GOLAN HEIGHT / SYRIA: Druze pilgrims from the occupied Golan Heights cross into Syria for pilgrimage

Record ID: 279000

  • Title: GOLAN HEIGHT / SYRIA: Druze pilgrims from the occupied Golan Heights cross into Syria for pilgrimage
  • Date: 6th September 2007
  • Summary: (MER FLASH/ MER2) QUNEITRA, SYRIA (SEPTEMBER 6, 2007) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) DRUZE CLERICS PASSING THROUGH CROSSING POINT VARIOUS OF DRUZE CLERICS CROSSING TO NO-MAN'S LAND VARIOUS OF CLERICS WALKING VARIOUS OF SYRIANS AND GOLAN HEIGHTS RESIDENTS EMBRACING MIDHAT SALEH, FORMER PARLIAMENTARIAN, WELCOMING A MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY FROM THE GOLAN HEIGHTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MIDHA
  • Embargoed: 21st September 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVACBF1PV2XS34N219SUD8ESBATQ
  • Story Text: Druze religious leaders from the occupied Golan Heights have crossed through the Israeli/Syrian crossing point to visit a holy shrine in Syria. The International Committee of the Red Cross facilitated the journey with the permission of Syrian and Israeli authorities. The Druze leaders will be allowed to stay in Syria for 72 hours.
    Hundreds of Druze pilgrims crossed from the Israeli occupied Golan Heights into Syria on Thursday (September 6) in order to visit a holy shrine.
    The pilgrims, nearly five-hundred in number, made the crossing by foot at the Quneitra crossing and were assisted on the journey by the International Red Cross after Israeli and Syrian authorities granted them permission to make the crossing.
    "Today, we will visit the mother land Syria. We are very happy.
    This visit is only for religious men. Regretfully, Israel has only allowed the religious leaders to visit our homeland. Israel considers it only a religious pilgrimage to the tomb of the Prophet Abel, peace be upon him. But we consider it a visit to the prophet and also to our homeland Syria, because we the people of the Golan have been deprived for over 40 years from visiting their homeland," said Druze Pilgrim Ramez Rabah.
    The Druze, a secretive 11th-century offshoot of Islam, make an annual pilgrimage to Syria in order to attend a ceremony at Abel's Tomb which is a sacred site for Druze worshippers.
    "Normally, it is not possible for the residents of the Golan to travel to Syria proper, but in this case with facilitation of the Red Cross and the support both of the Israeli and Syrian sides, were able to insure they could practice their religious festival for 72 hours," said Paul Connolly, the Deputy Head of Delegation in the Red Cross.
    Travel to Syria for residents of the Israeli occupied Golan heights is restricted by Israel, since Israel and Syria have no peace agreements. As a result, many Druze also use the pilgrimage also as an opportunity to visit family members living on the Syrian Golan Heights.
    Ties between residents of the Druze villages in the Israeli-occupied Golan and their kin across the fence remain strong. People in the Golan shout news across a valley to family members in Syria from whom they have been separated.
    Marriages are arranged across the divide, bringing couples together to recite their vows in the United Nations-monitored zone, so that family members from both sides can attend. Most declare fierce loyalty to Syria, celebrating Syrian Independence Day and participating in anti-Israeli demonstrations.
    Israel occupied the Golan Heights in 1967.
    Syria demands the return of the Golan, a mountainous plateau overlooking Damascus and occupied by Israel in the 1967 war, as part of the Middle East Peace.
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