Muslim worshippers hurl stones from Al Aqsa compound

 

It’s Friday, the Muslims’ day of rest. So where better to go to have some fun and excitement than the Temple Mount, or to be more precise, the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem for some devoted prayer stone-throwing.

Friday prayers at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount turned into a scene of violent riots as protesters hurled stones at security forces who in turn broke into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Police dispersed the protesters using shock grenades. Eleven officers were lightly wounded by stones and treated at the scene. Four rioters were arrested.

Hundreds of Muslim worshippers at the Mughrabi Gate hurled stones at police and Border Guard forces who raided the compound to evacuate them. Dozens initially refused to leave the mosque but later cleared out on their own accord. Police say further arrests are expected.

The riots have caused a stir in the Arab world. Al-Jazeera carried a live broadcast from the Temple Mount. Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Hussein of the al-Aqsa mosque said: “We demand that no settlers, radicals or soldiers enter the mosque to avoid friction.” He claimed that the Israeli government is responsible for the situation and will “bear the consequences.”

But there were no settlers or “radicals” (who does he think radicals are? Christian tourists?) on the Temple Mount, and the soldiers only entered after the violence began.

Jerusalem District chief Nisso Shaham told reporters that the riots broke out after a right-wing activist posted online ads calling to “cleanse the Arabs from the al-Aqsa Mosque.” He said Friday’s events were the climax of riots in the past two weeks.

Shaham was referring to an ad announcing a future Temple Mount visit by Moshe Feiglin and his supports.

Fearing riots police closed the area to Jewish visitors.

Moshe Feiglin denied that he had issued the poster; he claimed it was a forgery and was not issued by him. Perhaps if the police would close the area to Muslim worshippers instead of Jewish visitors the Palestinians would learn a valuable lesson. But that would be politically incorrect of course, so it won’t happen.

On Thursday, Jerusalem Police declared a heightened state of alert at the Old City due to mounting tensions over calls by right-wing elements and members of the Temple Mount Faithful group to visit the site.

“This time it was decided not to restrict entry to the Temple Mount so as not to harm the freedom of religion,” Shaham said.

Several cases of stone throwing were recorded in the Old City in the past week. The first incident saw police arrest 18 protesters suspected of rioting after hurling chairs at security forces. Several days later, an officer wasinjured when Arabs hurled stones at him. Police arrested three suspects.

The Muslims go on and on about the holiness of the Al Aqsa mosque and the entire Temple Mount compound, but anyone who can treat their shrines with the kind of disrespect shown in the video below does not know what holiness is and has no respect for any religions whatsoever.

Just feel the holiness emanating from this video:

It’s about time Israel took back control of Judaism’s holiest site into its own hands, away from the corrupt and violent Waqf.

http://anneinpt.wordpress.com/2012/02/24/muslim-worshippers-hurl-stones-from-al-aqsa-compound/