Gunmen attack Internet cafes in Gaza

[oberliner]

Unidentified gunmen attacked several Internet cafes in the Gaza Strip with hand grenades and bombs before dawn on Wednesday. The simultaneous attacks caused heavy physical damage, but no one was injured.

There were no claims of responsibility, but some cafe owners accused Muslim fundamentalists who have been campaigning against Internet cafes and surfers.

"Some fanatics are unhappy with the fact that many young people have access to the Internet," one owner told The Jerusalem Post. "They claim that the Internet is corrupting young people because it exposes them to Western values and culture and pornographic sites."

Another owner, Ala Shawwa, described the attacks as a "cowardly act." He estimated losses to his Internet cafe at $3,000, adding that the place had been entirely destroyed.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1162378512305&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[everythingsxen]

1. We are freeing the Palestinan people from evil

western influences...

By killing them! What a charming group of reasonable people those Islamic "freedom fighters" are. :eyes:

[Poll_Blind]

2. Oh I'll bet they're upset about young people accessing the internet.

Luddites with guns and hand grenades. Desperately trying to bring back some ancient bullshit world.

PB

[Scurrilous]

3. Yep...

Jerusalem: Haredis destroy internet café (05.02.06)

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3246296,00.html


Dozens of ultra-Orthodox break into internet café, claiming place incites haredi community to commit sins

<snip>

"Religious dispute in Jerusalem: Dozens of riled up ultra-orthodox broke into a Jerusalem internet café Monday, broke the doors and shattered the computers, claiming the place incites the haredi community to commit sins.

On Monday night, the ultra-Orthodox crowd arrived at the internet café located in the center of the capital and began harassing other haredi people who were at the place surfing the internet. The rowdy crowd attempted to break into the place, but was unsuccessful after an employee locked the doors.

The haredi crowd shattered the glass doors, went in and broke the computers and the cash register, Israel's leading newspaper reported Tuesday."

<snip>

"They have been harassing us for six months since most of the customers here are ultra-orthodox," said Max, who works at the place. "We will rebuild the place and will not give up."

Thus far the ultra-Orthodox community resorted to taking pictures of the customers and intimidating them. Last week, however, rabbis of the community met and decided to escalate the fight and destroy other internet cafés."

[oberliner]

4. Al-Qaeda affiliate burns coffee shop in Gaza Strip 10.08.06

After the Palestinian branch of al-Qaeda took responsibility for killing a senior Palestinian intelligence officer and four of his escorts three weeks ago, the group again took responsibility for violence in the Gaza Strip. Early Sunday morning, Gunmen shot and set fire to an internet coffee shop in Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip, causing massive damage.

Sunday afternoon an announcement was made claiming that the organization Islamic Swords of Justice, identified as an affiliate of al-Qaeda are responsible for the incident.


In the organization's announcement, it was stated that burning the coffee shop is "part of a series of actions aimed at fighting corruption and the corrupt. During the holy month of Ramadan, our fighters have started operating on the holy land and in the early morning placed a bomb weighing ten kilograms (22 pounds) next to the coffee shop, ridden with corruption and characteristic of the unethical activities that have increased in recent days. Jihad fighters detonated the bomb as a message to all the corrupt people."


According to the gunmen, the owner of the establishment was pre-warned that his business serves as a center for unethical activity and that he should straighten out the situation before it is too late. The organization warned that they would not spare anyone they deemed unethical and that their "swords will have no mercy on them."


http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3312455,00.html