- Title: Palestinian forces stop fringe Islamist group from early Eid celebrations
- Date: 4th June 2019
- Summary: HEBRON, WEST BANK (JUNE 4, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY FORCES DETAINING PEOPLE MAN POURING WATER ON HEAD OF MAN ON FLOOR FATHER WALKING WITH HIS CRYING CHILD BESIDE HIM PEOPLE CHANTING EID PRAYER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEBRON RESIDENT, WASIM AL-JU'BEH, SAYING: "This issue for us is holy. Fasting on the Day of Eid is forbidden, from God. We came to satisfy God's request, we came to pray Eid prayer, we did not force people to eat, we did not force people to come pray, people came according to their will." VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN SECURITY MEN STANDING NEXT TO MOSQUE, ARGUING WITH PEOPLE MAN NEAR MOSQUE YELLING IN ARABIC: "CAN ANYONE PREVENT SOMEONE FROM PRAYING? YOU HIT PEOPLE, YOU CUT ELECTRICITY." VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN SECURITY MEN STANDING NEAR MOSQUE PEOPLE LOOKING FROM BUILDING ROOFTOP AMBULANCE DRIVING BY PALESTINIAN SECURITY MEN DETAINING YOUNGMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SPOKESMAN OF HIZB-UT TAHRIR, IBRAHIM Al-TAMIMI, SAYING: "We came to the mosque for Eid prayer and to pray to satisfy God's request, and we saw them gathering forces and gathering special forces, and riot forces, as if we came to fight them or attack them. We came here to pray and they cut the electricity in the mosque and they started imposing restrictions on people. Why are they restricting worshippers?" PEOPLE AND PALESTINIAN SECURITY FORCES IN STREET
- Embargoed: 18th June 2019 11:31
- Keywords: prayer Palestinians Palestinian Authority Eid al-Fitr violence Hizb-ut Tahrir religion Ramadan Hebron
- Location: HEBRON, WEST BANK
- City: HEBRON, WEST BANK
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001AHXBO7P
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Palestinian security forces arrested several members of a fringe Islamist group in Hebron on Tuesday (June 4) amid a disagreement over when the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr should be observed.
Wearing riot gear and carrying batons, members of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority's Preventive Security forces dragged away members of Hizb-ut Tahrir from a mosque in the West Bank city, detaining some of them.
Hizb-ut Tahrir, a global Islamist group which seeks to establish an Islamic caliphate, accused President Mahmoud Abbas's forces of preventing them from holding services for Eid, which they believe starts on Tuesday. Palestinian religious authorities decreed it should begin on Wednesday.
"We came here to pray and worship God, and they cut the mosque's electricity and began imposing restrictions," said Hizb-ut Tahrir spokesman, Ibrahim al-Tamimi, whose group is banned in some Arab countries.
A spokesman for the party told Reuters 13 members were detained.
Major General Adnan al-Dumeiri, a spokesman for the Palestinian security forces, told Reuters it was "necessary to take measures against Hizb-ut Tahrir" for its "attempt to impose a partisan opinion that Eid is today".
Palestinian law prevents Muslims from breaking their fast in public during the holy month of Ramadan, and Demeiri said his forces were working to apply that law. He confirmed the security forces had arrested a number of the Hizb-ut Tahrir's members.
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan. The holiday's onset, determined by the sighting of the moon within the lunar calendar, is usually a subject of global debate, with religious authorities across the Muslim world appointing different dates.
The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, regarded as the Palestinians' leading Islamic authority, reiterated his designation of Wednesday as the holiday, saying a waxing crescent could not be spotted Monday night in Jerusalem, Hebron or the Galilee.
"What Hizb-ut Tahrir has done today is in violation of our body's opinion", said Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. He urged the group to abide by the Palestinians' "official decision".
(Production: Yousri Al-Jamal and Rinat Harash) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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