As long as the Muslim world remains in its silent slumber, the Zionists will continue to attempt harm to the Al Aqsa Mosque.
by S. Mohammed Bokreta
Glory be to Him who made His servant go on a night journey from the Sacred Mosque to the Remote Mosque, of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” — Holy Quran 17:01.
On the morning of August 21, 1969, an Australian Jewish extremist, Michael Rohan, set fire to the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, burning Salah al-Din’s pulpit and destroying approximately one-third of the mosque. Without a shadow of doubt, this ill-fated Zionist attack was a premeditated act orchestrated by the Israeli government.
 |
| Al-Aqsa Mosque burning after Denis Michael attacked the mosque started a fire in 21 August, 1969 [Wikipedia] |
The Zionist usurpers conspired with the arsonist and deliberately allowed the fire to spread by delaying the arrival of fire engines and cutting off the water supply to the site. The then-Prime Minister, Golda Meir, referred to the fire as both the “hardest” and “happiest” day in Israel’s history: the hardest because she feared the incident would provoke an attack from neighbouring Arab countries, and the happiest because such an attack never materialized.
In further detail: when the accursed Golda Meir was asked about the hardest days of her life, she responded, “The day the Al Aqsa Mosque was burned.” When asked about the happiest day, she answered, “The day the Al Aqsa Mosque was burned.” When asked how this could be, she explained, “On the day the Al Aqsa Mosque burned, I thought it marked the last day of the state of Israel. But when I saw the Muslim responses, I understood that ‘Israel’ is safe in the region of the Arab world.”
This is indeed a bitter truth and reflects the sad plight of this Ummah, which remains in a comatose state. Sadly, we must recall that on May 14, 1948 — a date fatidic in history — occurred one of the most tragic and bitter events of the 20th century. It can be considered the beginning of a great human tragedy in the modern world. Fifty-seven years ago, after the 30-year League of Nations mandate over Palestine, a conspiracy hatched by both the West and Zionism saw the illegitimate birth of Israel on Palestinian soil.
This entity of land usurpers has brought homelessness, death, and forced exile upon the oppressed nation of Palestine. It serves as the political and military arm of global imperialism, while Zionism serves the vested interests of the West in the Middle East. Following the occupation of Palestine, millions of Palestinians were driven from their homeland, and hundreds of thousands of Zionist immigrants from different parts of the world were gradually settled in the Arab-Muslim land of Palestine.
The once-green landscape of Palestine has, over the past 57 years, been stained red with the sacred blood of martyrs. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed, and the Judaization of the Holy City, its land, its population, its history, and its culture continues. This process of Judaization began with the emergence of the state of Israel in 1948, intensified after the 1967 war, and has persisted ever since.
It is essential to note that Jerusalem was divided into two distinct parts. The eastern part, occupied by Israel in the 1967 war, had no Jewish population before the conflict. The heart of East Jerusalem, apart from the “Jewish Quarter” rebuilt in 1967, and the presence of armed Israeli soldiers, remains exclusively Palestinian, with 180,000 Palestinians deeply rooted in their land.
The western part of the city was occupied in 1948. Palestinian areas such as El-Malha, Beit Safafa, El-Katamoun, Talbieh, Deir Yassin, Lifta, and Ma’man Allah belong to Palestinian owners who were forced from their homes after the Deir Yassin massacre in 1948. The United Nations has never recognised Israeli control over West Jerusalem, let alone Arab East Jerusalem.
Arab East Jerusalem has been the subject of one of history’s most insidious conspiracies. Both its land and its people have witnessed significant changes. A population of zero Jews in 1967 has turned into a near-majority by 1995. Almost 100% Palestinian ownership of the land in 1967 has shrunk to a tiny percentage, with limited usage by 1995. Arab East Jerusalem, where Palestinians live, remains in a state of decay, frozen in time. Jewish planning aims to reduce Arab and Islamic presence in the city to the periphery.
