tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892698198583394162012-02-16T20:26:08.070-08:00Differentia Chroniclenoreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389269819858339416.post-34715269273985263482007-03-04T11:34:00.000-08:002007-03-04T11:35:51.187-08:00Violence erupts at Jerusalem holy site<br /><br />09/02/2007 10:12:05 AM<br /><br />Hundreds of angry Muslim worshippers clashed with police Friday in a protest over contentious Israeli renovation work at a disputed holy site in the Old City. <br /><br />CTV.ca News Staff <br /><br />About 200 police tried to halt the violence at the site known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount. <br /><br />"There were clashes between young Palestinian Muslims and police," Jerrold Kessel told Canada AM Friday. "There's a dispute over who started the clashes. There have been some injuries, but none seriously reported." <br /><br />Kessel said police have shut the doors to the al-Aqsa mosque with hundreds, possibly thousands, still inside. <br /><br />The compound in Jerusalem is known as Islam's third-holiest site and is also home to the golden-capped Dome of the Rock. The site is believed to be where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. <br /><br />The compound is also sacred to Jews as it is the site of their biblical temples and the rock where Abraham attempted to offer his son as a sacrifice. <br /><br />The Palestinian protesters are angry about Israeli renovation work on a ramp that leads to the hilltop compound. They say they fear that the work will damage the foundations of the mosque; Israelis argue the concerns are being used as an excuse to act out. <br /><br />Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said "political extremists" were trying to "exploit this situation." <br /><br />Police said several protesters and officers were injured in the clashes Friday, which erupted at the end of prayers. <br /><br />Police were ready in expectation and had tripled their usual numbers around the Old City. Around 3,000 security officers tried to get the situation under control. <br /><br />Israeli authorities had originally intended to repair the ancient ramp, which was damaged in a 2004 snowstorm, promising not to damage the compound located about 60 metres away. <br /><br />Israel has controlled the compound since the 1967 Mideast War but has allowed Palestinians and Jordan to handle the administration of the Muslim holy sites. <br />With files from The Associated Press<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1389269819858339416-3471526927398526348?l=violencejerusalemholysit-article-dcfp.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Differentia Chroniclenoreply@blogger.com1