Indian Muslims condemn Jerusalem mosque raid

Activists call for government's continued support in condemning Israeli atrocities and war crimes at Islam's third holiest site

Activists call for government's continued support in condemning Israeli atrocities and war crimes at Islam's third holiest site

Israel's raid on the Al Aqsa mosque premises in Jerusalem on Sunday has angered Muslims in India.

The mosque is the third holiest site for Muslims in the world, after the Kaaba in Mecca and the Prophet's mosque in Medina.

They called for continued support of the Indian government in condemning Israeli war crimes.

Holy Site: The Aqsa mosque is the oldest holy site of Muslims in the world.

Firoze Mithiborwala, national convenor of the Free Gaza Movement, said he hoped the government would continue in its stance.

"The threat to the Aqsa mosque is parallel to the threat that the Babri masjid faced and we all know about what happened there.

We are in the process of trying to form a common body to protect and support the cause of the site," he said.

There are also plans for furthering the creation of a platform for Indo-Palestinian solidarity.

Farid Batawala of the Sufi Ezam Council said that the crimes being committed against Palestinians was not a matter of religion only anymore.

"These are crimes against humanity. Water lines are being cut and people are being killed," he said.

Al Aqsa Mosque

The mosque is run by a Muslim board in Jewish-governed Jerusalem. It led to much conflict between Israel and Palestine. On Sunday, Israeli forces raided the mosque, firing rubber-coated bullets and tear-gas canisters.
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The al-Aqsa mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar, and completed by the Ummaid caliph Abd al-Malik.