As long as the Muslim world remains in its silent slumber, the Zionists will continue to attempt harm to the Al Aqsa Mosque. On the 14th of this month, had it not been for the vigilant readiness of the Arab Muslim “Murabitoun” of 1948, the events could have taken a more tragic turn. The Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, though a historic event following their retreat from South Lebanon on May 25, 2000, was forced upon the occupying army. Such a development is undoubtedly a victory for the Muslim Palestinians and a severe setback for the Zionist state, despite what fools may claim.
The Zionist regime acts devilishly as part of its plan to demolish the Al Aqsa Mosque and build a temple in its place. On one hand, it instructs Zionist extremists to take the issue to Israel’s Supreme Court; on the other, it orders the court to show a semblance of impartiality due to the situation’s sensitivity. For instance, in 1983, Israel’s Supreme Court permitted Jews to hold prayer gatherings at Bab El Maghariba, outside Al Aqsa, despite Palestinian protests.
Sixteen years later, the court allowed Zionists to hold prayers in the mosque’s outer courtyard. Finally, in 2001, the Supreme Court issued a sacrilegious verdict, angering Muslims worldwide by ruling that Zionists could lay the foundation stone of a temple attributed to Prophet Suleiman (AS) at Bab El Maghariba. The Zionist plan is to gradually annex vast parts of the Al Aqsa Mosque for this temple’s construction.
Work on the temple has already begun, dangerously close to Al Aqsa, parallel to what Zionists call the Wailing Wall, but known as the Al-Buraq Wall — the site where Archangel Gabriel escorted Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to the heavens on the celestial, faster-than-light mount called Al-Buraq.
Recently, the Zionist regime’s president, Moshe Katsav, called on the Vatican to hand over what he claimed were relics required to begin building the temple. The Zionists assert that after Solomon’s temple was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans, the relics were taken to Rome and are now in the Vatican. However, the Pope, who until recently did not officially recognise the illegal Zionist entity of Israel, has refused to comment.
Despite this tragic scenario, praise be to Almighty Allah for granting the Ummah rare and God-fearing individuals, such as Imam Khomeini (may his soul rest in peace), who wisely established International Qods Day on the last Friday of each Ramadan to awaken Muslim consciousness worldwide to this grave issue.
Since its inception in 1979, following the triumph of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Qods International Day has gained grand proportions, marked by massive rallies in Iran, Lebanon, and other Muslim countries. Even in Europe and the Americas, gatherings are held despite reluctance from pro-Western rulers in certain Arab countries. These events urge Muslims to unite and coordinate the struggle for the liberation of Bayt al-Maqdis from the illegal Zionist entity of Israel.
With optimism and faith in Allah, the blessed Intifada in Palestine continues as a reality, with clear objectives for materialising the Palestinian nation’s birthrights. Over the past five years, the Intifada and its great sacrifices — thanks to the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Saraya al-Quds Brigades, and Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades — have achieved significant milestones that no Arab nation has accomplished so far. It has embroiled the Zionist entity in economic and political problems, shattering the myth of Israel’s invincibility.
The Intifada has lifted Palestinian spirits, forcing even Arab states that were rapidly normalising ties with the Zionist regime to reconsider. It has made Palestinian leaders deal with Israel from a position of strength, thanks to the martyrdom-seeking spirit of Palestinian youth, which has become a nightmare for the Zionist regime. Neither its sophisticated weapons nor its atomic bombs can withstand this spirit.
Views expressed are personal
S. Mohammed Bokreta is a Freelance Writer and Cultural Consultant based in Algiers, Algeria. Specializing in Islamic values, political issues, historical events, and tourism topics, his work has been featured in international newspapers and magazines for over 36 years. Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, Bokreta also translates significant Islamic manuscripts. With a background as a Bank and Shipping Manager, his extensive experience and communication skills aim to educate and inspire future generations.
Post a Comment