A record 2.5 million Muslims gathered at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Friday night to mark one of the holiest nights of Ramadan, the Night of Power. The General Authority for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques said arrangements for accommodating the large number of worshippers went smoothly. The Grand Mosque and its courtyard overflowed with pilgrims and worshippers. Videos circulated on social media platforms showed the Grand Mosque and its corridors, roofs, and courtyards fille

Al-Aqsa Mosque is located in East Jerusalem and is one of the holiest, yet contested, sites in the world. The mosque has been under Jordanian custodianship since the state of Israel was established in 1948, where 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes. Over decades, Jordan’s authority over the site has weakened, while Israeli incursions and restrictions have increased and become more violent. Today, as the Israeli war on Gaza rages, Al-Aqsa sees near-daily settler incursions, raids