Islam Online

CAIRO, March 29 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – Demonstrations against the Israeli aggressions in the Palestinian territories broke out through the Arab capitals Friday, urging Arab states and world powers to act promptly to protect an armless people under occupation.

In Egypt, more than 3,000 worshippers demonstrated Friday in central Cairo's Al-Azhar mosque against Israel and its occupation of the West Bank town of Ramallah, calling for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, police sources said.

Around 3,000 men and 400 women gathered in the mosque's interior after Friday prayers and shouted slogans before peacefully dispersing, the source said.

"Down with Israel," "Expel the Israeli ambassador," and "Jihad (holy war), Jihad, open the door to Jihad," demonstrators shouted, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Anti-riot troops deployed around Al-Azhar, as well as many other mosques in the capital, to prevent demonstrators spilling out into the street, the source said.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher earlier called the Israeli attempt to isolate Arafat "an aggression and a stupid act."

In Jordan, meanwhile, several hundred people demonstrated inside two Palestinian refugee camps in the Jordanian capital Friday against Israel's latest aggression.

Protesters took to the streets of the Wihdat and Baqaa camps after Friday prayers chanting anti-Israeli slogans, but were prevented by police from leaving the compounds, witnesses said.

Anti-riot police fired tear-gas grenades at protesters in Wihdat who pelted them with stones as they chanted calls for the jihad (holy war) against Israel.

The protesters, who also voiced support for the embattled Arafat, then dispersed peacefully, reported AFP.

In Amman, worshippers at several mosques chanted Islamic slogans but did not march in the streets, where demonstrations are strictly banned by the authorities.

Police also confiscated the films of some press photographers near the Israeli embassy in the residential Rabiyah neighborhood, where dozens of armored vehicles and anti-riot police deployed from early morning.

And in Gaza City, hundreds of Palestinians, ready to sacrifice their lives to liberate their land, demonstrated Friday in support of Arafat, whose West Bank headquarters were under heavy attack from Israeli occupation forces.

The demonstrators, mostly from the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, chanted, "We'll die as martyrs," and "Death is close, Sharon," a threat to the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, whose tanks were pounding Arafat's base in Ramallah.

Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was at the demonstration, reported AFP.

Israeli tanks and troops backed by helicopters reoccupied Ramallah Friday and battered their way into the compound of Arafat, but held off from entering his offices.

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Terbitan : 30 Mac 2002

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