Role of Palestinian Civil Society

 in the Protection of Holy Sites in Palestine

By : Mr. Adnane Ibrahim Hassan Al Subah(*)

Introduction

People often believe that, as places of worship and adoration, holy sites have but that one function. They also contend that these sites have no need for protection from the common man, considering the principle that a place of worship has a God to protect it. In fact, such is the people’s answer every time they are urged to play their role in the activities and initiatives aimed at protecting these holy sites. Instead, they use this argument to shirk their responsibilities towards holy sites, forgetting that the Messenger was not initially a staunch monotheist and, therefore, his bond to his camels was much stronger than his attachment to Bayt Al Haram. On the other hand, we are faced with the limitation placed by preachers, thinkers and clerics of these sites by imbuing them with an aura of holiness, religious awe and reverence. Thus, they reduce them to mere names, cairns, buildings or sites that are holy in the minds of people only, and fail to link the spiritual and worldly lives of believers and even of those whose piety is limited to the superficial as a result of their identity or upbringing.

Therefore, the first task of this Conference is to delineate the realistic and practical dimensions of the philosophy on which should be based community endeavours to protect religious and holy sites in Palestine. This philosophy should associate the spirituality and religious sanctity of the site with its fundamental importance in sustainable development, progress and the exercise of catching up with the march of civilisation. It should also modify the simplistic and superficial spiritual perception of these sites into a philosophy that mirrors the myriad spiritual dimensions of the Arab civilisation in Palestine.

Inheritors of All Holy Sites

We need to start by fostering in the Palestinian society, Muslims, Christian and anti-Zionist Jews alike, the conviction that they are the real inheritors and custodians of all these holy sites. Allah (SWT) has honoured us to the exclusion of all other people, by entrusting us with the duty of defending His holy sites, books and messengers “We shall make no difference between any of His messengers”. Muslims bear the heaviest responsibility in implementing this vision, Islam being the religion of tolerance that recognises all divine books, honours all prophets and messengers and, in so doing, becomes the religion of tolerance and loftiness, the unifier of all divine religions, and the one religion that cannot accept faith-based discrimination and chauvinism.  Even if we admit the Zionists’ myth about their eviction by force from this land, it will simply mean that they deserted their (our) holy sites and left them in the hands of the enemies of Allah, while we have protected and preserved them throughout the centuries, firm in our belief in the Almighty, His books and His Messengers. Therefore, we need to uphold the noble message inferred from the extraordinary behaviour of Caliph Omar Ibn Al Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, as a model for emulation by all the devout on this earth, when he refused to pray in the Church of Resurrection and prayed on the vacant plot of land that is now known as the Mosque of Omar. Even in modern times and even before their occupation of the whole sacred city in 1967, Jews were able to reach Mount Scopes despite their aggressive acts against our people and our lands. Since then, they have been acting in marked contrast to the behaviour of Muslims and Christians, depriving them of the right to access their holy sites in Al Quds.

Enemies of the Almighty

Jews are the enemies of Allah, the enemies of faith and of the worship of Allah. From the day they settled in the land of Palestine, they have sought to obliterate its Arab identity by demolishing, closing or converting Islamic and Christian holy sites, in the lands of 1948, into premises for other purposes, including some unholy ones, and undermining old houses and Arab neighbourhoods of which some were totally destroyed and others used for conveying a false Jewish significance. The owners of other houses have been prevented from restoring them to accelerate their collapse and have them replaced by new Western style houses, bent on conferring a Western Jewish character on all of Palestine. Everyone appreciates the extent of the discrimination which Eastern Jewish doctrines experienced in the West, but the Zionist have not ended their discrimination against other religions, and even other prophets who are supposedly from the Israelites. People familiar with the Torah, which we believe to have been distorted, know the extent of the evils they attribute to their prophets, corruption, treachery, fornication or approval of it. It is with these facts that we need to arm ourselves when we confront the Zionist propaganda in the world with tangible facts, as part of our defence of the faith and the faithful on earth, wherever they may be. Instead of preaching adherence to one religion against another, this approach is more likely to establish a bond between the faithful of the earth. In our information efforts, we need to target the simple Jew and expose the anti-faith Zionist regime. To this end, it would be beneficial to call for the organisation of a conference of the world’s faithful that would homogenise the perception of holy sites, pave the way for containing of Zionist movements and expose their shameful practices against Islamic and Christian holy sites. These practices should be exposed to the international community as a violation of human rights and a blatant breach of international conventions, treaties and pacts, and of the civilisational values of modern societies. It would also be beneficial to urge the United Nations Organisation and other affiliated organisations to discharge their duty in defending the lofty principles for which they were created.

