From Gaza comes two examples of how the Palestinian people are being ruled by extremist religious thugs who place strict adherence to religious doctrine over the welfare of its people.

First, a woman was detained for the crime of going to the beach with her head not covered. Journalist Asma al-Ghul also was accused of "laughing out loud" and being without a male escort while at the beach. According to a report:

"This is reportedly not the first attempt by Hamas security forces to enforce Islamic modesty rules. Hamas security forces are said to patrol the beach looking for lovers and to have confiscated alcohol at the Hamas checkpoint south of the Erez crossing. They also reportedly go to hotels catering to foreigners to check for unmarried couples."

Meanwhile, public officials in Gaza are taking a 1 percent pay cut to underwrite Quranic studies:

"Notably, Koran study centers in the Strip are considered a major Hamas power source used to elicit support for the organization."

That's interesting, in light of a new campaign from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) to distribute 100,000 Qurans to local and national political leaders in the U.S. The goal is to educate and "not an effort to proselytize," said CAIR executive director Nihad Awad:

"The long-term goal of the campaign is to put one million Qurans in the hands of ordinary Americans of all faiths over the next ten years."

CAIR is soliciting donations for the drive, starting at $45 per book. That's the only way to do it without an outside patron, since CAIR complained last year that its status as an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas-financing case prompted donations to drop off the table.