Hair-Razing Ordeal

Jacob Sullum | July 31, 2008

The Jerusalem Post reports that "Hamas has resumed its policy of shaving mustaches of political opponents to humiliate them." Among the Gaza regime's victims: Nafez al-Namnam, "a top Fatah operative in the Strip" whose "unusually large," 30-year-old mustache was shaved off by Hamas interrogators during a recent detention. Fatah's Aksa Martyrs Brigades "issued a statement strongly condemning the shaving of Namnam's mustache and threatening retaliation." It's not clear what form the retaliation might take, but Hamas has "accused the Palestinian Authority security forces of shaving the beards of detained Hamas officials in the West Bank."

[Thanks to Jonathan Shaffer for the tip.]