The tragedy of August 21, 1969, will never fade from the memory of the Muslim world. On that day, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the first qibla of Islam and the third holiest site after the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina became the target of a crime that shook the world.
An Australian Christian Zionist extremist named Denis Michael Rohan sneaked into the Al-Aqsa compound at night and set it on fire. Rohan had entered Jerusalem as a tourist four months earlier and was allowed free movement within the compound, unlike local Palestinians. He had actually attempted to set fire to the mosque ten days earlier, but the fire was quickly contained. His second attempt, on August 21, succeeded.
Rohan broke into the Al-Qibli prayer hall, doused the historic minbar of Nuruddin Zanki, also known as the minbar of Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi with fuel, and set it ablaze before fleeing. The fire ravaged the mosque, destroying the minbar along with the roof, carpets, rare ornaments, Quranic manuscripts, and furnishings. A third of the mosque’s total area over 1,500 square meters was damaged.
Rohan was arrested two days later, but after a lengthy trial, an Israeli court ruled that he could not be held legally responsible due to mental illness. He was deemed insane and later deported back to Australia in May 1974, spending the rest of his life in a psychiatric facility until his death in 1995.
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The tragedy ultimately served as a unifying moment for the Muslim world. In its wake, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference later renamed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation was founded in September 1969 in Rabat, Morocco. Today, the OIC includes 57 member states and stands as the second-largest intergovernmental organization after the United Nations.
The arson attack remains a powerful reminder that Al-Aqsa is far more than a structure of stone and wood. It is a symbol of honor, a bastion of faith, a sign of unity, and a trust for Islamic civilization.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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