Description

Update
May 6,2013
by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies Report

An Israeli court in Jerusalem has decided to allow the Israeli government to demolish part of a mosque, despite appeals from the mosque's imam and several Palestinian members of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament).

The Muhammad Al-Fatih Mosque, located in the Ras al-Amoud neighborhood in East Jerusalem, was forced to expand in 2009 due to a massive increase in worshipers after Israeli authorities began preventing Palestinian worshipers from accessing the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem's Old City.

The denial of entry for Palestinian worshipers began ten years ago, with the Israeli takeover of East Jerusalem and construction of the Annexation Wall through Palestinian land. Palestinians living on the east side of the Wall have been unable to enter Jerusalem except with special permits which are extremely difficult to obtain.

To deal with the influx of worshipers, the Muhammed Al-Fatih mosque applied to the Israeli authorities for a permit to expand. That permit, like virtually every permit filed by Palestinians for construction on existing property, was denied. Facing a weekly overload of its capacity, the mosque's managers decided to complete the expansion anyway.

The section in question is designated for female worshipers, who will be unable to participate in weekly services once the demolition is completed.

The imam of the mosque, Sheikh Sabri Abu Diab, told reporters with the Ma'an news agency that the mosque was built in 1964, prior to Israel's takeover of Jerusalem in 1967. Because of that, it should not be subject to Israeli authorities.

The court's decision, which was issued on Thursday, cannot be appealed. But several Palestinian Members of the Knesset, including Ibrahim Sarsour, Masoud Ghanayim and Talab Abu Arar, said that they will attempt to stop the demolition.

____________

May 2, 2013
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- An Israeli court has rejected an appeal to stop the demolition of part of a mosque in Ras al-Amoud in East Jersualem, the mosque's imam says.

The court in Jerusalem ruled that a section of Muhammad Al-Fatih Mosque was built without a license and must be demolished, Sheikh Sabri Abu Diab told Ma'an.

The imam said the section under threat is used by female worshipers.

The 70-square-meter section was built in 2009 to increase the mosque's capacity, particularly on Fridays, the Muslim day of worship, as thousands of people who are denied access to Al-Aqsa Mosque pray in Ras al-Amoud instead, Abu Diab said.

Engineers and lawyers tried to get a license for the additional section but Israeli authorities refused, he added.

A Jerusalem court first ordered the demolition of the section in 2012, but the decision was appealed.

The latest decision cannot be appealed, but Palestinian members of Israel's Knesset Ibrahim Sarsour, Masoud Ghanayim and Talab Abu Arar have said they will try to stop the demolition.

The rest of the mosque was built in 1964 on land owned by the endowment foundation. "It was built before the annexation of Jerusalem," the sheikh said.