History Robbers

They are stealing everything, from falafel to humus, clothes and the old bricks of houses that they use to build their institutions and temples to convey an impression of ancientness and prove that they had initially been there before everybody else. Palestinians know very well the traders of old bricks financed by the Israelis to steal old stones and bricks and use them in rebuilding their institutions and houses. The latter can thus be presented to their children and future visitors as ancient houses that prove beyond doubt their presence on this land goes back to ancient times. They have even usurped ancestry, appropriating before the eyes of the Arabs, who did not lift a finger, the Semitic lineage and making anti-Semitism a synonym of anti-Judaism. Zionists even accuse Semitic Arabs of being anti-Semitic. They usurped and desecrated holy sites. The Zionist movement has highly trained teams specialising in hunting, stealing and bringing to Israel everything related to them. The role played by Zionist gangs in Palestine is the most eloquent example. Furthermore, the Israelis hold the undisputed record of the propensity for falsifying history before the eyes of the world at an age of globalisation and high-speed communication between the four corners of the world.

Weakness and Division of the Others

The success achieved by the Zionist movement in its war against Islam and Christianity in Palestine, and even against some followers of the Jewish faith, such as the Natori Carta members, is the result of the weakness of the others and the international isolation in which we find ourselves. We are satisfied with a naive monologue and retrospection, and are content with our convictions and our lamentations and tears over the growing mountains of achievements made by the arbitrary Zionist movement, as opposed to the failures, losses and defeats we encounter at all fronts. This is the result of our shortcomings and our permanent failure to reach public opinion and true believers, regardless of their creed. This is the result of the confusing multitude of individuals and of our badly organised and poorly co-ordinated efforts at the political, social, economic and religions levels, and our lack of specialization. Indeed, we often embark on activities that are completely beyond our ambit, expertise and scientific knowledge. Any attempt to confront the destructive activity of the Zionist movement against Palestine’s holy sites and its great spiritual wealth, will remain meaningless if it does not involve the unification of everybody’s efforts and role, and if our activities are not part of a unified and unifying programme and they are not based on expertise, knowledge and the language of modern times. This entails that the role-players of the civil Palestinian society arm themselves with a scientific programme of clearly defined objectives and mechanisms, and that is flexible and acceptable to the world public opinion, on condition that this plan enjoys the systematic support of Arabs and Muslims and their friends in the world.

Role of Governments

To the governments of Arab and Islamic countries and those of the rest of the world, as well as religious  institutions such as the Vatican, Al Azhar Al Sharif and other religious authorities in the region, is imputed the failure to internationally organise an Islamic-Christian action for defending sanctities in Palestine. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the Arab League, the Federation of Arab Parliamentarians, professional federations, the Organisation of Islamic Capitals and Cities, the Organisation of Arab Cities, and other international institutions and organisations bear a large share of the responsibility as a result of the absence of the issue of the protection of holy sites in Palestine from their activities. Similarly, this issue benefits neither from the membership of these countries in the United Nations or other regional and international organisations, nor from the bilateral relations between governments and between governmental institutions in the world. Most conferences and symposia are held for a few days and with a limited number of people, and their effect goes no further than the paper on which they write or the rooms where they convene. They often come out with a few purely theoretical resolutions that are totally removed from the possibility of actual implementation on the ground, and none of these conferences has ever devised a programme, no matter how small, that was implemented within the framework of a clearly defined plan that strives to accumulate achievements on the path to success.

A Programme that does not Unify Ranks

A prominent community worker in an Arab country once told me that he had met the leader of his country immediately after the Jenine massacres in 2002. He found this leader, known for his close ties with the West, in a remarkable state of anger, and was told by this head of state : “Why are you not doing anything ? What are you waiting for ? Work, do something to expose and isolate America and Israel. You, non-governmental organisations, can do a lot more in this than we can. We have constraints. You should do it”. The words of this leader hold the crux of the position of all heads of state and government.  They have other international and regional considerations to keep in mind, commitments and debts to honour, and relations to keep constantly in mind as they go about their activities, and even when they issue the resolutions and recommendations in their conferences, factors that need not to constitute an obstacle for non-governmental institutions and organisations.

The problem of donations, aid and loans from major countries and from the International Monetary Fund is another factor affecting civil society institutions and non-governmental organisations which can be divided into two groups :

The first group survives thanks to the donations of Western countries and organisations. The latter restrict these institutions to specific programmes in return for the budgets they make available to them through contributions. This group is not willing to anger these donor countries in order not to lose the funding necessary for its continuity. Organisations falling under this group are often secular and have little regard for the importance of holy sites, nor do they see any link between their social role and sanctities, preferring to leave this aspect to religious institutions and societies.

