Mufti Shaikh Muhammad Hussain condemns Israeli decision to demolish Al-Omari historic mosque near Jerusalem

Mufti condemns Israeli decision to demolish historic mosque near Jerusalem

Date: 03 / 02 / 2008 Time: 11:46

Jerusalem – Ma'an –

The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Shaikh Muhammad Hussain has condemned a decision by Israeli authorities to demolish the Al-Omari mosque in the village of Umm Tuba near Jerusalem under the pretext that the building had been built without a license on Sunday.
Sheikh Hussein told Ma'an that the mosque was built more than 700 years go, and it was last restored in 1963. It is the only mosque in Umm Tuba.

The Mufti claimed that Israeli authorities have been attempting to wipe out historic Islamic sites in Palestine which is violation of all religious values and international treaties.

He warned of the repercussions and called on the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which is charged with protecting human cultural heritage around the world, and other international organizations to prevent the demolition of the mosque.

IOG to demolish historical mosque in Jerusalem

[ 03/02/2008 - 11:56 AM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

The people of Umm Tuba village south of occupied Jerusalem warned that the municipality, which is controlled by the Israeli occupation government (IOG), had issued a decision to demolish the 700-year-old Al-Omari mosque in their village at the pretext that it is unlicensed, calling on the concerned international organizations especially UNESCO to intervene immediately.

Dr. Naim Abu Tair, one of the inhabitants of the village, told the PIC that the mosque is very old dating back 700 years ago and was refurbished in 1963. He noted that the villagers exerted strenuous efforts to expand and repair the mosque.

Abu Tair said that the demolition notice hung by the Israeli municipal crews on the mosque's doors notified the villagers that the mosque will be pulled down Sunday morning, adding that the villagers from different ages will be stationing in the mosque to prevent the implementation of this "oppressive decision".

In another context, an Israeli anti-demolition committee revealed that the IOA has demolished 18,000 Palestinian houses while expanding its settlements since the occupation of the West Bank in 1967.

The committee said that the Israeli occupation government (IOG) does not grant the Palestinians licenses to build on their own lands thus confiscating a right guaranteed by international laws.

In another context, a delegation of the Aqsa foundation catering for Islamic endowments and shrines paid a visit to the Islamic graveyard near the Turkish bridge in Beersheba which was completely destroyed by the IOA in order to follow up this "serious" Israeli infringement and decide the procedures to be taken in this regard.

In another context, Palestinians in the 1948 occupied lands staged a successful strike on Friday in protest over the Israeli judicial advisor to the occupation government's decision not to prosecute Israeli soldiers who killed 13 Palestinians during protest rallies in October 2000 in solidarity with the Aqsa intifada.

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