Andrew
Sunday Mail Reporter
THE Embassy of Palestine in Zimbabwe has called on all peace-loving countries and those who believe in religious co-existence to condemn, with the strongest terms, actions by Israel to provoke Muslim people by permitting extremist Zionist settlers to try and change the status quo in Al-Aqsa Mosque and East Jerusalem.
Israel is imposing restrictions on the Muslims in Jerusalem and the West Bank by preventing them from visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque in order to perform their prayers and religious rites in the third most important mosque of the Islamic world.
In a statement, Palestine Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Tamer Almassri said Israel is trying to ignite a religious war.
“Despite it currently being the blessed month of Ramadan, which is observed by about two billion Muslim people around the world, Israel has tried to provoke the Muslim people’s emotions once again,” reads part of the communique.
“Since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, they announced their intention to perform their sacrificial rites in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque and to tarnish the Dome of the Rock and the walls of the mosque with the blood of their sacrifices.”
He also said Fridays are considered to be a sacred day for the Muslims, nonetheless, the Israeli Zionist forces raided Al-Aqsa Mosque in the early hours of dawn last Friday.
The Zionist forces then attacked worshippers with live ammunition, rubber coated bullets and gas canisters.
“They also stepped into the holy mosque with their filthy boots, attacking and physically assaulting the worshippers amidst their prayers as well as breaking the historic windows of Al-Aqsa Mosque in an attempt to disperse the Muslim worshippers and to open the way for the extremist settlers to begin their religious war,” he added.
According to international law and United Nations resolutions, the existence of these extremist Zionist settlers in East Jerusalem and the West Bank is illegal.
The extremists possess full support from the Israeli government and its military and security apparatus, he further said.
“The Israeli apartheid state has prevented the people of the West Bank and East Jerusalem from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque, depriving them of their right of freedom of worship, and has attacked them during the performance of their prayers.
“Israel has also arrested 426 Palestinians, including women and children, and has caused injury to 150 civilians, tens of those injured are in critical condition,” he said.
Ambassador Almassri added :“This behaviour does not only increase the rage amongst the Palestinian people, but also within the entire Islamic world. We demand that all the friendly and peace-loving countries and those who believe in religious co-existence to condemn, with the strongest terms, the Israeli barbaric behaviour and hold it responsible for all the consequences in the days and weeks to come.”
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter