On the eve of Eid al-Fitr Jerusalemites flocked to the city’s various markets to buy various items needed for the holiday amid a state of commercial recession and sadness due to measures taken by the Israeli occupation authorities.
This Eid comes at a time the city is going through tough conditions especially after the transfer of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in light of the continuing aggression by the Israeli occupation on Jerusalemites and the storming of Israeli settlers of Al-Aqsa Mosque as well as the massacres committed in the Gaza Strip.
There is no doubt that a state of recession is evident in the markets of Jerusalem due to the construction of the Apartheid Wall and the prevention of access and shopping of Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
“In the month of Ramadan markets witnessed some kind of commercial movement following visits by our people from the West Bank and Palestinians in the Occupied Territories of 1948 to Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque” said merchant Mustafa Al-Oyoui from the Old City. “These visits usually get reduced after Ramadan” he noted.
Al-Oyoui complains of the accumulated debts of the various Israeli tax departments especially the Arnona tax because he could not pay them during the year due to the lack of shoppers.
“We the merchants of Jerusalem decided this year to reduce prices in order to encourage shoppers to come to Jerusalem’s markets especially the Old City which is under siege by Israeli settlers” said merchant Abu Musa al-Jubeh in Saladin Street.
He added that shopping from Jerusalem contributes to strengthening the steadfastness of the Jerusalem merchants “so we call on citizens and families from the 1948 Occupied Territories to come to Jerusalem and buy their needs from there.”
He congratulated Muslims on the occasion of Eid and said: “We pray to Allah to facilitate our return to the values of Islam of solidarity and compassion and to revive the rituals of Eid. I wish that all holidays would bring about blessing and goodness and return with our country free from occupation.”
To help the poor and needy Sheikh Ikrima Sabri the head of the Supreme Islamic Commission and the preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque called for paying Zakat al-Fitr estimated this year at eight shekels for each member of the family before the end of the holy month of Ramadan which will help buy Eid al-Fitr supplies and bring joy and pleasure to the hearts of children.
Sheikh Sabri stressed that it is necessary to get wealthy people merchants and owners of companies to give Zakat a compulsory donation to the poor to be spent on those who suffer from poverty and unemployment or students who are in need for money to complete their studies according to the teachings of the Holy Quran Sunnah and religious decrees of scholars in order to achieve social solidarity between all segments of the society.
He thanked and expressed appreciation to charities that provided breakfasts to fasting people during the month of Ramadan and distributed food parcels clothes and aid to the needy families orphanages centers hosting the elderly and people with special needs in Jerusalem and all Palestinian governorates.
