Sana'a/Amman - Demonstrators in their thousands took to
streets in the Arab world following Friday prayers to show their
support for the people of the Gaza Strip and denounce the nearly two-
week Israeli military offensive there.
Demonstrators in Doha, Baghdad and Amman carried Palestinian flags
and chanted slogans in support of Gaza. Others decried the Egyptian
government, accusing it of indirectly supporting Israel by keeping
its border to the salient closed.
The largest demonstrations took place in Sana'a, the capital of
Yemen, where witness accounts say about 200,000 demonstrators took to
the streets, calling for 'Death to America and Israel' and saying
that 'Islam would win.'
Protesters waved pictures of Hamas leaders at the gathering in
Sabeen square after prayers at al-Saleh mosque. They also questioned
Arab governments' 'silence' on the situation in Gaza.
In the southern port city of Aden, police had to fire warning
shots and tear gas to disperse tens of thousands of protesters after
they tried to access the diplomatic quarter.
In Amman, tens of thousands of demonstrators carried photos of
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who expelled his country's Israeli
ambassador.
Demonstrators gathered near the Israeli embassy, but were
prevented by security forces from reaching the building. They
demanded that the Israeli ambassador be kicked out of Amman.
Clashes later erupted and police had to use clubs, tear gas and
water canons to disperse the crowd. Some protesters threw rocks at
the police. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The Friday demonstrations were called by prominent Egyptian-born,
but Qatar-based, Islamic scholar Youssef al-Qaradawi.
He called for Friday to be a 'day of support for Gaza' and has
urged imams around the Muslim world to deliver their Friday sermons
on the Gaza situation.
Al-Qaradawi delivered the Friday prayer sermon in one of Doha's
mosques in which he attacked US 'double standards' and Washington's
'involvement in the Zionist scheme.'
Demonstrators then came out of the mosque onto the streets
carrying Qatari and Palestinian flags and wearing the traditional
Palestinian keffiyeh, or scarf.
In Baghdad, thousands of demonstrators marched in Baghdad and
chanted slogans like 'Where are the Arab leaders?' and carried
placards reading 'Gaza martyrs, you are going to heaven' and 'The
attack on Gaza is an attack on humanity.'
The demonstrators then gathered at the Muslim Youth Association,
where speeches were delivered and songs sung in support of Gaza.
Police tried to stop protests by 100,000 people in the Egyptian
city of Alexandria, but eventually decided to let the protest
continue.
Protesters decried Egyptian policy. 'Gaza forgive us, the opening
of Rafah crossing is not in our hands,' the crowds chanted.
In clashes in the Sinai peninsula city of El-Arish, eight
demonstrators and a number of policemen were injured in clashes.
About a dozen demonstrators were arrested.
Also, about 3,000 people protested in Ramallah in the West Bank at
the urging of Hamas. Protesters chanted 'Hamas, Hamas,' but, unlike
previous demonstrations, did not wave Hamas flags. The protest was
dispersed by authorities after about half an hour.
Demonstrations also took place in Bahrain, with the largest
attracting some 30,000 people in the Shiite village of Duraz north of
the capital Manama.
Crowds chanted 'Death to America, death to Israel' and criticized
the international community and Arab governments for failing to act
against what they said was a 'Holocaust' in Gaza.
Protestors raised the Palestinian, Venezuelan and Hezbollah flags.
Bahrain's highest-ranking Shiite religious leader Sheikh Isa Ahmed
Qasim, in his Friday sermon, accused the US, Israel and Europe of
wanting to control the Islamic and Arab world.
The head of the Roman Orthodox Church in Bahrain and Kuwait said
Christians and Muslims alike opposed the attacks on Gaza.
'We all stand together to support our brothers in Palestine at
such times and we pray that an end to this murder, destruction and
aggression comes about,' he told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
Support marches were also organized in the United Arab Emirates.
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