Sidon - Under the slogan "Friday is in support of Gaza", thousands of Lebanese and Palestinians performed Friday prayers in Sidon, southern Lebanon, in support of Gaza, its people and its resistance, as the municipal stadium at the northern entrance to the city was filled with large crowds that came from Palestinian camps and from all sides.
The inclusive prayer called by the national and Islamic political forces is the largest and most important activity in the city since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza following the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation on October 7, and came as an expression of their position in support of the Palestinian cause and the embrace of its people at home and abroad.
The participants flocked since the morning hours, raising Lebanese and Palestinian flags, in addition to slogans of solidarity and support with Gaza, which demand an immediate end to the barbaric massacres and aggression, and to allow the entry of relief, medical and supply aid, and worshipers performed absentee prayers for the souls of the martyrs, and raised prayers in supplication to God for the support of the people of Gaza, before launching a fundraising campaign in support of their steadfastness.
The universal prayer called by the national and Islamic political forces with the imamate of Sheikh Salim Susan (Al Jazeera)
War on humanity
The universal prayer was performed by the Mufti of Sidon and spent by Sheikh Salim Sousan, who said during the sermon that it is "the hour of truth and the moment of decision, the Palestinians today in Gaza without water, food, medicine and hospitals, without homes, burying their martyrs, and continuing their steadfastness and victory."
"The Palestinians in Gaza today and in all of Palestine are making history in its best form of struggle, fighting for a nation, and they are patient and know that courage is patience for an hour, but victory is with patience," he said.
Mufti Susan considered that the Israeli aggression is not only on Gaza, but on human humanity, stressing that it is an enemy that kills, destroys, bombs and then defeats, and that he fought children and destroyed hospitals, stressing that "what is happening is a war crime and a war of genocide for the Palestinian people."
The Grand Mufti also called on the international community to act quickly and stop the aggression, massacres and blood that bleeds from infants, and considered that "the war on Gaza is not a war on a piece of land, or with part of the Palestinian people, but a war on the Islamic and Arab nation, and this is what everyone must realize."
Participants were keen to bring children on Friday to support Gaza (Al Jazeera)
Popular interaction
The coordinator of the event, Sheikh Ali Al-Youssef, explained to Al Jazeera Net that relief campaigns are necessary to support the people in Gaza and to strengthen their steadfastness, and that this is a duty that falls on the shoulders of every human being in light of the increasing humanitarian needs for them, and donation is a small part of the duty towards the parents in the Strip to alleviate the tragedy they live as a result of the Zionist aggression.
Hajj Abu Ali Adlouni told Al Jazeera Net, which is based on his son to participate in prayer, that the lowest thing that can be done is to participate in this prayer, and raise prayers to God to stop the war, where Israel is committing massacres in full view of the whole world, and no one moves a finger.
"Hope and hope have been cut off from all this world, so we came to pray to God to support Gaza and protect its people from genocide," Adlouni said.
One of the participants: We are here today to pray to God to support the oppressed in Palestine (Al Jazeera)
The young Abdullah Ali told Al Jazeera Net "Gaza is subjected to a war of genocide and systematic destruction of its neighborhoods, homes and infrastructure. Donation is a way to contribute to healing the wounds of our brothers in Gaza and alleviating their suffering, and this has weakened the faith."
In turn, Mohammed Saad expressed in his speech to Al Jazeera Net, "The Sidon, as we always returned, show solidarity with the Palestinian cause, and we are here today to pray to God to victory the oppressed in Palestine, who are subjected to injustice by the oldest occupation in history, and if all ways are closed, the door of God and prayer is still open."