Settlers scrawl Mohammed insults on West Bank mosque

One of the slogans written on the door of the mosque in the village of Nabi Alyas read "Mohammed is a pig", according to locals and sources in the Israeli army who were called in to erase the graffit.

Several hundreds residents of Nabi Alyas later staged a largely peaceful demonstration but there were minor clashes in the nearby village Azzun where another protest was mounted.

The Israeli army said that three Palestinians had been injured when troops opened fire towards a crowd of around 100 rock-throwing demonstrators in Azzun, to the east of Qalqilya Sunday.

A spokesman said warning shots had been fired in the air to try and disperse the demonstrators, but when it had no effect, they fired at their legs, injuring three.

Palestinian medical sources confirmed that three people had been wounded, none of whom was in a serious condition.

The army also said an Israeli woman was lightly injured just outside Azzun when angry protestors threw stones at her car as it was driving past.

The grafitti in Nabi Alyas was discovered by the mosque's custodian Osman Zamari when he opened the building at daybreak.

"I was opening up as I do every morning and I noticed this writing in Hebrew," the 67-year-old Zamari said.

"I didn't know what it was so I went to tell" other mosque officials who consequently protested to the local military authorities.

An Israeli military source said that troops had quickly gone to the village to paint over the graffiti, adding that it was not known who was behind the incident.

There have been a number of violent Palestinian protests in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in recent days over the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in European newspapers.

Source

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