle in Gaza.
Fares said a small pipe bomb was recently set off outside a male hairdresser's shop, as a warning for him to stop working. Hamas is moving gradually to impose strict customs. In the summer, the resistance movement promoted a “virtue campaign,” urging women to cover up and sending out beach patrols to enforce modest attire.
However, Hamas is also sensitive to public opinion, and in response to criticism reversed a decision to force female lawyers to wear headscarves in court.
The Hamas police announced the ban on male hairdressers Thursday on their website, citing the Interior Ministry.
The statement said those violating the ban would face legal consequences but did not elaborate. Interior Ministry spokesman Ehab Ghussein could not be reached for comment.
Al-Ghoul, the soon-to-be-unemployed hairdresser, said he fears he'll be sent to jail if he keeps working. He insisted he is not violating the custom.
The windows of his shop in Gaza City's upscale Rimal neighborhood are mirrored, so people cannot look inside. In fact, he only agreed to a phone interview because his female customers wouldn't let a male reporter enter the shop.
“I'm in the shop with customers, it's true,” he said.
“But I only work with their hair. I don't do makeup or eyebrows. I don't touch sensitive areas.”
