Tag: Ramadan

Restriction of movement remains for Palestinians during Ramadan

20th July 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Qalandiya, Occupied Palestine

On the second Friday during Ramadan, hundreds of Palestinians from the West Bank crossed Qalandiya checkpoint to access Jerusalem and pray at the Al Aqsa mosque.

From the early hours of Friday, many hundreds of Palestinians from all across the West Bank queued at Qalandiya checkpoint, the main access to Jerusalem. Although the first prayer of the day was at 4am, Israeli authorities did not allow anyone to cross until that time, meaning that no one could access the mosque for the Fajr prayer.

Palestinian women waiting in the queu for Israeli soldiers to let them through the checkpoint (Photo by ISM)
Palestinian women waiting in the queue for Israeli soldiers to let them through the checkpoint (Photo by ISM)

Before 4am, women, children and people with special needs were already waiting at the “Humanitarian lane” located in the usual entrance to the terminal. A roadblock was set up across the road and Israeli soldiers behind the roadblock were gradually letting people go through.

In the mens lane, located on the opposite side, soldiers were also guarding the line behind the roadblock. However, all men between the age of twelve and forty were denied access and turned back. When asked, several Palestinian youths waiting near the roadblock said: “We cannot go to Jerusalem and pray at Al Aqsa just because we are Palestinians and under forty years old”.

Whilst women are allowed to go to Jerusalem without permits, men between the ages of twelve to thirty-five are still never granted access. Even access for those people that Israel claims to allow to enter freely is “conditional on individual security restrictions”.

During the Muslim holiday month of Ramadan, Israel authorities claim to make concessions to those who wish to visit the Al Aqsa compound. Friday is the holy day in Islam, making the four Fridays during Ramadan particularly important times for Palestinians to reach Al Aqsa mosque for prayer whilst they are fasting.

Palestinian youths hanging around the roadblock not being allowed to go to Jerusalem (Photo by ISM)
Palestinian youth waiting at the roadblock not being allowed to go to Jerusalem (Photo by ISM)

Although the Israeli authorities present this access as a generous concession, Palestinians should be able to access their own land freely and without requiring permission.

The Apartheid Wall splits the Palestinian capital, Jerusalem, from the West Bank. The city contains one of the most holy sites in Islam, the Al Aqsa compound, which is therefore unreachable for the majority of the Palestinian population. Although the 1967 borders show that East Jerusalem, including the old city and Al Aqsa are part of the West Bank, Israel unilaterally moved the border back over seventy kilometres, annexing East Jerusalem.

Israeli military forces attack the freedom of theatre

13 August 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

The Freedom Theatre in Jenin Refugee Camp has faced targeted repression by the Israeli Army in recent weeks.  At 3pm on August 6th, 2011, Israeli Occupation Forces arrested a Freedom Theatre actor at the Shave Shomeron checkpoint on his way from Ramallah to Jenin.  Rami Awni Hwayel, a 20 year old acting student, was returning to Jenin from Ramallah to visit with family over the weekend during Ramadan.  Rami’s acting colleagues and friends describe his arrest as “devastating” as Rami plays a main role in “Waiting for Godot” which is scheduled to perform in New York in early September.  Rami has so far been denied his right to see a lawyer, and his loved ones still have not been informed of where he is. Israel is citing ‘security’ concerns for their refusal to release his whereabouts or any other information concerning his arrest.

A member of the Jenin Freedom Theatre points to the location where Israeli armed military threw bricks at the theatre, vandalizing it.

Rami is the third member of the Freedom Theatre to be abducted by Israeli Occupation Forces in recent weeks.  In the early morning hours of July 27th, 2011, Head Technician Adnan Naghnaghiye and Chairperson Bilal Saadi were arrested by Israeli Occupation Forces.  The soldiers also caused damage to the theatre, smashing windows with bricks and destroying what they could from their position out in front of the building.  Night guard and technician student Ahmad Nasser Matahen was forced to remove his pants by IOF after being ordered out of the theatre.  The general manager of the theatre, British citizen Jacob Gough, and the co-founder, Jonathan Stanczak from Sweden, arrived to the theatre and attempted to call the Civil Administration to inform them that the army was attacking a cultural venue.  The person in charge hung up on their phone call.

