A Joint Wedding Ceremony Broken Up by Israeli Police

July 27, 2006

Jerusalem- Ma'an- Israeli police were hit by a state of panic following the announcement of a Turkish-Palestinian organization to hold a joint marriage ceremony for 76 young couples on Thursday afternoon on the Al Haram Al Sharif, the courtyard of the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The police had issued a decree prohibiting the Turkish-Palestinian organization, "Ofoq-Mafar", from holding the celebration, and rushed to deploy a large number of policemen at the gates of the Old City and at the gates of the Al Aqsa Mosque. The police then prevented citizens from entering the Al Haram compound.

The police arrested seven of the bridegrooms and took them to the Al Qashlah police station inside the Old City's walls.

Police also set up checkpoints outside the Old City and checked citizens' IDs in order to prevent spouses and guests from entering and participating in the wedding. The ceremony was scheduled to start after the noon prayers under the slogan "Happiness despite the wounds".

The Ma'an correspondent in Jerusalem reported that there was "a state of confusion and uncertainty" among the police and said that they acted in an unprecedented and extraordinary manner regarding this celebration. The organizers said that the aim of the celebration was to encourage young people to marry.

The police justified their measures saying that the organizers of the wedding were intending to carry out acts of protest after completing the joint wedding ceremony.

Note:

Whether or not the wedding party planned to carry out any form of protesting was never really clarified, just this was another Israeli excuse to stop the weddings.

Being married in Islam is very important and this time of year it is very common for numerous marriages to take place, myself I was remarried this very month.

Also, I can greatly understand anyone wishing to be married at the Al Aqsa Mosque in particular because it is one of the most holiest sights in Islam and as far as the Israeli police stopping or arresting anyone was unwarranted harassment which occurs to many times among the Israeli’s against the Palestinians.

Also it is kind of ironic for me that these people were Turkish-Palestinian group because I to have Turkish in me and yes I am a true Palestinian. I say this with a very large smile.