Israeli excavations have weakened the foundations of the mosque

By Samer Khuwayira, IOL Correspondent

NABLUS, February 16 (IslamOnline.net) – A part of the road leading to one of Al-Aqsa Mosque’s main gates has collapsed due to the ongoing Israeli excavations under the holy place, well-placed Palestinian sources said.

The collapse occurred at dawn Sunday, February 15, in the road leading to Al-Maghariba gate, one of the mosque’s fourteen gates, they added.

The sources heaped blame on Israeli authorities which have prevented the Palestinian Waqfs Department and the Society of the Reconstruction of Islamic Shrines from carrying out restoration works in the site for more than three years.

The society said Israel will be held accountable for any repercussions, warning that the Israeli intransigence dangerously brings the mosque’s walls close to collapse.

It warned in a statement, e-mailed to IslamOnline.net, of the perils surrounding Islam’s third holies place.

Palestine’s Chief Judge Tayssir Al-Tamimi described the incident as part of the "massacre against civilization that has been taking place since 1967 ".

He said the ongoing Israeli excavations have already weakened the foundations of the mosque, cautioning it would not stand a powerful earthquake.

Tamimi warned of Israeli attempts to judaize Al-Quds and denying Muslim worshippers from praying in Al-Aqsa Mosque.

He urged the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the Arab League and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to join hands in reining in the Israeli schemes.

In the aftermath of the 1967 war between Israel and Arabs, Israeli authorities reduced to rubble historical sites and corners near Al-Maghariba gate and erased Al-Maghariba alley from Al-Quds map, building on its ruins the so-called Jews alley.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the Muslims’ first Qiblah [direction Muslims take during prayers] and its the third holiest shrine after Al Ka'bah in Makkah and Prophet Muhammad's Mosque in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

Its significance has been reinforced by the incident of Al Isra'a and Al Mi'raj -- the night journey from Makkah to Al-Quds and the ascent to the Heavens by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Jewish Rampage

The Palestinian society further revealed that Jewish extremists have rampaged through Al-Aqsa Mosque on Monday, February 9, under the watchful eyes of Israeli police, destroying and stealing priceless relics.

Catching their vulgarism on camera, the crowd crushed picturesque marble columns and unfixed some crowns that date back to the early centuries of Islam, it said in a report, a copy of which was faxed to IOL.

They afterwards headed to the mosque’s Marwani gate and stole small precious stones after conducting some rituals.

The Israeli police turned a blind eye to the provocative practices and allowed the Jewish extremists to use their camera although it was a no-photo area, added the society.

It called for preventing Jews from entering the mosque and putting an end to the "series of barbaric practices against the Islamic shrines in the occupied Palestinian territories".

The society warned of Jewish vicious schemes to usurp the land around the mosque and threats to set it ablaze.

It cited seizure of 16 Palestinian houses in Selwan area near the holy shrine on February 8 was a case in point.

The society had earlier cautioned that Jewish extremists were planning to dynamite the mosque in response to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plans to evacuate the main Gush Katif settlements in the Gaza Strip.

The plans are aimed at dismantling the heavily guarded settlements, which are inhabited by some 7,500 Jews living among over 1.2 million Palestinians.