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Peaceful marches are planned worldwide to show anger against Israeli assaults in Gaza. (Reuters) |
GAZA CITY — With Israeli warplanes pounding the Gaza Strip for the seventh consecutive day, Muslim leaders urged people worldwide to hold a "peaceful" day of anger on Friday, January 2, over the ongoing Israeli assaults in seaside strip.
"Israel is committing an act of terrorism. It's the duty of all the free people in the world to stand against it and stop this evil," Australian Muslim imam Abu Mohammed said.
Bearing pro-Palestinian flags and banners, thousands of Australian Muslims took to the streets early Friday to denounce the Israeli attacks in Gaza.
The protestors flocked to Parry Park in the city's Islamic heartland to demonstrate and pray for the Palestinian victims of the week-long Israeli blitz.
A makeshift coffin draped in the Palestinian flag was carried before the crowd, followed by a procession of eight imams.
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas also called on people worldwide to show anger over the Israeli attacks.
"We urge people worldwide to march on Friday in a show of solidarity with our people in Gaza and show anger against the Israeli occupation and settlers."
A series of marches are also planned across Europe against the Israeli offensive.
A march is planned in front of the Israeli embassy in the Czech capital Prague to urge the Czech Republic, the current chair of the European Union, to pressure Israel to halt the aggression.
A series of marches are also planned in Arab and Muslim countries over the Gaza blitz.
In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood called on Egyptians to gather in front of mosques nationwide to show anger over Israeli attacks.
At least 420 people were killed and more than 2,100 wounded when Israel blitzed Gaza with massive air strikes since Saturday.
Civilized
Muslim scholars called on protestors worldwide to avoid violence while protesting the Israeli assaults.
"The protests must be a civilized message to the world," Saudi scholar Abdel-Wahab Al-Tariri said in a statement.
Muslims scholars also called for unifying the Friday sermons on the ongoing tragedy in the impoverished strip.
"We call on preachers across the Muslim world to unify the Friday sermon to speak about the Gaza massacre," Saudi scholar Salman Oudah said in a statement.
"The sermon is an effective tool to direct the people's feelings towards their cases and control their sentiments and direct them in the right path," added Dr. Saad Al-Shahrani, the executive chairman of the League of Muslim Scholars and Intellectuals.
Muslim scholars also called on people worldwide to donate to help the Palestinians in their distress.
"We appeal to preachers to direct the people into donating for their brothers in Palestine," said Tariri.
"(We) ask Muslims donate blood, money and food for the Gazans," added Oudah.
Despite international criticism, Israel has been closing all Gaza crossings since Hamas seized control of the strip last year.
Under the siege, people in Gaza live without electricity, water and sewage services for up to 16 hours a day.
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