Fatwa forbids Palestinians from emigrating

JERUSALEM, June 10 (UPI) -- A religious decree released by the Palestinian Authority's mufti forbids all Palestinian citizens from emigrating from the powder-keg region.

With increasing numbers of Palestinians attempting to leave the area, The Jerusalem Post said Sunday the authority's top scholar recently issued a fatwa that would essentially eliminate such travel efforts.

"We hereby declare that emigration from the blessed lands is not permitted according to religious law," the fatwa said. "The people living in these areas must remain in their homes and must not leave them to conquerors."

While the fatwa forbids emigration for those seeking safety in other countries, the Palestinian Authority will still allow regional Muslims to travel across the border for studying or employment purposes.

The travel limitations come in the wake of a recent poll in the region that found nearly 83 percent of Palestinians had a negative opinion of the region's conditions, the Post said.