300,000 Palestinian Muslim Worshipers Attend Ramadhan Friday Prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Despite Israeli Measures to Bar them, August 26, 2011

300,000 Palestinian Muslim Worshipers Attend Ramadhan Friday Prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Despite Israeli Measures to Bar them

August 26, 2011

Around 300 thousand worshipers attend Friday prayers at the Aqsa Mosque

[ 26/08/2011 - 11:23 PM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

About 300 thousand Palestinian worshipers attended the last Friday of Ramadhan at Al-Aqsa Mosque, which also coincides with the night of 27th Ramadan, the Night of Decree, which is a special night in the holy month.

Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage (AFEH) said in a statement after the Friday prayers that it was a historic day as Palestinian Muslim worshipers were determined to reach Al-Aqsa Mosque despite the Israeli occupation government's measures barring thousands of worshipers from the West Bank from reaching the Mosque.

AFEH also said in the statement that all areas of the Mosque were used by the worshipers.

Dr. Ekrema Sabri, head of the Higher Islamic Committee, praised the worshipers for their determination to make it to the mosque despite occupation restrictions.

He told worshipers that their insistence to attend all prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque was a practical reply to those who have their eyes on the holy Mosque and a message to the world at large the people of Jerusalem and Palestine love Al-Aqsa Mosque which is an integral part of their faith.

AFEH provided about 30 thousand iftar meals for worshipers who remained in Al-Aqsa Mosque to attend the night prayers of this special night.

Meanwhile, Israeli occupation soldiers manning the Qalandia checkpoint clashed with West Bankers who were in their way to Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Clashes Reported At The Qalandia Terminal

Saturday August 27, 2011 02:20 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli occupation soldiers fired dozens of gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets as hundreds of Palestinian Muslim residents who gathered at the Qalandia terminal, north of Jerusalem, demanding their legitimate right to enter occupied Jerusalem in order to conduct Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Eyewitnesses reported that the soldiers fired gas bombs, concussion grenades, rubber-coated bullets and rounds of live ammunition at the protesters, leading to the injury of several protesters while a number of reporters, including reporters of Al-Jazeera, suffocated after inhaling gas fired by the army.

A number of local protesters managed to remove sections of a barbed wire, placed by the soldiers to block the street, and hurled stones at them.

Army helicopters were seen hovering over the area apparently taking pictures of the protesters, local sources reported.

Furthermore, soldiers at the Qalandia terminal, north of Jerusalem, kidnapped Basel Mansour and Ashraf Abu Rahma, members of the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in Bil’in village.

In related news, a group of extremist illegal Israeli settlers hurled stones a Palestinian bus carrying nonviolent activists, and a number of Palestinian cars, while driving on the main road near Bet El illegal Israeli settlement, near Ramallah.

Damage was reported to the vehicles while Israeli soldiers, present in the area, did not attempt to stop the settlers.

Several nonviolent protests were held Friday in a number of villages and towns in the West Bank, against the Annexation Wall and the ongoing Israeli violation and military escalation in Gaza.

Injuries were reported in Qafr Qaddoum, near Nablus, Bil’in and Ni’lin villages near Ramallah, and in Al-Ma’asara near Bethlehem.

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