The Freedom Theatre is a cultural centre which has operated in the north of the Occupied Palestinian West Bank since 2006.  The theatre aims to assist the youth of Jenin in coping with the stresses they face living under continued brutal Israeli military occupation.  It serves to provide a safe space where youth can express their emotions through the arts with the aim of constructing a free and healthy community.  The Freedom Theatre offers a drama workshop space, acting school, filmmaking and photography studio, library, talent campus, and various performances.

 

Windows smashed by bricks thrown by the Israeli military makes for just some of the damages caused.

The targeting by Israeli Occupation Forces of the Jenin Freedom Theatre and its community members is one of many instances clearly demonstrates the campaign of intimidation Israel has embarked on in the minds of Palestinians and international observers. Israel continues to repress with ruthless violence those who nonviolently oppose the illegitimate occupation of Palestine.

For more information on the Freedom Theatre, and to express your solidarity and support with the Freedom Theatre Community, please contact:

Jacob Gough, acting General manager at +972 (0)595348391, jacob@thefreedomtheatre.org

Jonatan Stanczak, co-founder of The Freedom Theatre at +46 (0)707908296 jonatan@thefreedomtheatre.org

Nabi Saleh consumed with raids while fasting

9 August 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Following the unusually short demonstration on the first Friday of Ramadan, the Israeli army raided the village of Nabi Saleh just before Iftar, the Muslim time for breaking fast during Ramadan, resulting in the detaining of a 14 year old boy for approximately two hours and an excessive amount of tear gas in the village.

These raids continued to happen on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, again 45 minutes before Iftar, while locals prepared to break their day long fasts. On the Sunday invasion 3 jeeps with a group of soldiers started shooting teargas without discretion, even reaching within the homes through open windows.

Manal Tamimi’s child was sleeping in the living room alone where he inhaled a large amount of tear gas for half an hour resulting in him vomiting for over an hour while the army was still in the village. Tamimi states in an interview with ISM that she was scared of the thought that she may have been outside of her home, visiting her mother, and no one would have heard the scream of her child.

Without her presence at home, she says, this invasion may have ended with a fatality within her family.

At the same time her brother, Rami Tamimi, was standing under an olive tree while the soldiers started shooting multiple rounds of rubber coated steel bullets, resulting in a broken finger and a broken arm. According to the villagers of Nabi Saleh, on Monday a large number of Israeli soldiers invaded the village firing tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets randomly at the houses.

The Popular Committee  of the village states that in any case their struggle for justice and human rights will not be stopped by the repression of an army which has violently tried to suppress any form of public advocacy and peaceful resistance.

Palestinian female prisoners suffer in Ramadan

7 August 2011 | Palestine Telegraph

Israeli prison administration decided to tighten its harsh measures against Palestinian female prisoners of Hasharon during the holy month of Ramadan.

A researcher at the international solidarity foundation, Ahmed al-Betawi, stated that Israeli prison administration refused to allow female prisoners of Hasharon prison to purchase their food from canteen.

He added that female prisoners have suffered from insects and high humidity especially in these very hot summer days, while the prison administration deprived them from using fans.

Palestinian prisoners emphasized that the unprecedented repressive campaign has been escalated by the prison administration during the holy month.

The lawyer of the international solidarity foundation visited Hasharon prison last Thursday and met a number of female prisoners who told him about misery they have lived in.

Palestinian officials condemned Israeli toughening measures that affect the lives of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli jails, calling for an end to Israeli violent practices and abuses.

Ramadan begins with the killing of two Palestinians

2 August 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

At 3am Qalandia refugee camp was invaded by the Israeli army. Approximately 300 soldiers raided the camp, shooting live ammunition directly at people,  killing two Palestinians. The two young men, Mutasin Issa Udwan who was 22 years old was declared to have passed away when he was shot in the head. Ali Khalifa, 23,  was shot in his stomach and died on the way to Ramallah hospital.

 

According to the military it was a “routine search and arrest” operation, in fact the Israeli army also arrested two palestinians Wajih Ayman Al-Khatib and Anas Manasrah.

Witnesses said that the snipers were positioned on roofs and shot directly at anyone who was exiting the houses.

At noon thousands of people from the camp attended the funerals of the two young men and proceeded to march through the camp to the cemetery to bury their declared martyrs.