Jewish fundamentalists storm al-Aqsa Mosque
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Israeli soldiers in the al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard.
More than 200 Jewish extremists have reportedly entered al-Aqsa Mosque, positioning themselves inside the holy site, allegedly to perform religious rituals.
According to a statement released by the Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage, the incursion was “significant”. The foundation has called on Muslims, Arabs and all Palestinians to take action in support of the mosque. The attack comes amidst Tisha B’Av, also known as “The Ninth of Av” — a Jewish fasting day in commemoration of the destruction of the two Temples. The occasion falls on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, which usually coincides with late July or mid-August. The First Temple was built by King Solomon and was considered the most sacred site in ancient Judaism. It was destroyed when the Babylonians pillaged Jerusalem (al-Quds) in 586 BCE. According to Jewish accounts, the construction of the Second Temple was completed in 516 BCE on the site of the First Temple but was destroyed during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. The destruction of the two Temples allegedly took place on the same day — the ninth of Av — but about 656 years apart. The storming of al-Aqsa Mosque — a holy site in the eyes of many Muslims — has drawn anti-Israeli condemnation. Abdel Qader resigned from his post last month after he censured the acting Palestinian Authority for neglecting al-Quds. He says the Salam Fayyad government refuses to uphold its commitments to the city, which is undergoing a difficult period. According to Abdel Qader, the Palestinian Finance Ministry “contributes nothing to the effort to keep the residents on their land.” |
[Al-Aqsa Mosque
{next door to Dome of the Rock}
After completion of the Dome of the Rock, construction began at the site of the original timber mosque built in the time of ‘Umar. A vast congregational mosque rose up, accommodating more than five thousand worshippers. Originally commissioned by ‘Abdul Malik ibn Marwan, it was apparently completed by his son Al-Walid in 705AD.
Al-Aqsa Mosque from the west
The building became known as Masjid al-Aqsa, Al-Aqsa Mosque, although in reality the whole area of the Noble Sanctuary is considered Al-Aqsa Mosque, the entire precincts inviolable according to Islamic law. Every Friday prayer, the Al-Aqsa Mosque building overflows, with thousands of worshippers who must make their prayers outside in the courtyards of the vast open expanse of the Noble Sanctuary.
Al-Aqsa Mosque from the Dome of the Rock While the Dome of the Rock was constructed as a mosque to commemorate the Prophet’s Night Journey, the building known as Al-Aqsa Mosque became a centre of worship and learning, attracting great teachers from all over the world.]
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