WEST BANK & GAZA STRIP:

Gaza Palestine Satellite Channel in Arabic, official television station of
the Palestinian Authority, carries at 0956 GMT a live sermon from Shaykh
Ijlin mosque in Gaza.

Shaykh Ibrahim Mudayris delivers the sermon, which he devotes entirely to
the history of the prophet, enumerating his virtues and reaffirming that
Muslims are proud of their Prophet Muhammad.

The imam continues with the same theme in the second sermon. He refers to
the prophet's miracles, especially the Koran.

The imam concludes with a prayer to God for success of the nation. He prays:
"O Lord, we have been oppressed, avenge for us. O Lord, deal with the Jews
and their supporters. O Lord, deal with those who harmed Muslims. O Lord,
deal with those who harmed Palestinians. O lord, support the people of Iraq
and Palestine, and all Muslims. O Lord, help our brother detainees in their
detention camps. O Lord, release them safe and triumphant. O Lord, return
the deportees to their families safely." He also prays: "O Lord, lift the
embargo on us, our people, leadership, and every Muslim."

Ramallah Voice of Palestine, official radio station of the Palestinian
Authority, carries at 0956 GMT a live sermon from Al-Aqsa Mosque in
Jerusalem.

Dr. Ikrimah Sabri, "mufti of Jerusalem and all Palestine" and chairman of
the Higher Islamic Council, delivers the sermon, which deals with the lesson
of devotion to God. He says the followers of the prophet sought right,
justice, and equality among people, and thus God supported them and made
them rulers of the world.

In the second sermon, the mufti says that yesterday, Thursday, the Israeli
occupation authorities celebrated what they termed the "unification of the
two parts of Jerusalem" under a Knesset decision in 1967. He adds: "They say
that the City of Jerusalem is united with its eastern and western parts,
that it is their eternal capital, and that it is not subject to negotiation.
In other words, they want it for themselves alone. This is the real position
of all Israeli parties from the far right to the far left. On what will they
negotiate? Where is the false peace, which is coated with lies, deception,
and hypocrisy?"

The Imam questions Jewish claims to Jerusalem and says: "Do the Israeli
officials want to cancel a period of 15 centuries of a prosperous Islamic
rule of the city?" He says: "The City of Jerusalem with its two parts is
also not subject to negotiations from the Islamic viewpoint. Why? Because it
is the land of the night journey and ascension to the heavens and because it
is the earth's gateway to heaven." He adds: "It is an Islamic endowment that
cannot be for sale, purchase, or negotiation. Last but not least, the
blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is located in the heart of this pure, blessed, and
holy city. Therefore, the City of Jerusalem is too sublime to be subject to
negotiations. Our legitimate right is crystal clear. This right will
continue no matter how long it takes until God inherits the earth and all
that is on it."

The mufti says: "Jerusalem institutions must coordinate and cooperate with
one another in order to face the Judaization process. Those concerned in the
Arab and Islamic World must assign an adequate budget for these institutions
so that they can continue their health care, educational, social, and
humanitarian services and protect the lands in Jerusalem. This does not
exempt the rulers and kings in the Islamic World of their big responsibility
to work earnestly toward ending the Israeli occupation of this holy city and
all Palestinian territories. We affirm that the people of Jerusalem and its
vicinity hold to their unshakable religious stand until final destiny."

The imam concludes with a prayer to God for mercy and victory over their
enemies. He also prays for mercy for the martyrs, full recovery for the
wounded, and freedom for the prisoners. He prays for the protection of the
Al-Aqsa Mosque from all evil.