The second group, which is self-funding, comprises charity and religious associations, such as Zakat committees and professional and labour unions. These institutions see in social charity action or in serving their members a much greater importance than finding the means and ways of protecting holy sites, and they do not consider this action important enough to feature on their action plans.

The two groups live a real tragedy that prevents them from discharging the role we aspire to see them take up. Civil society organisations are no more than shops with doors closed to a number of members who may be different, but they will not admit more numbers, to limit competition for the presidency of the said organisation. Organisations in which the number of members does not exceed that of the governing board cannot be instrumental in any way on this earth. They are weak and they shy away from the spotlight. Their propensity to cling to the institution or association for ever is the major issue that we really need to address.

A unified Islamic Zakat Fund

This is a great and ambitious idea, but it is neither a fantasy; nor is it impossible to set up a unified Islamic Zakat fund. I am confident that such a fund, the least that can be done, would, within a few years only, have a tremendous power of impact. It would enable non-government organisations to rid themselves of their dependency on condition-based Western support, and consequently of the state of tied hands in which live the role-players of the civil society, particularly in Palestine. What we need to really understand is that the vast majority of non-government organisations survive on totally Western donations that are not in the least motivated by the desire to confront Zionist designs.

A New Perception of the Role of Holy Sites

It is advisable to present a more realistic perception of the role of holy sites in life, and foster this perception in the civil society. This perception should be based on the following ideas :

1- Most holy sites in Palestine are sacred houses of Allah, and undermining these houses in any way is an act against divine religions and goes against all their teachings.

2- Holy sites in Palestine have been, still are and will continue to be, an important source of spiritual nourishment for millions of human beings.

3- Holy sites are a source of intellectual enlightenment and the live indicators of political and social history, and of man’s progression on earth. They are concrete manifestations of man’s role in life and a living proof of Zionist fallacies in the history of this land.

4- In addition to their role in the history of human civilisation, holy sites are a living school of architecture and arts of building, and even of plastic arts and sculpture.

5- Holy sites are a source of development for Palestine and its people. The historian Nasser Khisru who visited Jerusalem in 1047 AD, said : “The people of Mesopotamia travelled to Bayt Al Maqdis for pilgrimage. The number of pilgrims in Zhul Hijja of that year exceeded twenty thousand”. Until recently, pilgrims from the Greater Syria, North Africa and European Muslims came to Bayt Al Maqdis for ihram (intention to perform pilgrimage, dressing in the special pilgrimage clothes, cutting of hair and ablutions) before heading for Makkah.

6- Holy sites will be a source of civilisational interaction if they opened before all the faithful from all over the world. This is unlikely to happen as long as they are under Zionist control.

7- The presence of all those holy sites on our land is a source of great pride for us. Therefore, we know how dedication in discharging the mission Allah honoured us with when He made us the custodians of the holy sites of all divine religions on the holy land.

Which Civil Society Do We Mean ?

We cannot talk of a Palestinian civil society in general terms. Millions of people evolving individually cannot do much no matter how numerous they are. For any achievement, there is a need for the organisation of the public concerned. A civil society organised in institutions, unions, federations, research centres, media organs, human rights movements, and even political parties, movements and alliances, is the kind of society we need to target. This society must be organised of its free will, have clear objectives, and run open and well devised programmes. Such a society should have the freedom of decision and run national programmes, which cannot be achieved in the absence of independent financing. Only then, can these organisations and institutions draw up their programmes from the perspective of supreme religious, national and patriotic interests, and take no heed of considerations that ran beyond their own independent will.

How to Start

It is necessary to devise a work mechanism to revitalise the role of the Palestinian civil society in the protection of holy sites. In my opinion, this can be achieved through the following actions :

1- Inviting the stakeholders of the Palestinian civil society to open their doors to the public and invite it to join them and participate with constructive programmes.

2- Democratising the structures of these various institutions so as to inject new blood and enrich them with qualitative capacities and resources in quantities that will influence the implementation of their programmes.

3- Giving top priority to the duty of protecting holy sites, resisting and exposing Zionist designs in terms of their religious, material and spiritual aspects, thus avoiding the restriction of this perception to the religious and spiritual dimensions only. Unions, professional industrial and trade associations and federations have to understand that liberating holy sites from the claws of Zionism is, in addition to being a religious, human, patriotic and national achievement, also the key to opening the treasure trove of religious tourism.

4- Setting up an Islamic fund that would provide the necessary funding for the activities of the various civil society institutions, and setting many conditions on the use of these funds, such as:

a- The membership of the said institution must comprise no less than X, to guarantee its ability to involve as many people as possible in its activities.

b- The institution concerned must be disposed to hold regular and continuous elections, for this would ensure the successful transition form one managing team to another.

c- The institution must have documented proof of funds covering several years, approved by the auditing company and reviewed by the executive board meetings.

d- The need to establish an independent financial control body in direct contact with the fund’s management. This body would have the right to financial control, to the verification of expenditures and their concurrence with the financed programme.

