By Mahmoud Ajjour – Gaza
On the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, Palestinians returned to the mosque to pray on the ruins of the Farouk Mosque.
Only the minaret remains. The rest of the Farouk Mosque in the center of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, has been fully destroyed by Israeli bombs.
Yet, the faithful could not be kept away.
On the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, Palestinians returned to the mosque to pray on the ruins.
They were guided by their faith, steadfastness, and by the Quranic verse, “Wherever you (might) turn, there is the Face of Allah.”
Indeed, the face of God is present throughout Gaza. Despite the destroyed mosques – almost all of them bombed or bulldozed by the Israeli army- burnt churches, ruined homes, schools and streets, the tenacity of the people continues to speak of an unparalleled faith.
The Palestine Chronicle visited the ruins of Al-Farouq to report on the first Friday prayers near the destroyed mosque.
Only the minaret remains. The rest of the Farouk Mosque in the center of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, has been fully destroyed by Israeli bombs.
Yet, the faithful could not be kept away.
On the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, Palestinians returned to the mosque… pic.twitter.com/Zo6QdT70h7
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) March 17, 2024
(All Photos: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)
– Mahmoud Ajjour is a Gaza-based photojournalist. He is the Palestine Chronicle’s correspondent in the Gaza Strip.