Palestinians remember victims of Zionist massacre at al-Khalil Mosque
Empowering Weak & OppressedCrescent International
Rabi' al-Thani 27, 1435 2014-02-27
Daily News Analysis
Twenty years may have elapsed since Baruch Goldstein, the zionist mass murderer with help from the Israeli occupation army slaughtered 29 worshippers at the Ibrahimi Mosque and injured 100 others. More Palestinians were killed by the occupation army during the day bringing the total to nearly 70. Palestinians remember their dead while zionists "celebrate" the horrific deed of Goldstein.
Beirut,
Thursday, February 27, 2014, 10:19 EST
February 25 marks the 20th anniversary of one of the most horrific crimes perpetrated by Zionists against defenceless Palestinians. While Palestinians remember those that were martyred on that day during early morning prayers, the zionists visit the “shrine” of the mass murderer, Baruch Goldstein to pay tribute to his horrific deed. The contrasting remembrances reflect the nature of the conflict in Palestine.
It was the month of Ramadan in February 1994 and Palestinian Muslims had just had their pre-dawn meal (suhur). They gathered at the Ibrahimi (Al-Khalil) Mosque in Hebron for Fajr (early morning) prayers. Because it was Ramadan, the mosque was packed with worshippers including many children. As they stood in neat rows for prayer, Baruch Goldstein, a Brooklyn (NY)-born illegal intruder into Palestine entered the mosque armed with a Galil assault rifle. As the worshippers bowed in prayer, Goldstein, disciple of the hate-spewing Rabbi Meir Kahane, opened fire. He had entered from one side of the mosque through a door and walked along the rear wall as he emptied his gun into the kneeling worshippers.
When he had emptied one magazine, he reloaded and started to fire again at the worshippers. His plan was to exit through a door at the far end but it was locked. He kept shooting at worshippers for as long as he could before he was overpowered. By the time he was stopped, 29 Palestinians lay dead and more than 100 were badly injured. The Mosque carpet was drenched in blood. Irate worshippers beat Goldstein to death. The American zionist terrorist had migrated to Occupied Palestine in 1983 and settled in the nearby illegal Zionist squatter camp of Kirya Arba on the outskirts of Al-Khalil (Hebron).
The Zionist regime immediately declared that Goldstein was psychologically disturbed and had acted alone. One wonders why there are so many mad Jews in the Zionist utopia! As news of the massacre spread—nearby residents awake for the pre-dawn meal, could hear gunshots and screams of people—they came out to protest. The Zionist occupation army immediately imposed a curfew, but only on Palestinians. Heavily armed Zionist squatters roamed freely and even shot and killed more Palestinians.
Local residents say the final death toll was between 50 and 70, and an estimated 250 were injured over the course of the day. After the initial attack inside the mosque, more Palestinians were killed by the zionist army during protests outside the mosque, outside Hebron’s Ahli hospital, and even in the local cemetery as the dead were being buried. The Ibrahimi Mosque was shut for nine months for repairs and cleaning. All the carpets had to be removed, blood washed from the floor and walls as well as repair the walls with bullet poke marks.
Twenty years later, Palestinians still hold memorial events for those massacred on that fateful day. Many of the injured were left paralyzed for life. The mental scars have not healed. The Ibrahimi Mosque is built over the earthly remains of some of great Prophets of God: Ibrahim (as), Ishaq (as) and Yaqub (as), and members of their household: Sarah, Rifqa (Rebecca) and Leah. Muslims hold all of them in great respect.
The zionists, true to their racist nature, claim exclusive right. And they are even prepared to kill innocent worshippers to assert that right. They even killed many of God’s Prophets. Adding insult to injury, the Zionist regime divided the Mosque and the city giving large parts of it for the exclusive occupation of the Zionist squatters. Long time Palestinian residents were expelled from their homes and shops.
The Zionist regime ordered 520 businesses to close overnight, and they remain shuttered to this day. Shuhaha Street, the main road through town, was later sealed off completely and remains a “no go” area for Palestinians. When Muslims want to pray at the Ibrahimi Mosque, they have to run the gauntlet of passing through Israeli military checkpoints and even face heavily armed settlers (squatters) threatening and taunting them.
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