5- Holding a constitutional conference to rally the role-players of the Palestinian civil society around the common task of protecting holy sites.

Urgent and Fundamental Tasks

The organisations, institutions, association centres, federations and other civil society role-players must diligently work towards paving the way for a sustained campaign for the protection of holy sites. Their action can be summarised as follows :

1- Calling upon the Palestinian Ministry of Education to incorporate in all curricula the subject of holy sites and their importance for the political, economic, social and intellectual life. This sensitisation must not be limited to the spiritual aspect and the initiative must be taken to make field visits to holy sites a compulsory activity for every university student ;  emphasis must be placed on the importance of writing about holy sites from different angles by university students, irrespective of the nature of their studies.

2- Create mechanisms that foster solid ties between the various components of the civil society and holy sites.

3- Initiate a continuous sensitisation campaign that targets all social groups, the young in particular, about our role in protecting holy sites.

4- Urging citizens to remain attached to the physical component of the heritage, including the bricks of old houses, and engaging in sensitisation campaigns among funding and donor parties and real estate agencies to establish a pattern of using old bricks in building houses, apartment blocks and even public  institutions.

5- Encouraging municipalities and local government authorities to ban building with new bricks or use them in restoration works in historical areas such as old villages in Al Quds, Nablus, Bethlehem and other localities, in order to preserve the historical character of the place.

6- Creating a sophisticated internet website on the issue of holy sites and exposing Zionist practices against them. The website should have a prominent position on the net and should sensitise internet users about the extent of Zionist control over major and important sites.

7- Producing documentary films and advertisements that invite the faithful in the whole world to join the effort of protecting holy sites in Palestine against Zionist occupation. Efforts should also be made to ensure the broadcasting of these films and spots by satellite channels around the world and in all languages. Instead of limiting the broadcasting to Arab and Muslim viewers, the followers of Christianity, Judaism, and other religions must also be targeted. The whole world remembers the amazing mobilisation of Muslims and Christians when the Bamiyan Buddhas were demolished, and this incites us to invite all human beings to participate in countering arbitrary Zionist activities.

8- Ensuring constant and efficient communication between the various components of the Palestinian society and international civil society organisations and institutions as partners instead of donor and receiver of financial aid. This entails that Palestinian institutions also contribute financially and at equal rates in the joint activities, thus ceasing to be the outstretched hand that receives donations from the West and its organisations.

A modern Media discourse

Today, nobody can ignore the international public opinion and its importance in fulfilling noble humanitarian goals. In order to reach this public opinion and win its support, it is necessary to adopt a media discourse that is neither radical nor chauvinist. The world is not forced to accept your media discourse only because you are convinced of the legitimacy of your own discourse.  Self-conviction is worth nothing in the eyes of the others. Therefore, our discourse must have the following features :

1- It must be universal, geared towards the benefit of humanity and its interests, and must be free of any hint of racism, chauvinism or feelings of superiority.

2- The call to protect holy sites must concern those of all religions, no exceptions made.

3- We need to speak to the world in its own language and use its own discourse tools. For speakers of other languages, a discourse using the Arabic language is not even worth the ink used to write it.

4- The media discourse must contain elements that can touch the audience we target in terms of its culture, history and civilisation. This would involve knowing the interlocutor well before addressing him.

5- The content of the discourse must be the same in any language we use. We cannot say in Arabic what contradicts what we say in English or any other language.

6- Putting international media channels and platforms to the optimal use and choosing suitable persons for each activity. We cannot give the floor, on an English-speaking satellite channel, to a person with poor language skills or to someone who knows little about the mindset of the audience he addresses.

7- The language used must be objective, clear and rely on accurate facts, and not indulge in long winded prose. This again entails a good knowledge of historical documents, events, and documented statistics.

Conclusion

In brief, it is vital for us to come to a mode of behaviour and actual practice that is bolstered by the unity of all role-players around a unified self-financing programme. We need to address the world as one voice and to use a modern, articulate and rational discourse. Any individual or independent initiatives will be similar to what the popular proverb describes as using camels to cultivate land.

May Allah grant this conference all success.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah taala wa barakatuh.

(*) President of the Jenine Information Center, Jenine, State of Palestine.

