Talk radio gives Palestinians a voice

A second listener accused former Finance Minister Salam Fayyad, a Fatah appointee, for laying the seeds of the crisis: "He had a very bad policy during his tenure of taking many loans from the banks, and inflated the expenses of the ministry."

Hosts like Ustaz have become celebrities in a place where the cult of personality is normally reserved for militant "martyrs" assassinated by Israeli or Palestinian strong men.

But the radio host says his fame comes with a disturbing drawback: In recent weeks, he's gotten several death threats. In a place like Gaza, that sort of menace isn't to be taken lightly, so the station's security guards are armed with hand grenades and machine guns. Ustaz says he carries a hand gun and keeps an AK-47 assault rifle at home.

"It's normal for journalists in Gaza to carry guns," he explains. "Some accuse us of spilling gasoline on the fire. But I am broadcasting the problems of Palestinian society and the Palestinian street."

In the months following January's parliamentary vote, the focus of Ustaz's programs has shifted from Israel to the bitter rivalry between Fatah and Hamas.

"Because of the grave situation of the Palestinian Authority, people are eager to raise questions and demands," says Fathy Tobail, a director at the Palestinian State Information Service, a government-affiliated media research office. "And there are no restrictions by the government, unlike other Arab countries. With less control from the government on the radio stations, people become more eager to raise their issues."

According to a year-old survey, Hamas's Al Aqsa Radio channel ranks No. 3 in listeners, behind the two Fatah stations. The radio station has a TV affiliate, and Al Aqsa station manager Raed Abu Dayer says plans are under way to begin a Hamas satellite network.

But Mr. Abu Dayer, who hosts his own talk-radio show, explained that he doesn't consider himself a journalist who chases breaking news. "I am looking to help serve the Islamic media," he says. "We are trying to defend ourselves in this media battle ... and to present our own view through an Islamic perspective."

It's not surprising then, that talk-radio listener allegiances mirror political party loyalty. At a coffee house in Gaza City, Ziyad Abu Beif, a member of the presidential guard, explained why El Ustaz is his favorite show host.

"It's our radio station," he says. "It's the Fatah youth movement."

That's not to say the divide between Islamic radio and Fatah's more secular format is unbridgeable. Nasser Abu Houn, who wears the corporate suit and smile of a TV news anchor, jumped to Islamic Jihad's Al Quds rRdio from a popular talk-radio program at Fatah's Al Huriyeh Radio because of a falling out with a station manager.

Now he steers clear of discussing clashes between Hamas and Fatah. Al Quds program manager Kamal Abu Nasser explained why.

"People are not so mature to discuss these matters on the radio," he says. "At this time, people might start fighting if people begin arguing on the radio."

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