MIDDLE EAST: 2ND FRIDAY OF HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN CELEBRATED

(9 Jan 1998) Natural Sound Israeli troops patrolled downtown Jerusalem where thousands of Muslim worshippers gathered in prayer on Friday for the Holy Month of Ramadan. Security was on high alert against any possible extremists attacks as Muslims prayed at the Al Aqsa Mosque to mark the second Friday of the Islamic fasting period. In the past, the period of prayer has often been a prime time for violent attacks. Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque drew tens of thousands of Muslims in celebration of the second Friday of the Holy Month of Ramadan. The city's holiest Muslim shrine was the site for worshippers who gathered for unified prayers. Ramadan, which began December 30th, is a time of increased prayer during which observant Muslims are expected to fast from sunrise to sundown. But as thousands were immersed in prayer and religious observances, the city around them was braced and ready for any outbreaks of violence. On their way to the prayer gatherings, worshippers crossing over Israel's borders were stopped by paramilitary to have their identity papers checked. Palestinian worshippers from the West Bank were required to have special entry permits to enter Israel. Hundreds of police officers sealed off the streets surrounding the Old City, where the Al Aqsa Mosque - Islam's third-holiest shrine - is located. Security forces and city police, some on horseback, were on high alert in preparation for any attacks which might be carried out by Muslim or Jewish extremists. Israeli security officials had received warnings that Islamic militants planned to carry out suicide attacks in tandem with the Ramadan observances. In the past, the Islamic holy month has at times proven to be a key time for violent outbreaks and a rise in tensions between Jews and Palestinians. This year, security forces were determined to thwart any such opportunity. In Ramallah, a smaller prayer gathering was taking place at the offices of the Palestinian Authority. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat sat in prayer with a small group of fellow worshippers in recognition of the Ramadan period. But in Hebron, Palestinians in Arafat's Fatah movement used the holy period of Ramadan to vent their frustrations. Angry demonstrations took place in the streets of the West Bank town, where some concealed their faces under ski masks while they waved guns. Participants in the march, while supporting the peace process, are frustrated over Israeli police checkpoints in their city and the push for Israeli settlements in the West Bank. They appeared to try to divert the focus of the day away from prayer and towards their fears that violence could erupt as the peace process remains in a stalemate. Protesters expressed their opposition to Israeli policies by placing an Israeli flag on the ground and marching over it. They then set the flag on fire while shouting "no peace with settlers, no peace with settlements." Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...