Al-Nurayn Mosque
Encyclopedia
Al Nurayn Mosque is a mosque
in the Palestinian town of Qusra
in the West Bank
. It gained attention in September 2011 when it became the target of an arson attack allegedly perpetrated by militant Jewish settlers.
attack on 5 September 2011, which took place at approximately 3:00 am local time (GMT
+2). Two burning tyres were thrown through broken windows on the ground floor; the fire and vandalism were discovered by worshippers arriving for prayers later in the morning. Words in Hebrew had been graffiti
ed on the walls, and included hateful incites against Muhammad
and threats of further attacks. A star of David
had been graffitied alongside the name of Migron, an unauthorised Jewish settlement about 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) to the south where Israeli police had dismantled three structures the previous day.
The attack is believed to have been perpetrated by militant Jewish settlers in retaliation for the demolitions in Migron. These had been ordered by Israel's supreme court in August in response to a pleading from Peace Now on the grounds that they were built on privately owned land. Newspapers, as well as Rabbis for Human Rights
, reported that the attack on the mosque was apparently part of the notorious "price tag policy
" of certain factions amongst settlers. Palestinian security authorities claimed this to be the sixth mosque in two years attacked by settlers in the West Bank. Israeli police began an investigation into the incident the following day. According to the United Nations
, it is one of more than 250 incidents involving settlers in 2011 in which Palestinians were injured or their property was damaged.
The Palestinian National Authority condemned the attack, pointing out that this was just one of several incidents of violent crime perpetrated by settlers in the West Bank. Prime Minister Fayyad argued that such attacks incite a cycle of violence and labelled it an act of terrorism. He was critical of the Israeli police and called on the Middle East Quartet to investigate the matter instead. The European Union
's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton released a statement saying, "Attacks against places of worship undermine the freedom of religion or belief which is a fundamental human right." She argued that incitements such as this were undermining the peace process by fostering distrust between the parties involved. The Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu
, also condemned the attack, holding Israel fully responsible. He asked that human rights organisations work to prevent further acts of violence against Palestinians.
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in the Palestinian town of Qusra
Qusra
Qusra is a Palestinian town in the Nablus Governorate in the northern West Bank, located 28 kilometers Southeast of Nablus. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics , the town had 674 households with a population of 4,377 inhabitants in 2007.Under the terms of the Oslo Accords of...
in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. It gained attention in September 2011 when it became the target of an arson attack allegedly perpetrated by militant Jewish settlers.
Arson attack
The mosque was significantly damaged in an overnight arsonArson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
attack on 5 September 2011, which took place at approximately 3:00 am local time (GMT
Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is arguably the same as Coordinated Universal Time and when this is viewed as a time zone the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the United...
+2). Two burning tyres were thrown through broken windows on the ground floor; the fire and vandalism were discovered by worshippers arriving for prayers later in the morning. Words in Hebrew had been graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
ed on the walls, and included hateful incites against Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
and threats of further attacks. A star of David
Star of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
had been graffitied alongside the name of Migron, an unauthorised Jewish settlement about 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) to the south where Israeli police had dismantled three structures the previous day.
The attack is believed to have been perpetrated by militant Jewish settlers in retaliation for the demolitions in Migron. These had been ordered by Israel's supreme court in August in response to a pleading from Peace Now on the grounds that they were built on privately owned land. Newspapers, as well as Rabbis for Human Rights
Rabbis for Human Rights
Rabbis for Human Rights-Israel is an Israeli human rights organisation describing itself as "the rabbinic voice of conscience in Israel, giving voice to the Jewish tradition of human rights"....
, reported that the attack on the mosque was apparently part of the notorious "price tag policy
Price tag policy
Price tag policy is, according to B'tselem, the name given to "acts of random violence aimed at the Palestinian population and Israeli security forces" by radical Israeli Jewish settlers, who, according to the New York Times "exact a price from local Palestinians or from the Israeli security...
" of certain factions amongst settlers. Palestinian security authorities claimed this to be the sixth mosque in two years attacked by settlers in the West Bank. Israeli police began an investigation into the incident the following day. According to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, it is one of more than 250 incidents involving settlers in 2011 in which Palestinians were injured or their property was damaged.
The Palestinian National Authority condemned the attack, pointing out that this was just one of several incidents of violent crime perpetrated by settlers in the West Bank. Prime Minister Fayyad argued that such attacks incite a cycle of violence and labelled it an act of terrorism. He was critical of the Israeli police and called on the Middle East Quartet to investigate the matter instead. The European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton released a statement saying, "Attacks against places of worship undermine the freedom of religion or belief which is a fundamental human right." She argued that incitements such as this were undermining the peace process by fostering distrust between the parties involved. The Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu
Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu is a Turkish academic, diplomat and currently the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the second largest intergovernmental organisation after the United Nations...
, also condemned the attack, holding Israel fully responsible. He asked that human rights organisations work to prevent further acts of violence against Palestinians.