The Hindu : Front Page : Arafat laid to rest in Ramallah

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Saturday, Nov 13, 2004

Front Page

Front Page

Arafat laid to rest in Ramallah

By Atul Aneja

A grieving Suha Arafat, wife of the Palestinian leader and her daughter, Zahra, during the funeral on Friday. — AP

MANAMA, NOV.12. The Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat was buried at his headquarters in Ramallah today amid tumultuous scenes of genuine grief and spontaneous outpourings of emotion. Thousands of Palestinians thronged the area and mourners fired guns into the air as Mr. Arafat's body was lowered into a marble and stone grave in the Muqata compound. Palestinian leaders, including the newly appointed Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) chairman, Mahmud Abbas and the Prime Minister, Ahmed Qurei joined mourners in prayers.

Mr. Arafat was buried using soil from the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, where Palestinians hope Mr. Arafat's coffin can one day be taken. The Israeli Government had confined Mr. Arafat to his Ramallah headquarters for more than two and a half years until he was flown to France two weeks ago. A huge crowd surged forward as Palestinian security men sought to remove Mr. Arafat's body from a helicopter that flew in from Egypt following the funeral held there. It took 25 minutes for the coffin to be removed from the helicopter. Palestinian officials accompanying the body from Egypt pleaded with mourners to move back and allow them to open the helicopter door.

As thousands of mourners tried to touch the coffin, the Palestinian flag draping it was pulled off. "With our blood and soul we redeem you, Abu Ammar," the crowd chanted, using their leader's nom de guerre. Gunmen holding assault rifles fired long bursts into the air. Two mourners were reportedly slightly injured in the gunfire. "What we have witnessed during the burial ceremony is a combination of enormous grief, great affection and support for the departed leader. Mr. Arafat was truly a leader of the masses and this became evident once again," Samir Awad, Professor of International relations at Birzeit University in Ramallah told "The Hindu" over telephone.

Earlier, tens of thousands of Palestinian youths burst into the compound, joining the thousands already gathered for the ceremony. Palestinians continued to stream into the area throughout the afternoon with 140 buses leaving various parts of the West Bank to Ramallah. Israel did not allow Palestinians to travel to the West Bank from the Gaza Strip. People in Gaza City held a symbolic funeral service, which was attended by members of Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

On Friday morning, heads of state, prime ministers and foreign ministers attended a short military funeral at an airbase in the Egyptian capital Cairo. Israeli officials did not attend the funeral.

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