Israel’s Beer Festival at Muslim gravesite aims to provoke violence

Ramallah: The Israeli occupation municipality in Jerusalem has it in mind to hold a beer festival at the gravesite of Occupied East Jerusalem on August 26 and 27, a move that aims to provoke Palestinian anger.

According to a report published in Gulf News, the iTravelJerusalem-Beer Festival 2015 will take place at the Ma’amanallah Cemetery which is the most prominent and historic Muslim cemetery.

Ma’amanallah Cemetery contains the remains of figures of the followers of Salah Al Deen Al Ayoubi, who liberated Jerusalem from European Crusaders in the 12th century and also the remains from the early Islamic period.

Fakhri Abu Diyab, head of the Palestinian local committee in defense of Jerusalem said the festival is only an intentional provocation to enflame Palestinian anger as Islam forbids consuming alcohol and any type of festive celebration at a cemetery is provocative and disrespectful.

Today the cemetery a Muslim Waqf (religious endowment) registered as a Muslim cemetery in Istanbul and also an internationally recognised heritage site.

Civil society groups have sent a number of official letters to relevant ambassadors with attached documents which provide evidence that the cemetery is undisputedly Muslim property.

It also includes the Turkish ambassador who promised to take the issue up at the highest level.