Commemorating the seventh anniversary of the martyrs of Al-Rawda Mosque in the presence of the Minister of Endowments and the Governor of North Sinai

Today, Friday, November 22, 2024, the village of Al-Rawda in North Sinai will witness a visit by Dr. Osama Al-Azhari, Minister of Endowments, Major General Dr. Khaled Megawer, Governor of North Sinai, and a group of symbols and leaders of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the Ministry of Endowments, and the Fatwa House, in addition to a number of Sinai community leaders, where all families participate. Martyrs of Al-Rawda Village Commemorating the seventh anniversary of the martyrs of Al-Rawda Mosque, in a ceremony held immediately after Friday prayers.

The celebration is organized by the Jaririya Ahmadiyya Sufi order, at its headquarters in Zawiyat al-Rawda, next to al-Rawda Mosque, where Sheikh Musaad Hamid Abu Jarir, the sheikh of the order, will receive the guests, and a group of members of the order will organize the event. A number of survivors of the accident and eyewitnesses to the attack are scheduled to participate in this occasion.

This year marks the seventh anniversary of one of the most brutal terrorist incidents, the Rawda Mosque attack that occurred on November 24, 2017. On that day, a terrorist group targeted worshipers inside the mosque while they were performing Friday prayers, killing 305 people and wounding 128 others.

The commemoration ceremony includes the opening of work to develop and raise the efficiency of Al-Rawda Mosque, which witnessed the accident.

Sheikh Muhammad Raziq, the imam of Al-Rawda Mosque in North Sinai, narrated the events of the Al-Rawda Mosque incident to Al-Youm Al-Sabea, where he was one of the eyewitnesses to it, saying that this tragic day cannot be forgotten, noting that when he ascended the pulpit and began his sermon about “Muhammad, the Messenger of Humanity.” On the occasion of the Prophet’s birthday, he saw a group of armed men approaching the mosque, and heard the sounds of gunfire and the screams of worshippers. Within minutes, armed terrorists stormed the shrine and opened fire on the worshipers. Sheikh Mohammed describes the moment of chaos, as he took cover next to the pulpit, pronouncing the Shahada amid the screams of people trying to escape, as they rushed towards the windows to escape death.

After the attack ended, Sheikh Mohammed found himself wounded by a gunshot in the knee, lying among hundreds of martyrs and wounded, with blood flooding the place. The scene of the blind sheikh who was martyred and the crippled young man who left his wheelchair were unforgettable moments. Sheikh Muhammad adds that the mosque’s muezzin, Sheikh Fathi al-Tanani, gave him 100 pounds before prayer, recommending that 50 of them be delivered to a man who repaired the mosque’s microphones, as if he knew that the end was near.

The North Sinai Governorate previously announced that following the Al-Rawda Mosque accident, government efforts joined forces to provide urgent services to the villagers, including the families of the martyrs and survivors of the accident. Al-Rawda Mosque witnessed comprehensive development operations by the state to raise its efficiency, with the aim of restoring its spirit and transforming it into a symbol of renewal and togetherness. The Ministry of Endowments allocated 2.5 million pounds for the maintenance and restoration of the mosque, as part of its plan to maintain and develop religious places.

In addition to the restoration of the mosque, many ministries and government agencies provided donations amounting to 164.7 million pounds, allocated for compensation and development projects in the village of Rawda, for the reconstruction and development of infrastructure. The Ministry of Social Solidarity contributed 65 million pounds, the Ministry of Housing contributed 81.2 million pounds, and the Ministry of Endowments contributed 16.5 million pounds, in addition to two million pounds from Al-Azhar Al-Sharif.