DOHA: In the Qatari capital, thousands of mourners gathered with tearful eyes and a renewed determination to fight for Palestinian freedom to attend the funeral prayers of Hamas leader Shahid Ismail Haniyeh.
According to international news agencies, the funeral prayers for Shahid Ismail Haniyeh, who was a prominent figure in the struggle for the liberation of Palestine, were held after Friday prayers. High-level delegations from around the world also attended.
Qatar’s emir and Turkey’s foreign minister stood by Haniyeh’s body to pray for forgiveness and offer condolences to Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal. Funeral prayers for Ismail Haniyeh and his protector Waseem Abu Othman were held at the Imam Mohammed bin Abdul Wahhab Grand Mosque in Doha and burial was held at the Waseel Cemetery.
The stage was filled with people as far as the eye could see, as if a flood of humanity had arrived. Mourners waved Palestinian flags and shouts of “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) and declarations of martyrdom filled the air. The Islamic leader’s remains were carried on shoulders and teary-eyed participants paid tribute to Ismail Haniyeh, who sacrificed his life for the rise of the Muslim Ummah and the liberation of Palestine from Zionist rule.
As Haniyeh’s body was lowered into the grave, the atmosphere resonated with “Allahu Akbar” and mourners hugged and wept. The Palestinian flag flew high and fluttered throughout the ceremony.
Prayers for forgiveness included pleas for the freedom of Palestine and the end of the Zionist state. The air was filled with the recitation of Quranic verses, and thus the journey of this great leader ended with the commitment of the participants to the Palestinian freedom struggle.
