Thursday 19 August 2010

Palestinian scholars slam PA (Rabbi) for fighting Islam in W. Bank

[ 19/08/2010 - 02:01 PM ]

DAMASCUS, (PIC)-- The association of Palestinian scholars strongly denounced the Fatah-affiliated Palestinian Authority (PA) for fighting Islam and religious devotion in the West Bank and thus giving a free service for the Israeli occupation.

"We are following with deep concern, the measures taken by the government of Ramallah, which were intended to constrict the work of scholars and preachers in mosques, fight against manifestations of religious commitment and devotion among the Palestinian people and promote anti-Islam practices," the Palestinian scholars said in a press release on Wednesday.

Confirmed the body of the Palestine Scholars abroad that the procedures and practices carried out by the Ramallah authority aims to commit itself to fight religion in the Palestinian society, and thus offer a free service to the Zionist occupation.

They condemned the PA's decision to prevent preacher of the Aqsa Mosque and head of Palestinian scholars Sheikh Hamed Al-Beitawi from giving speeches in mosques at the pretext he is a lawmaker and said it is an aggression on all Palestinian scholars and mosque preachers.

Their statement also slammed Salam Fayyad, appointed unconstitutionally by Abbas as a premier, for declaring his intention to fight Islamic devotion, which he described as extremism, and giving at the same time licenses for casinos, bars and discos in West Bank cities.

For their part, the Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza affirmed that Abbas's authority and government declared war on the Islamic faith in order to please the Israeli occupation state.

In a news conference held on Wednesday, the factions emphasized that this war was waged in a desperate attempt to drive the Palestinian youth away from mosques into the life of indulgence and promiscuity and held the PA fully responsible for all consequences of its irreligious actions.

They called on the Palestinian people in the West Bank to reject these actions and revolt against their enforcers, and urged the Palestinian scholars and mosque preachers to challenge this injustice and security collaboration by all means.

Abbas's authority had decided to prevent lawmakers and religious figures Abdelnasser Abduljawad and Sheikh Hamed Al-Beitawi from preaching in mosques and banned the use of loudspeakers to recite the holy Qur'an.

It also demanded mosque keepers to close mosques after Taraweeh prayers and not to allow more than eight rak'ahs in these prayers, and prevented I'tikaaf (seclusion) in mosques in the holy month of Ramadan.

Fayyad's government also informed Sheikh Nayef Rajoub, a former minister of religious affairs, that he is banned from giving speeches in mosques.

Rajoub, who was recently released from Israeli jails, said he would not bow to this unjust decision and would continue to preach in mosques.

In the same context, a report issued by mosques for Da'wah network (Masajedna Al-Da'awiya) revealed that Abbas's authority took 13 measures to fight Islam, mosques and preachers in the West Bank, including its refusal to appoint preachers, imams and servants for hundreds of mosques.

The report stated that the PA ministry of religious affairs in the West Bank forces preachers to deliver a unified speech already prepared and distributed to them and punishes anyone refusing to comply.

Among these anti-Islam measures, the closure of hundreds of Qur'an centers, the arrest and torture of dozens of mosque imams and preachers and the ban imposed on Adhan (calling for prayers) so as not to disturb Israeli settlers living in nearby settlements, according to the report.

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