GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Ministry of Religious Endowments and Affairs in the West Bank decided May 25 to ban mosque preacher Walid al-Hodali from taking to the pulpit on Fridays. This decision sparked controversy about the policy to punish and exclude mosque preachers who criticize the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) policies during the Friday sermon. These preachers are accused of provocation and stirring strife.
Hodali, who is from Ramallah, told Al-Monitor, “On May 25, I received a verbal decision over the phone from the Ministry of Endowments in Ramallah and al-Bireh stating that I was banned from giving the Friday sermon under the excuse of offending high authorities and stirring strife among worshippers.”