Bold new Gaza play skewers Fatah and Hamas

[oberliner]

A new play has shocked audiences in the Gaza Strip by shouting out what many in the Hamas-ruled territory mutter behind closed doors -- that Palestinian politicians are a bunch of crooks.

The biting comedy entitled "Umbilical Cord" goes after the Islamist Hamas and its secular Fatah rivals, accusing them of ignoring the suffering of their people and selling out to Iran and the United States, respectively.

Though it takes to task all the main Palestinian factions, the play is remarkable for its criticism of Hamas, which has ruled the embattled territory since driving out its Fatah rivals in June 2007.

"I was afraid it would be prevented from being shown," said director Hazem Abu Hamid, whose invitations to the three-night run this week gave little hint of the content.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/bold-new-gaza-play-skewers-fatah-and-hamas-20100310-pzhh.html