RABAT(Palestine Foundation Information Center) A Moroccan civil organization announced on Tuesday the launch of “Al-Aqsa Mosque Week,” in solidarity with the Mosque and in response to ongoing Israeli violations.
The week was initiated by the “National Action Group for Palestine” (a non-governmental organization) on the eve of the 55th anniversary of the “crime of burning Al-Aqsa Mosque,” which took place on August 21, 1969.
In a statement, the group said that the launch of this week’s activities reflects “a deep commitment to the principles of the Palestinian cause, which we consider a national issue.”
The statement added, “On this painful 55th anniversary, we stand in remembrance and renew our condemnation of this crime.”
The burning of Al-Aqsa Mosque occurred on August 21, 1969, at the hands of an Australian national named Michael Dennis Rohan. The fire consumed the entire contents of the eastern wing of the Al-Qibli Mosque in the southern part of the compound, including its historic pulpit known as the Minbar of Salahuddin.
The Moroccan group’s statement continued, “The activities of Al-Aqsa Week will carry the slogan: Resistance and a Flood against occupation and aggression until normalization is defeated and Palestine and our homelands are liberated.”
The group explained that the week’s activities would include a demonstration in front of the Parliament building in the capital, Rabat, on Wednesday, urging Moroccans to “participate en masse.”
The group did not provide further details about the other activities planned for the week in its statement, but it called for “mobilizing all Moroccan civil organizations to implement special programs for Al-Aqsa Mosque Week across various fields, including grassroots, cultural, sports, and artistic events.”
In recent months, there has been an increase in incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli settlers and officials, including far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
This coincides with Israel’s ongoing war, supported by the United States since October 7, against the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in around 133,000 Palestinian casualties, including many children and women, and more than 10,000 missing persons amidst widespread destruction and a deadly famine.
Israel continues this war, ignoring the UN Security Council’s decision to immediately cease hostilities and the International Court of Justice’s orders to take measures to prevent acts of genocide and improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
