Israeli Forces Damaged the Historical Stained-Glass Windows of Al-Aqsa Mosque

https://hyperallergic.com/725191/israeli-forces-damaged-the-historical-stained-glass-windows-of-al-aqsa-mosque/

Videos showed snipers shattering the windows of the mosque’s Qibli prayer hall to point their rifles down at the worshippers.

by Hakim Bishara.       15 April 2022.        Hyperallergic

Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem (photo by Miriam Mezzera via Flickr)

Israeli forces raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem Friday, April 15, injuring over 150 Palestinians, arresting hundreds more, and smashing some of the mosque’s historical stained-glass windows. 

The Israeli soldiers attacked worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan with rubber bullets, tear gas, and live ammunition. They were met by stone throwing and firecrackers. 

Videos online showed Israeli snipers shattering the stained-glass windows of the mosque’s Qibli prayer hall to point their rifles down at the worshippers. Many of these windows date back to the Abbasid (750–1258 CE) and Fatimid (909–1171 CE) eras.

This is not the first time that Israeli forces damage the mosque’s windows. In another raid on the mosque last May, Israeli soldiers used rubber-coated steel bullets and stun grenades that reportedly damaged many of the historical windows. Palestinian craftsmen have since restored them using traditional methods, according to Reuters.

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