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Gaza's unhappy sister wives

Polygamy is on the rise in Gaza despite the dire economic straits of the Strip's residents.
A Palestinian bride has her hand decorated with a traditional henna design in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip November 27, 2013. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (GAZA - Tags: SOCIETY) - RTX15URG
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — They entered the hairdresser’s shop together. One looked serious, covered in traditional Islamic dress; while the other seemed more lively, wearing pants and lots of makeup. The first woman had an authoritarian air that she tried to impose on the second, who ignored her as best she could.

They looked like sisters, except for the hatred that filled their eyes. The hairdresser got close and whispered into my ear, “They are sister-wives.” The hostile air between them dissuaded me from asking about the particulars of sharing the same man.

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