The 38th anniversary of burning of the Holy Mosque of Al-Aqsa by Zionist gangs, will be observed throughout the Arab, Islamic and peace-loving countries around the world. On August 21, 1969, the Zionist gangs committed the vicious act of burning Al-Aqsa mosque -- the third holiest Mosque from where the last Messenger of Allah - Prophet Mohammed (SAAW) had ascended to heaven. The burning of Al-Aqsa mosque was an envious attempt by the Zionists to eliminate the Islamic sites in the occupied Palestine. The Zionist gangs committed such gruesome acts at the behest of the Israeli occupation authorities neglecting and bypassing all norms and laws and international resolutions, which gave the city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) a unique status and special rights and preserved its Islamic archaeological and cultural landmarks. Following the criminal process, which lasted several hours and led to the burning of the eastern flank of the mosque known as Omar mosque, the roof of the southern flank, Salahuddin Mehrab (altar), the Sultan Nuruddin 'Minbar' (pulpit). Islamic countries had quickly denounced this crime, which aroused and hurt the feelings of Muslims all over the world. The Arab, Islamic and non-aligned countries summits in addition to the United Nations meetings held after this crime had approved resolutions denouncing the Zionist heinous crime and arbitrary practices of Zionism in Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the occupied Palestinian territories, demanded the withdrawal of the occupation forces from the occupied Arab territories, including Al-Quds city(Jerusalem). The offense of burning of Al-Aqsa Mosque came in a series of Israeli attacks on the Mosque at different times and the attacks are still continuing. The occupation authorities have adopted an arbitrary policy toward Al-Aqsa Mosque and the city of Jerusalem since the beginning of 1969 to remove the Moroccans (Almagaribah) neighborhood adjacent to the Mosque and demolished totally many mosques and Islamic schools, which were founded in the Umayyad era. Since the full Israeli occupation of Jerusalem in 1967, the occupation authorities demolished all Islamic buildings and archaeological area around the Holy Mosque of Al-Aqsa in order to change and remove the Islamic features that characterize the city of Al-Quds. --MORE
