24/01/2009

GAZA, (PIC)-- The Minister of Awqaf (Endowments) in the PA legitimate government in Gaza said that the Israeli occupation completely destroyed 41 mosques, and partially destroyed 51 others in the Gaza Strip.

Dr. Taleb Abu Shaer said during a press conference in Gaza city that 19 mosques were destroyed in the northern Gaza Strip, 16 mosques in Gaza city, two mosques in the central Gaza Strip, two mosques in Khan Younis, and two in the Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

He also said that 51 other mosques were partially destroyed with varying degrees, some of them cannot be used pointing out that the barbarian occupation was not content with bombing mosques, they deliberately bombed some mosques during prayer times while they were full of worshipers.

He also said that the destruction of mosques unveils the ugly face of the Israeli occupation and points to its war Islam symbolised by the mosques, as when the occupation targets mosques it targets the role of those mosques in shaping the identity and personality of the people.

He stressed that Israeli occupation claims that Hamas had hidden arms in those mosques was baseless asking: "were are the arms they claimed were hidden in those mosques?"

He added that the made the same ridiculous claim to justify the destruction of homes, schools, health centres and government buildings.

Again he questioned this excuse to justify the destruction of mosques: "Has the resistance run out of space to store arms in mosques? Mosques are not suitable for such use anyway."

In addition to targeting mosques, the Israeli occupation also fired rockets close to mosques to force Palestinian worshipers to abandon those mosques.

On top of targeting mosques and worshipers the Israeli occupation also targeted cemeteries. Five cemeteries were bombed in the Gaza Strip, three of them in Gaza city, one in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, and another in the northern Gaza Strip.

He called on religious groups all over the world to take a brave stand against the targeting of places of worship and cemeteries.

He also called for an investigation of this aggression on places of worship and treat it as a war crime the perpetrators of which should face prosecution.