MOSLEMS PRAYING AT MOSQUE; CHRISTIANS FOLLOWING THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS.




Initials PBS/V--S/CCT/ES.



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Background: THE HOLY CITY OF JERUSALEM, SACRED TO MOSLEMS, CHRISTIANS AND JEWS, WAS CROWDED WITH MOSLEMS ON FRIDAY, VISITING THE CITY FOR THE FIRST FRIDAY OF RAMADAN.

FOR MOSLEMS THIS IS A SPECIAL DAY OF PRAYER AND EASTING DURING THE MONTH-LONG FAST OF RAMADAN. MANY THOUSANDS OF MOSLEMS VISITED THE ANCIENT DOME OF THE ROCK MOSQUE, SECOND ONLY TO MECCA AS A PLACE OF PILGRIMAGE.

THE PILGRIMAGE TO THE MOSQUE, ALSO KNOWN AS OMAR'S MOSQUE, WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE LAST DAY FRIDAY OF RAMADAN. PEOPLE WHO PRAY THERE ON THAT DAY ARE BELIEVED TO RECEIVE DOUBLE BLESSINGS.

RAMADAN IS THE PERIOD DURING WHICH MOHAMMED IS BELIEVED BY MOSLEMS TO HAVE RECEIVED HIS INSPIRATION FROM ALLAH TO WRITE THE KORAN, THE MOSLEM SCRIPTURES. OMAR'S MOSQUE, AMONG THE OLDEST IN THE WORLD, WAS BUILT IN 691 A.D. IT WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED NEARLY TWENTY YEARS AGO, AND WAS RE-OPENED AFTER RESTORATION IN 1964.

WHILE MOSLEMS OBSERVE RAMADAN, CHRISTIAN PILGRIMS TO JERUSALEM ARE PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS. ON FRIDAYS IN THE CITY FRANCISCAN MONKS LEAD CHRISTIAN PILGRIMS ON THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS -- THE EVENTS LEADING TO CHRIST'S CRUCIFICATION.

THE STATIONS END AT THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE, STANDING ON MOUNT CALVARY, THE SCENE OF CHRIST'S EXECUTION. EACH YEAR THOUSANDS OF CHRISTIANS VISIT JERUSALEM TO VISIT THE HOLY PLACES, AND TO OBSERVE CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS RITES.