Abu Sha’r: Daily Zionist break-ins at the Mosque are a challenge to all Muslims

 [ 25/05/2009 - 09:32 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Dr. Taleb Abu Sha’ar, the minister of religious affairs, stated Sunday that the Zionist settlers’ daily attempts to storm the Aqsa Mosque’s courtyards under police protection are a blatant challenge to all Muslims around the world, warning that there would be more break-ins at the holy Mosque.  

More than 30 extremist settlers had stormed at noon Saturday the Aqsa Mosque’s courtyards carrying Israeli flags, wearing T-shirts with pictures of menorah and the alleged temple, and chanting provocative songs and remarks such as “Al-Aqsa is ours”

The minister explained that these Israeli violations against Islamic holy shrines which are supported by the right-wing Israeli government comes in the framework of US-backed systematic schemes aimed to Judaize occupied Jerusalem and cause a demographic change in the city.

The minister appealed the Arab and Muslim nation to go on angry marches in protest at the Israeli criminal escalations against the holy city of Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque.

In the context of Israeli escalations against Jerusalem, the committee for the care of Islamic graves strongly denounced the attack carried out at dawn Friday by extremist Jews on Al-Rahma cemetery in Al-Asbat gate, one of the old city’s entrances, where they sabotaged some graves and wreaked havoc all over the cemetery.

Head of the committee catering for Islamic graves, Mustafa Abu Zahra described the attack on the cemetery as an act of desecration rejected and resented by all Muslims especially the families of those buried at the desecrated cemetery.

Abu Zahra noted that some worshipers heading to perform prayers at the Aqsa Mosque saw a group of extremist Jews desecrating the cemetery before fleeing, adding the cemetery had been attacked many times before by settlers under police protection.

He charged that there is coordination between the police and the Jewish assailants to desecrate the graves in this cemetery because the area around is monitored by cameras that see everyone passing by.

Abu Zhara also refuted the allegations made by the Israeli foundation for the protection of nature that the cemeteries of Yusufiya and Rahma were part of the Israeli national park, saying that those cemeteries had been Islamic property for 1400 years ago.

In a new development, a large number of Israeli policemen and border guards stormed Sunday morning the village of Issawiya in occupied Jerusalem and sealed off the area around the Palestinian villagers’ lands before destroying the fences of these lands and a fold of cattle belonging to citizens from the village.

An atmosphere of tension and extreme anger prevailed in Al-Issawiya village after these Israeli assaults.

In another serious development, one of the Aqsa Mosque’s guards reported on condition of anonymity that Israeli civil servants escorted by policemen desecrated the Mosque’s courtyards through Al-Maghariba gate and embarked immediately on taking pictures of the upper part of Al-Marwani Mosque from all sides and then took similar pictures in the yard of Al-Rahma gate before leaving the area.

Many caretakers of the Aqsa Mosque expressed their fears that such act could be a prelude to grave schemes that would be carried out any moment against the holy Mosque.