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#SomeGoodNews: Jerusalem Is All Set To Reopen Al-Aqsa Mosque This Weekend

As Israel and Palestine ease lockdown restrictions, Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque is all set to reopen after being closed for two months due to the pandemic.

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By: Priyanka Chakrabarti Published: May 31, 2020 07:00 AM IST

#SomeGoodNews: Jerusalem Is All Set To Reopen Al-Aqsa Mosque This Weekend
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As Israel and Palestine ease lockdown restrictions, Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque is all set to welcome worshippers after being closed for two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By Upasana Singh

 

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“All the doors of the Al-Aqsa Mosque (compound) will be opened at dawn on Sunday,” Omar al-Kiswani, the mosque’s director, told AFP this week. Earlier, the Waqf, the body that manages the mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem had said that they will reopen the site to the public after the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which went on from May 24 to May 26.

Details such as whether the mosques on the site will be opened to worshippers or if the public will only be allowed to enter the courtyard where the faithful also pray, have not yet been finalised.

 

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The Al-Aqsa mosque is Islam’s third holiest site in the world. Built on top of the Temple Mount, Muslims believe that Muhammad was transported here from the Great Mosque of Mecca during the Night Journey. Originally a small prayer house built by Umar — the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate — it was later expanded and finished by Al-Walid — the sixth Umayyad caliph in 705 CE.

The site which lies in Jerusalem’s Old City is in close proximity to historical sites significant in Judaism and Christianity, including the Second Temple, the holiest site in Judaism. As a result, the area is highly sensitive and a major point of conflict between Israel and Palestine. Recently, on the first day of Eid, the Israeli police and Palestinians got into a fight as worshippers tried to break in and enter the mosque’s compound.

 

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The holy place of worship was closed for the first time in over half a century as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 transmissions. As life is slowly returning back to normalcy across the world, it is encouraging to see public places of worship slowly reopening. Palestine and Israel have started to ease their lockdown restrictions as the number of active Coronavirus cases has declined. Other religious sites in Jerusalem have also reopened in recent days.

Related: #SomeGoodNews: The Museums Of Israel Are Up For Virtual Tours, Go Explore

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