Settlers Assault Al-Aziz Mosque in Abu Ghosh Village

SadaNews - An insulting attack on Al-Aziz Mosque in Abu Ghosh village, located northwest of Jerusalem approximately 13 km away, occurred last Tuesday, provoking a state of anger and resentment among the local residents, with calls for accountability of the perpetrator.

A video clip spread on TikTok showing a settler urinating on the wall of Al-Aziz Mosque, laughing and boasting, saying: "On the mosque, my friends," while the clip was later deleted by the publisher.

Abdul Hamid Abu Ghosh, a member of the popular committee in Abu Ghosh, Ain Rafeh, and Ain Nakuba, stated that "what happened is a blatant assault on our dignity, values, and religion, and it has sparked widespread anger in Abu Ghosh and the neighboring towns. For a young man to have the audacity to urinate on the wall of the mosque, which is the oldest mosque in the village, is completely unacceptable."

Abu Ghosh continued: "The young man who posted the documentation on his TikTok page has been identified, and he is from one of the neighboring settlements. It appears from the documentation that the assault took place in the late hours after midnight, when the streets were empty of residents."

"Attacking our sanctities is a red line"

Abu Ghosh noted that "as a first step, we issued a statement of condemnation and denunciation of this attack, and we called on town residents to file complaints against him. Several volunteer lawyers are following up on this case, and we seek the harshest possible punishment for the perpetrator. We also demand that the imams revive Friday prayers at Al-Aziz Mosque, as they used to be held previously, to affirm our attachment to every inch of our sanctities. If the scene were reversed, we would have witnessed the matter turning into a public opinion issue in Israel, with an immediate reaction from the police. Attacking our sanctities is a red line."

Abu Ghosh concluded his remarks by saying: "This is not the first time Abu Ghosh has been subjected to racist assaults due to our cherished Islamic faith and our Palestinian Arab identity. The town has witnessed several attacks in recent years, including the writing of slogans 'price tag - Tag Mechir' which have increased in frequency during the war."

The popular committee in Abu Ghosh: The attack on Al-Aziz Mosque will not go unnoticed

The popular committee in Abu Ghosh, Ain Rafeh, and Ain Nakuba issued a statement condemning this humiliating act, stating: "The popular committee in Abu Ghosh, Ain Rafeh, and Ain Nakuba condemns in the strongest terms the heinous crime committed by a Jewish young man by desecrating Al-Aziz Mosque in Abu Ghosh when he urinated on it, filmed his act, and posted it on TikTok boasting. This blatant assault on our sanctities is not an isolated incident, but rather a serious crime that affects our collective dignity and reveals the extent of the disdain for our sanctities."

The statement continued: "We clearly announce that mere condemnation is not enough. What is required now are practical and real steps that begin with holding this criminal accountable legally and judicially, and continue with serious measures that protect our sanctities from any future assaults. Silence or attempts to sweep things under the rug with timid statements is unacceptable complicity in the face of a crime of this magnitude."

The statement concluded by saying: "The popular committee affirms that it will join every effort and initiative that pours into this direction, and if necessary, it will undertake its own steps appropriate to the severity of this crime. We will not allow this assault to go unnoticed, and we will not accept that our sanctities remain violated without deterrence. Our sanctities are a red line, and the time to act is now."

Source: Arab 48