Pilgrims of Golan Druze visit their homeland Syria
Syria-Israel, Politics, 9/2/2003

A source at the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC in Damascus said that 208 Druz Sheikhs of the villages of the occupied Golan heights, occupied by Israel, yesterday crossed to Syria through al-Quneitra border to visit the holy sites for the Druz sect.

The source explained that Israel "permitted the Druz pilgrims, most of them are elderly to visit Syria only for 24 hours."

The pilgrims visited a shrine in al-Zabadanbi, 45 Km to the west of Damascus. The source added that the Israeli authorities used to permit the Druz pilgrims to visit Syria for three years since these authorities started to permit them to visit their holy shrines in Syria in 1998.

Sheikh Munir Qasem alo-Shaeir, from Majdal Shams, the largest town of the Golan ( 54 year old) said in a telephone statement that this "visit is precious, during which we can visit our homeland and people."

Previous Stories:
  Syrian official source denies Israeli allegations over Baghdad's explosion   (8/23/2003)
  Clashes in Golan when civilians were banned to participate in Assad's funeral   (6/13/2000)
  ICRC brings together the split Syrian people of the Golan   (9/30/1999)
  216 Druze sheikhs cross border to Damascus from the Golan   (8/31/1999)

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