Appendix 1

Zionist Aggressions against Holy Sites

 in Occupied Palestine of 1948

The Israeli author Miron Ben Vinci says that the demolition of Islamic cemeteries was not as much motivated by development needs and public interest as it was by a desire for an ethnic liquidation of the dead since the existence of these graves was proof of land ownership. Everyone is aware of the relentless Zionist onslaught on Islamic and Christian cemeteries, demolishing, desecrating and defacing them. During and after the 1948 war, Israel demolished more than 400 mosques and religious sites, confiscated dozens of waqf property belonging to Islamic Endowments, laid its hand on more than 600, 000 dunams of Muslim and Christian Waqf land, converted many mosques into bars, museums and night-clubs and bulldozed dozens of Muslim graveyards which it converted into farms and colonies. After its occupation of the Palestinian Bank and the Gaza Strip, Israel pursued its oppressive practices against the Palestinian people, land and holy sites. The Islamic Waqf Administration recorded more than 1,500 acts of vandalism against Islamic holy sites since 1967. Since 1994, Israeli authorities have closed down Palestinian territories and prevented Muslims and Christians from reaching their places of worship in the occupied city of Al Quds.

Mosques converted into facilities for other purposes

1- Al Bassa mosque - ‘Akka jurisdiction - (Shlomy) converted into a sheep enclosure.

2- Zaib mosque - ‘Akka jurisdiction - (Akhzif) converted into a storehouse for agricultural tools for the Aghzif Park.

3- Ain Zaitun mosque - Safad jurisdiction - converted into a cattle enclosure.

4- Al Ahmar mosque - Safad - converted into a meeting place for artists.

5- As-Souk mosque - Safad - converted into an exhibition hall for statutes and photographs.

6- Al Qal’a mosque - Safad - converted into the headquarters of the Safad municipality.

7- Al Khalissa mosque - (Kriat Shmona) - converted into a municipal museum.

8- Dar Al Baida mosque - East-north and south of the petrol station- converted into block  of offices.

9- Al Burj mosque -‘Akka - converted into a university students’ affairs office.

10- Ain Hawd mosque - Jurisdiction of Haifa - converted into a restaurant and a bar.

11- The old mosque in Qissaria - Jurisdiction of Haifa - converted into an office for the architects of the Development Company

12- The new mosque in Qissaria - Jurisdiction of Haifa - converted into a restaurant and bar

13- Al Hamma mosque- the Golan - closed and used by the adjoining restaurant as a storage facility for alcohol and foodstuffs.

14- Siksek mosque - Yafa - the ground floor is used as a plastic plant and the first floor as a gambling joint.

15- Attabia mosque - closed down and used by a Christian as a house.

16- ‘Asqalan mosque - one side of it is a museum and the other is a bar restaurant.

17- Al Maliha mosque - Al Quds - part of the mosque is used as a house by a Jew and the terrace of the mosque is used to hold festivities for the neighbours.

18- The Great Mosque - Bir Sab’a - in a state of neglect but was previously used as a museum.

19- The Small Mosque - Bir Sab’a - converted into a shop run by a Jew.

Mosques and mausoleums converted into synagogues

1- Yaqub mosque and mausoleum - Safad - converted into a synagogue.

2- Yaquq mausoleum - jurisdiction of Tabariya - converted into a Jewish mausoleum called  “Habquq.”

3- Sit Sukaina mausoleum - Tabariya - converted into a Jewish mausoleum called “Rachel.”

4- Sheikh Denial mausoleum - Dana, east of Tamra Azza’bia - Jurisdiction of Bissan- converted into a Jewish mausoleum called “Dan.”

5- Al ‘Afula Mosque - converted into a synagogue.

6- Kafrita mosque - Kafr Atta- converted into a synagogue.

7- Sheikh Chahada mausoleum - religious Jews visit this mausoleum with the intent of converting it into a Jewish mausoleum called “Zion Ibn Gideon.” Several violations have already been committed there.

8- Samaane mausoleum - northwest of Qulaiqila - converted into a Jewish mausoleum by the same name.

9- Benyamine mausoleum - north of Qulaiqila - converted into a Jewish mausoleum by the same name.

10- Ali Mausoleum - Alyazur - converted into a synagogue.

11- Mausoleum of Abu Huraira in Yibna - jurisdiction of Ramla - converted into a Jewish mausoleum for Rabbi Gimlael.

12- Mosque of Prophet Robin - South of Yafa - converted into a Jewish mausoleum called “Raobin Ibn Yaaqub.”

13- Mausoleum of Sheikh Gharbawi - west of Al Midia village - Modi’ine - converted into a Jewish mausoleum for Matatyahu.

Closed, Neglected and Demolished Mosques and Mausoleums

1- Umm Al Faraj mosque - jurisdiction of ‘Akka - (Ben Ammi) - demolished on 4/12/1997.

2- Wadi Al Hawarith mosque - jurisdiction of Tulkarem - (near Al Khudaira) - demolished by some Jews on 03/02/2000.

