Islamic Extremists Threaten Female Newscasters With Beheading

Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - Islamic extremists in the Gaza Strip have threatened to behead female news broadcasters if they don't adhere to the strict Islamic dress code and cover their faces. A group calling itself the "Righteous Swords of Islam," believed to have links to al Qaeda, accused the women of acting immorally. "It's indeed disgraceful that the women working for the official Palestinian media are competing with each other to display their charms," the group wrote in a leaflet. They threatened to kill the women for allegedly spreading corruption in Palestinian society. "If necessary, we will behead and slaughter to preserve the spirit and morals of our people," it said. The group has previously claimed responsibility for bombing various Internet cafes in the Gaza Strip. It also claims to have thrown acid in the faces of unveiled women in Gaza. But this is the first threat of its kind against employees of official Palestinian Authority television. Unnamed PA officials in Ramallah were quoted by the Jerusalem Post earlier as saying that presence of extremist groups in Gaza would "eventually lead to the transformation of the Palestinian territories into a Taliban-style entity." About 50 Palestinian female journalists and editors from Palestinian television are calling on P.A. Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to protect them.