TV anchors threatened for ‘immodest’ dress

An Islamic fundamentalist group has called for the beheading of female Palestinian television anchors for dressing immodestly.About 50 anchors and employees from the government-run Palestine TV marched Sunday in Gaza City to protest the group, Swords of Truth, which released a statement accusing the female anchors of being “without any … shame or morals.”Even though most of the anchors wear head scarves, the anchors have come under fire for wearing makeup and Western-style clothes.Islamic extremity in Gaza has been rising, with more women now covering their faces with veils – formerly a rare practice there. Swords of Truth has claimed responsibility for bombing about a dozen Internet cafes, pool halls and music shops for promoting vice.At the march from Palestine TV headquarters to the Palestinian Authority president’s office, anchor Sally Abed told the Islamist group, “Shame on you, the people working in this institution are your people – if it’s not your sister, it’s your mother.”