Thursday, August 14, 2014

Palestinian Muslim women prevented from praying

Today is my last day this year in the Holy Land, and I was planning to spend it relaxing in Jerusalem. A fellow ISMer and I hung out and went for a few drinks the night before, and I went today to the Old City to see it one more time, and take some photos.

I came across a group of Palestinian women, who were being blocked by armed Israeli police from going to Al Aqsa Mosque to pray. For some reason, the authorities decided to stop them from going to the mosque to pray. Men were allowed to pass but women were held back, unless they had foreign passports or could prove or convince the soldiers they were crossing the barricade for another reason.

They were held back for three hours, from noon to three o'clock. One of the women got upset at a police officer and started talking loudly to him, he attacked and heavily shoved her. Other officers then moved in, and pushed the women back.

Like several others observing, I was filming. One of the officers grabbed my camera from me and smashed it to the ground. Fortunately, it was my Mom's camera, an Olympus that is called "Tough" for a reason. It fell to the ground but nothing happened, and I was able to pick it up.

After several hours of preventing the women from praying, the police let them through.


The action, preventing these women from going to pray, was so cruel. It clearly had nothing to do with security, since Palestinian women very rarely if ever take part in any clashes. It was another exercise I think in showing everyone "who is in control".

I hope that those who are powerful and enjoying oppressing the weak one day read and take to heart God's revelations in the Bible, from Adam to the prophets to His incarnation among humanity as Jesus Christ, to the story of the early church.

God is on the side of the poor and the oppressed, and what is done to them is done to Him. Among other things on the Day of Judgement, we will have to answer as to how we responded when we saw others suffering.


Palestinian women pleading with Israeli police to allow them to go to Al Aqsa Mosque to pray (1).

Palestinian women pleading with Israeli police to allow them to go to Al Aqsa Mosque to pray (2).

The woman in the green hijab angrily talking to the police, asking to be let through. Moments after this altercation, the one in the kippah with the black beard roughly assaulted and shoved her.

While all this was happening, some idiot decided to throw a piece of furniture on the railing above the market. The inhabitants above are not Israelis, but Palestinians. Stupidity is universal.

Israeli police officers put on riot helmets and grin at the women they are not allowing to pray. After about three hours of keeping them waiting, they let them through.

Israeli police officer attempts to destroy camera to stop me from filming his assault on one of the Palestinian women. The attempt failed, as the camera is especially designed for falls.

There is no reason or justification for such cruelty. These kinds of daily humiliations and abuses are a part of life for millions of Palestinians living in the Holy Land.

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