PA daily op-ed harshly criticizes Hamas for not closing mosques as directed by the PA due to Coronavirus

Excerpt of an op-ed by Muwaffaq Matar, Fatah Revolutionary Council member and regular columnist for the official PA daily

Headline: “The rule of law and the transgressions of ‘the [Muslim Brotherhood] organization’ (i.e., Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza)”

“If they [Hamas] do not stop, we will demand that the rule of law deter them at all costs. The freedom of worship is protected, and whoever is doing divine work (i.e., prayer) can do this at his home. Prayer that does not prevent an act of abomination and evil acts and that does not protect people from damage is like prayer that did not exist at all, even if someone performs it at the holiest site in his opinion. This is because prayer is security, peace, and mercy on the soul and body of the one who performs it, and how could it be thus when there is a chance that others will be infected with a lethal epidemic? …

In their [Hamas’] contempt for human life and the dangers of the spread of the Coronavirus epidemic, they are forcing the rule of law and the public that cares about its health and health security to confront them.We think that this is part of their satanic plot, so that afterwards they will be able to depict themselves as those who insist on performing their worship and religious ceremonies, and as those who are persecuted and oppressed for this – as if they do not know thatwhat they are doing is a criminal act, more severe than the crimes of the terror groups and organizations that kill with weapons, gunfire, and explosions, while they – by transgressing the law and the new decisions – become part of the tools and weapons of the enemy (the epidemic) [parentheses in source]. One who is truly religious, regardless of what their faith is, cares about the security and welfare of the other just as he cares about his own security and welfare.”