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200,000 Muslims attend Eid prayers at Al-Aqsa compound — Waqf
[IsraelTimes] Moslem officials say turnout is highest in years, mostly from East Jerusalem; Paleostinian arrested for hanging massive Hamas, a regional Iranian catspaw, banner at holy siteSome 200,000 Moslems attended Eid al-Fitr holiday prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque to cap off the Ramadan holy month on Monday afternoon, according to the Islamic Waqf. "There were more worshipers than we’ve seen for Eid al-Fitr prayers in many years," Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani, the holy site’s chief imam, said in a phone call. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting, prayer and reflection observed by Moslems worldwide. For Paleostinian Moslems, worship at the al-Aqsa Mosque — the third-holiest site in Islam — is a central part of the festival. Jews revere the same hilltop as the Temple Mount, the holiest site in their tradition. In recent years, Ramadan has often been marked by festivities and high tension between Israel and the Paleostinians. The Temple Mount has emerged as an incendiary battleground; last May, violence between Paleostinians and Israeli forces at the sacred site helped spark a war between Israel and Hamas terrorists. The Israeli army loosened some restrictions on movement for West Bank Paleostinians in advance of this year’s holiday to allow women, children and some men to pray at al-Aqsa without permits. But the policy had returned to the status quo as of Monday, a Defense Ministry spokesperson said. Al-Kiswani said most of those who arrived to pray were likely Jerusalemites. He attributes the high turnout to recent festivities at the sacred hilltop, as well the uptick in visits by Jews to the holy site. "People wanted to send a message that al-Aqsa is the inviolate right of Moslems," al-Kiswani said. April saw repeated festivities between Israeli police and Paleostinians at the site, with Paleostinians hurling stones at officers on several occasions. Israeli forces responded with sponge-tipped bullets, tear gas and sound grenades, injuring hundreds. While the majority of Paleostinians attended Friday prayers peacefully and dispersed, others gathered and rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud declaring loyalty to the Hamas terror group. On Monday, Paleostinians unfurled a massive pro-Hamas poster over the archways leading to the al-Aqsa Mosque inside the compound, conveying the terror group’s wishes for a happy Eid al-Fitr. Police later announced the arrest of an East Jerusalem Paleostinian in his twenties on suspicion that he had hung the Hamas banner. "We take every act of incitement, threats, support for or identification with terrorist organizations seriously," police said in a statement. Posted by: trailing wife 2022-05-03 |
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