3- Sheikh Ni’ma mosque - Safad - demolished, but the minaret is still standing.

4- Al Khudar mausoleum - Al Bassa - Shlomy - in a state of neglect.

5- Al Zaidani mosque -Tabariyya- closed and in a state of neglect.

6- Al Bahar mosque - Tabariyya - closed and in a state of neglect.. The municipality of Tabariyya restored it for the purpose of using it as museum but it was burnt by a Jew on 6/2/2000.

7- Hittine mausoleum - jurisdiction of Tabariyya - (Kafar Zitim) - closed down several times  by the Israeli land administration.

8- ‘Umqa mosque - ‘Umqa colony - closed, in a state of neglect and in danger of collapse.

9- Sheikh Mohammed Kwikat mausoleum - Bait Haemaq - in a state of neglect.

10- Prophet Yirchaa’s mausoleum - (Mitsoddat Yushaa) - jurisdiction of Safad- in a state of neglect.

11- Two mosques in Khan Jub Yussuf (Kibbutz Amead) - in a state of neglect.

12- Sheikh Ibriq mausoleum - Haifa coast - in a state of neglect.

13- Sheikh Ibriq mausoleum - Tabuun - in a state of neglect.

14- Prophet Hochan’s mausoleum - Hocha, north of Ibtine - jurisdiction of Haifa- restored by Muslims.

15- Mosque of Ibtine - jurisdiction of Haifa - in a state of neglect.

16- Ahmed mosque - ‘Akka - in a state of neglect.

17- Sumairiyya mosque - jurisdiction of ‘Akka - closed down by the Israeli Land Administration.

18- A mausoleum in Al Manchiyya - ‘Akka’ - inhabited by a Muslim family to preserve it.

19- Al Manchiyya mosque - in a state of neglect.

20- The Small mosque in Haifa - in a state of neglect ; Muslims are not allowed to restore and use it.

21- Assuhaili mausoleum - Balad Cheikh - Haifa - in a state of neglect.

22- Allujun mosque - Mjido- formerly converted into a carpenter shop, but now in a state of neglect.

23- Maalul mosque - jurisdiction of Nassera - demolished to a large extent and only a small portion remains.

24- A mausoleum in Tirat Al Karmal - Haifa jurisdiction - in a state of neglect.

25- Sarfand mosque - Haifa- (Hebonim) - in a state of neglect.

26- Ajzim mosque - coast of Haifa - closed down by the Israeli Land Administration. Anyone who violates the Israeli order risks going to prison.

27- Sheikh Ali mausoleum - Jab’- Coast of Haifa - in a state of neglect.

28- Umm Al ‘Alaq mosque - Rouha - (Rimat Handif) - in a state of neglect.

29- New mosque - Qissariya - demolished.

30- Sheikh Ahmed’s mausoleum - Al Khudaira - in a state of neglect.

31- Jamal Eddine Aqouch - south of Bir Sekka - in a state of neglect.

32- Saidna Ali mosque - Al Haram - (Herzelia) - restored by the Muslims and used for prayers.

33- Assadeq mausoleum - Majdal Sadeq - South of Kafr Qassim - jurisdiction of Ramla - in a state of neglect.

34- Prophet Yahya’s mausoleum - Al Muzairi’a - jurisdiction of Ramla- in a state of neglect.

35- Abi Al Awan’s mausoleum - Jamjuliyya - in a state of neglect.

36- Suraqa’s mausoleum - west of Qulaiqila - neglected.

37- A mausoleum in Al Midahdira - west of Tirat Bani Saab - in a state of neglect.

38- Maska mosque - west of Tirat Bani Saab - largely demolished.

39- Al Yazur mausoleum - jurisdiction of Yafa - in a state of neglect.

40- Ahmed Iqbal Usdud’s mausoleum - jurisdiction of Gaza - in a state of neglect.

41- Usdud mosque - jurisdiction of Gaza - partly demolished, in a state of neglect.

42- Sheikh ‘Awad mosque - ‘Asqalane - jurisdiction of Gaza - in a state of neglect.

43- Tamim Addari’s mausoleum - Bait Jibril - jurisdiction of Hebron - in a state of neglect, it was burnt three years ago.

44- Zakaraiyya’s mosque - north of Bait Jibril - in a state of neglect.

45- A mosque in Dir Sheikh - Al Quds mountains - in a state of neglect.

46- Ain Karem mosque - Al Quds - in a state of neglect. and used by drug addicts and prostitutes.

47- Lafta mosque - Al Quds - in a state of neglect.

48- Al Mijirmi’s mausoleum - Tantura - coast of Haifa - in a state of neglect.

