800-year-old Um An-Nasr Mosque in Beit Hanoun Destroyed by the Israeli Forces, a report by Yousef Alhelou
The An-Nasr mosque in Beit Hanoun, which was completely destroyed by the Israeli shelling during the invasion of Beit Hanoun, is a historic mosque that was built 800 years ago.
The imam of the mosque, Sheikh Shihda Abu Zreiq, said on Friday that the occupation has ruined “the house of God", which was built in the year 637 according to the Islamic calendar, following the “Um An-Nasr" battle between the armies of Sultan Mahmoud Qutob and the Crusaders' armies in the area between Gaza City and Asqalan (today's Ashkelon). The Muslim armies triumphed in the battle.
The imam said that the Israeli occupation army did not intend to kill Palestinian fighters in particular. They also killed children, women and old people. The sheikh called on the Arab and Islamic world to learn the lessons of these incidents.
President Abbas visited Beit Hanoun including the destroyed mosque and he promised the people there to rebuild it again.
While we were looking at the destroyed mosque, a man said to me, I have prayed in this mosque for 31 years and now I'm going to miss it.
Yousef Alhelou is a freelance Palestinian Journalist. He can be contacted on ydamadan@hotmail.com
Ed. Note: The deliberate destruction of places of worship is a War Crime, as specified by the Geneva Conventions. Please see this Reference Guide: http://www.genevaconventions.org
The An-Nasr mosque in Beit Hanoun, which was completely destroyed by the Israeli shelling during the invasion of Beit Hanoun, is a historic mosque that was built 800 years ago.
The imam of the mosque, Sheikh Shihda Abu Zreiq, said on Friday that the occupation has ruined “the house of God", which was built in the year 637 according to the Islamic calendar, following the “Um An-Nasr" battle between the armies of Sultan Mahmoud Qutob and the Crusaders' armies in the area between Gaza City and Asqalan (today's Ashkelon). The Muslim armies triumphed in the battle.
The imam said that the Israeli occupation army did not intend to kill Palestinian fighters in particular. They also killed children, women and old people. The sheikh called on the Arab and Islamic world to learn the lessons of these incidents.
President Abbas visited Beit Hanoun including the destroyed mosque and he promised the people there to rebuild it again.
While we were looking at the destroyed mosque, a man said to me, I have prayed in this mosque for 31 years and now I'm going to miss it.
Yousef Alhelou is a freelance Palestinian Journalist. He can be contacted on ydamadan@hotmail.com
Ed. Note: The deliberate destruction of places of worship is a War Crime, as specified by the Geneva Conventions. Please see this Reference Guide: http://www.genevaconventions.org