“The 79-year-old Ibrahim Abu Al-Atta said he lost his soul when the mosque was destroyed as he was present in ts construction stage 15 years ago.”
When the young men echoed the call to prayer via a small loudspeaker in Gaza after many months of silence due to the Israeli occupation destroying most of the mosques, Palestinians couldn’t not hide their joy.
“This echo prayer will remain raised no matter how much they demolish and destroy, and we will rebuild the mosques just as we will rebuild our destroyed homes, hospitals, and buildings,” said one of the residents.
The Palestinians of Gaza are closely linked to their mosques, many of them perform group prayers in mosques and prayer halls despite the dangers of repeat bombings.
In this ongoing genocidal war against the Gaza Strip, now in its 10th month, Israel has left no taboos and sin, killing, bombing and destroying.
These houses of God have become targets of the Zionist destruction machine, with no regard to religion, morals, and/or law.
Some were bombed by planes on the heads of worshipers, as happened in the prayer hall of the White Mosque in Gaza days ago, and some were bulldozed and blown up with dynamite.
The Israeli occupation forces have completely destroyed 610 mosques and partially destroyed 211 of these houses of God in the Gaza Strip since 7 October, 2023, in a declared war on them.
Al-Rahma Mosque
Al-Rahma Mosque in the Al-Amal neighborhood in Khan Yunis, was one of the mosques completely destroyed; thousands of worshipers prayed there daily. The mosque was a beacon of worship and knowledge, preparing young people for faith and religious duty.
“I was greatly affected by the destruction of Al-Rahma Mosque, it was part of my life, and second home,” said Nabil Dabour, who used to pray there on a daily basis.
“The destruction of the mosque had a deep psychological impact, exceeding my sadness over the destruction of my home,” he told the Palestinian Information Center.
He pointed out the mosque had a special place in his heart from a young age, performing his five daily prayers there. He added it added elegance to the neighborhood with its continuous calls to prayer, and its contribution in Muslim Eid festivities.
He explained Al-Rahma Mosque was like an Islamic center for teaching the Holy Qur’an, the Sunnah of the Prophet, and good morals, in addition to holding many sports, cultural activities.
The destruction of the mosque removed its splendor with the people of the neighborhood seeing it as the center for their meetings, communications and worship.
Al Noor Mosque
In Deir al-Balah Camp in the central Gaza Strip, Israeli warships targeted Al Nour Mosque which was on the seashore and destroyed large parts of it.
With the mosque in such a state, worshipers resorted to performing prayers in their homes and neighborhoods.
The 79-year-old Ibrahim Abu Al-Atta said he lost his soul when the mosque was destroyed as he was present in its construction stage 15 years ago.
“It was like my soul was ripped from my body when the Israelis destroyed the mosque,” he said emotionally. “But mark my word, we will rebuild once again,” he stressed.
Prayers in squares
As mosques were destroyed, people began to perform prayers in their ruined houses, some debris-ridden squares and near destroyed mosques.
“The mosque has great value in the souls of the Palestinians. It is not just a place of prayer, it is their meeting point and solidarity,” Mahmood Hassan said.
He explained these mosques are centers of social weight, building human beings, society and virtuous morals.
Inshrah Abdel Fattah said the mosque had special importance in her life, she used to go there daily for help and guidance in Islamic law and sharia.
“By targeting and destroying the mosques in Gaza the Israeli occupiers want to alienate Palestinians from their beliefs and religion,” she said.
The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments confirms that desecrating the mosques is part of the occupation’s war on the houses of God and part of their effort to destroy everything in the Gaza Strip.
There is no street or neighborhood in Gaza without a mosque attended by worshipers, and in which adults, young men and boys find a haven for prayer, worship and learning.
War against God
Imam Khaled Mahmood from the Ministry of Endowments, believes the occupation’s targeting of mosques is part of its hateful religious war and war against God, which will bring about destruction.
He points out the occupation is lying about the alleged justifications for targeting mosques, it is destroying them because it does not want places of worship in which boys and young men learn about their religion. From there, they graduate as strong men loyal to everything they do.
Mahmoud added the attachment of families, young men, boys, and even women to mosques prompts them, immediately after the bombing of each mosque, to cooperate to establish a prayer hall, perform prayers inside it, and initiate memorization circles.
The mosques of the Strip produced thousands of memorizers of the Holy Qur’an, and this is what frightens the occupation that there is a Qur’anic generation whose faith cannot be shaken and whose beliefs solid and what was destroyed will be reconstructed, Qur’anic verses will be re-established on these ruins, and the generation will set out again to confront the occupiers until they are swept away.
The above article on the destruction of Gaza mosques reproduced from Arabic from the Palestine Information Center website.
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