49- Al Falluja mosque and mausoleum - jurisdiction of Gaza - the mausoleum was demolished one year and a half ago.

50- Mausoleum of Mohammed Al ‘Ajami - Al Majdil - Tabariyya - in a state of neglect.

Zionist Desecration of Cemeteries

1- Bulldozing of the cemeteries of ‘Aqer in the vicinity of Ramla, Salma, ‘Abbassiyya near Yafa, ‘Asqalane, and Istiqlal in Haifa. Houses, commercial centres and industrial zones were built where these cemeteries used to be.

2- Another group of cemeteries was converted into a rubbish dump, such as the cemeteries of Khayriyya and Yazur at the entrance of which a sign reads “Rubbish Dump”.

3- Other cemeteries were bulldozed to lay roads, set up animal farms or public parks.

4- The Ain Ghazal cemetery was converted into a municipal dump.

5- The Ain Hawd cemetery was converted into a parking lot.

Appendix II

Zionist Aggressions against

Christian Holy Sites

Over the past fifty years, Christian holy sites have been the target of a number of either government-supported abuses or those of radical Jews. Church property was destroyed or expropriated and attempts were made to burn churches. In a symposium organised in Jordan in 1993 on the issue of Jerusalem, Constantine Qarmash, spiritual father of the Roman Orthodox Church in Jerusalem said : “Until 1922, Palestine had 196 monasteries and churches. In 1993, today, only 48 churches and 47 monasteries still exist”.

Churches demolished, confiscated and robbed

In 1948, Israeli authorities demolished dozens of churches in many Palestinian villages and towns immediately after their inhabitants had left. This was the case for the Bassa Church and the Chajara Church. On 23/7/1992, the Israelis demolished the Church of Bethpage in the Mount of Olives, and the buildings and chapel of the Sha’ar monastery, situated on the road from Bethlehem to Hebron.

The Israeli authorities confiscated many churches and lands attached to them, such as the churches of Mansura and Iqret. They demolished Al Bassa church, expropriated the Orthodox Church in Haifa and banned the holding of mass there for three years. After its recovery by the Christians, Jewish radicals started to dump trash on the heads of the worshippers, which is what happened during the celebration mass organised under Bishop Isidorus of Annassira in 1951.

The Israeli authorities also confiscated the Muscovite Church in Annassira.  In Jerusalem, the lands belonging to the Russian Church were confiscated and used to build the Hadassa Hospital in Ain Karem. In 1948, the Israeli government expropriated the property belonging to the Orthodox Religious Council in Haifa. After a court case, it was decided that this property belonged to the Church endowments.

Nonetheless, the Israeli government rented it cheaply to some Jews. The Israeli Land Administration converted some lands belonging to the Orthodox Church in Jerusalem into gardens where building is banned. In 1948, lands belonging to the church of Dabbouriyya, whose surface area is 1,000 dunams, were confiscated.

Furthermore, a number of churches were robbed by Israeli gangs. In 1969, a Jewish gang stole the Virgin Mary Icon and her gold crown from the Church of Resurrection in Jerusalem. In 1978, the golden Bible, along with some gold-plated copper crosses, valuable icons and holy recipients, were stolen from the Russian Cathedral in Jerusalem. A year later in 1979, another Jewish gang broke into the Russian Church in Yafa and stole many of its contents. In 1984, the doors and windows of the Russian Church in Tabariyya were smashed and its contents robbed.

Christian graveyards were not spared by the Israeli acts of aggression. In 1948, Israeli bulldozers levelled the Christian graves and the land was converted into fields and bars. This happened in the cemeteries of Sirine, Ma’lul, Al Bassa and the cemetery of Al Mansura which was converted into a dump.

Other churches were victims of arson. A Jewish group set fire to the Baptist Church and its library in Jerusalem on 8/11/1982. In 1987, a group of supporters of the radical Rabbi Amer Kahana attacked the Anglican Episcopal Church in ‘Akka, burnt its furniture and contents, including the Holy Bible, and wrote on its walls ‘Kahana is the king of Jews’.

On 19/5/1995, a radical Jew poured gasoline inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and set fire to it. When the priest tried to stop him, he doused him with gasoline and tried to set him alight. On 24/5/1995, a radical Jew fired gunshots inside the Church of Saint Anton in Yafa.

Additionally, radical Jews often perpetrate immoral acts inside Christian holy sites. For example, in 1987, a group of radical Jews urinated and dropped faeces in many spots of the Monastery of the Cross in Jerusalem. This led to the closing down of this monastery to Jewish visitors for nine months to protect it against this desecration.

