MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2007
16:40 MECCA TIME, 13:40 GMT
Stranded pilgrims riot in Egypt
Palestinians in Gaza demanded the pilgrims be allowed
to return through the Rafah crossing [AFP]
Hundreds of Palestinian pilgrims have rioted in
temporary camps set up to house them until a dispute
over their return to the Gaza Strip has been resolved.
Israel has insisted that the pilgrims returning from
Hajj must all pass through Israeli crossing points
from Egypt, saying that some may be carrying arms or
money for Hamas.
The pilgrims have refused to comply, saying Israel
could arrest some of them. They are insisting they be
allowed to return to Gaza through the Rafah border
crossing.
"There were massive protests today by hundreds of
angry Palestinian pilgrims inside the shelter set up
by Egyptian authorities," a security source told
Reuters news agency.
Media reports said that windows were smashed and fires
started in the camps in the town of El-Arish in Siani
as the Palestinians rioted.
An elderly woman died of a heart attack as she was
caught up in the violence, according to local medical
officials.
During Monday's riots, the pilgrims shouted angry
slogans against Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president,
and his government for not allowing them to cross into
Gaza through Rafah, where Israel has no control.
'Egypt pressured'
Al Jazeera's Amr el-Kahky in El-Arish said that Egypt
was under pressure from Israel not to let the pilgrims
through the Rafah crossing.
"Egypt cannot let them through after intelligence
reports that they are carrying huge amounts of money
and that some of them have been military trained
outside the country," he said.
Egyptian authorities had tried to persuade them to
spend the night in shelters in a sports complex or at
a youth hostel in El-Arish until a decision was
reached on their return.
But hundreds of them refused to stay in the shelters,
spending the night outside before Monday's violence.
After Egyptian security brought the rioting under
control, many of the pilgrims continued their protest
by refusing to accept meals provided by the
government.
Gaza protest
Egypt's refusal to open the Rafah crossing has angered
Hamas officials and supporters in Gaza, who say Cairo
has a moral obligation to allow the pilgrims to return
as quickly as possible.
About 7,000 demonstrators gathered at the Gaza side of
the Rafah border crossing on Saturday, waving
Palestinian and Hamas flags and demanding that the
pilgrims be allowed to cross.
Mubarak said on Sunday that his government was doing
everything it could to resolve the crisis, indicating
the problem with using Rafah was that European
monitors were no longer at the crossing.
EU monitors were deployed on the Palestinian side of
the crossing until Hamas took full control of the
territory and the checkpoint in the summer.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
---------------
Jusfiq Hadjar gelar Sutan Maradjo Lelo
Allah yang disembah orang Islam tipikal dan yang digambarkan oleh al-Mushaf itu
dungu, buas, kejam, keji, ganas, zalim lagi biadab hanyalah Allah fiktif.
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