Ref: 124/2007
Date: 23 September 2007
Time: 11:00 GMT
Israeli Occupation Forces Violate Palestinians’ Right of Worship and Religious Practice during Ramadan
PCHR condemns the new restrictions imposed by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on the movement of approximately 3 million Muslim Palestinians in the OPT since the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan. These restrictions have deprived Muslims of religious worship in Al-Aqsa Mosque and Ibrahimi Mosques in Jerusalem and Hebron respectively. The Centre views this policy as a violation of the freedom of worship and belief and freedom of religious practice that include visiting holy sites to perform prayers. These new restrictions are a continuation of the policy of collective punishment imposed by IOF against the civilian population in the OPT in violation of International Humanitarian Law.
The Center’s preliminary investigation indicates that IOF announced prior to the start of Ramadan that Muslims’ access to Jerusalem to perform prayers will be enhanced. However, IOF only allowed a few thousand elderly people to enter Jerusalem in the first Friday Prayers during Ramadan (14 September). On the second Friday, IOF banned them from entering completely. IOF troops manning checkpoints at the entrances of Jerusalem used force to prevent worshippers from entering the city. The latter were forced to perform Friday Prayers in the areas around Jerusalem. Furthermore, the Gaza Strip’s 1.4 million Palestinians are denied the right to religious worship in Jerusalem and Hebron for the 7th consecutive year. The Strip is under complete closure; and IOF refuse to give its residents permits to access the holy places in the West Bank.
Furthermore, IOF have imposed a complete closure on the whole OPT twice during the past 10 days. On 13 September and 19 September, IOF banned all OPT Palestinians from entering Israel and occupied Jerusalem. It is noted that the number of Muslim worshippers performing Friday Prayers during Ramadan is usually around a quarter million weekly.
Simultaneous to the restrictions in Jerusalem, IOF have closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron for 3 days since the beginning of Ramadan till the publication of this statement. Muslims were prevented from performing prayers in the Mosque. The closure dates were 13, 15, & 22 September. It is noted that IOF announced earlier that the Mosque will be closed for Muslims 5 days during September and October to allow Jewish settlers to pray inside the Mosque.
It is noted that after the massacre perpetrated by Baruch Goldstein on 25 February 1994 against Muslim worshippers in the Ibrahimi Mosque IOF closed the Mosque for 9 consecutive months. An Israeli commission headed by chief justice Me’er Shamgar recommended dividing the Mosque: 70% for Jews and 30% for Muslims, and to close it for Muslims 10 days annually on Jewish holidays. Since then, IOF have allocated 3 roads for Jewish access to the Mosque and only 1 road for Muslims. In addition, IOF force Muslims to pass 3 checkpoints and iron gates as well as 3 electronic gates at the Mosque entrance. The Islamic Waqf directorate in Hebron stated that IOF attacks on the Mosque since 1967 are 952 direct attacks, including 211 attacks since the outbreak of Al-Aqsa Intifada.
PCHR strongly condemns the IOF restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians, which are a violation of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, especially the restrictions against freedom of religion and worship. The Centre calls upon the international community, especially the High Contracting Parties of the 4th Geneva Convention (1949), to pressure IOF to remove these movement restrictions, and to grant Muslim worshippers free and safe access to holy sites in the West Bank to perform their religious practices.