Aggressions against Christian Clergy

In 1948, two orthodox priests were killed by Jewish gangs. Another Orthodox theology student was killed by Jews in Al Qatmun Monastery in Jerusalem. In 1979, a Jewish group covered the walls, libraries and Christian historical buildings with drawings of inverted crosses and slogans such as “You missionary pigs, go back to your countries”. Members of the Christian clergy also received death threats and were insulted and spat at by Jews on the streets. In 1979, the Archimandrite Philomenus was killed by some Jews in the Orthodox Monastery of Nablus. In 1980, radical Jews also burnt hundreds of copies of the New Testament in a public celebration sponsored by a Jewish association called Yad Lakhim (A Hand for Brothers).

In 1983, two Russian nuns were killed in Ain Karem in Jerusalem. A number of clerics were also exiled and others were arrested and subjected to all forms of torture and humiliation.

On 19/12/1989, Israeli soldiers opened fire on young people celebrating Saint Nicholas Day at Bait Gala Church, wounding a number of them.  At the end of 1990, Israeli soldiers launched tear gas bombs inside Bait Gala Church during Holy Saturday celebrations, causing the asphyxiation of many of the service attendees.

Intervening in the Church Internal Affairs

Despite the international convention signed with the Vatican, whereby Israel undertook to preserve the freedom of worship in churches and refrain from intervening in their internal affairs, the occupation authorities intervened in the Church’s internal affairs through such acts as imposing the nomination of a Church president and imposing a calendar of celebrations. Since its establishment, Israel appointed presidents for the Church from officials close to it. Over the past five decades, the successive Israeli governments have resisted the appointment of a head of Church with Arab ties or sympathy for the Palestinian cause. The most recent of these interventions was Israel’s refusal to appoint Boutros Muaalim as a bishop for the Greek Church and pressuring the ecclesiastic corps to choose another person, more agreeable to its policies. This infuriated the Vatican which declared, through its ambassador in Israel, that :    “The appointment of bishops is a prerogative of the Church and not of the government, and we will not allow anyone to intervene in this matter”. By appointing persons who are close to it, Israel serves its own political and electoral interests.

Since 1967, Israel has imposed a number of measures through which it entrusted the security of churches to the Israeli police. This led to a series of unprecedented thefts and crimes of attempted arson.

Israel’s Hindrance of Christian Worship Rites

Over the past nine years, Israeli occupation authorities have blocked access for Christian worshippers to Jerusalem, the free performance of religious rites in their churches and the participation in religious celebrations, particularly over the festive season of Christmas. In the holiday season, a religious procession starts from Bethlehem under the supervision of the occupation forces. During the Virgin Festival, commemorated every year, Christians engage in a two-week celebration along with the delegations that converge in Jerusalem. To honour their pledge, the participants in the celebration walk to the burial place of the Virgin Mary (Church of the Holy Sepulchre). But Israeli measures prevent the Christians residing in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip from participating in these celebrations, a constraint that constitutes a violation of the basic right of the freedom of worship.

Israeli Position on the 2nd Millennium Celebrations

Israel circulated rumours to the effect that a Christian sect calling itself “Concerned Christians” intended to perpetrate  acts of vandalism, demolish Al Haram Al Sharif and commit collective suicide in Al Quds. The purpose behind these rumours was to scare Christian pilgrims and prevent them from participating in the second millennium celebrations.

Israeli authorities are busy deviating the historical tourism pilgrimage road taken by Christ from Nazareth to Bethlehem, crossing the village of Barqine in Jenine where the Messiah performed one of his miracles (healing patients from leprosy) all the way to Nablus, Ramallah and Jerusalem, so that this road would not cross any area under the control of the National Palestinian Authority.

Israeli companies have also started building a city of hotels named New Bethlehem north of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, to attract tourists and undermine the tourism industry in Bethlehem.

Israeli tour guides provide false information to foreign visitors who tour monasteries and churches. They twist facts and distort the Christian faith. Israel makes extremely difficult for Arabs who are qualified to do this job.

Israeli policy is aimed at monopolising religious tourism in the holy lands by obliterating Islamic and Christian religious landmarks such as mosques, churches, temples and mausoleums. The escalation of tension between Muslims and Christians in Nazareth over the Shihab Eddine Mausoleum issue, the building of Har homa colony on Abu Ghnaim Mount outside Bethlehem, the re-routing of tourists leading to religious sites and to Israeli hotels in West Al Quds, and the repeated aggressions against Al Aqsa mosque and Ibrahimi mausoleum, all serve to further Israeli objectives aimed at marginalising Arab, Islamic and Christian presence in the holy lands, and consecrating the Israeli presence in Palestine.

The underlying objective of controlling holy sites in Palestine is to have absolute control over religious tourism which will in the future become the wheels of economy and Israel’s main source of income.