Al-Qatif - Arab Today
Reactions to the recent mosque bombings have been similar among both the young and old, who described the terrorist attacks as "madness".
Some commented that the sound of the explosion brought back memories of the child martyr Haider Al-Mqaili, who was six years old when he died in a terrorist explosion that targeted the Imam Ali Mosque in Al-Qadeeh town a year ago.
Mahdi Al-Jeishi, a young boy, went back home crying after the recent attacks and threw himself into his mother’s arms, saying, “I will not go back to pray in that mosque.” Mahdi's mother said that his father and uncles have always prayed in that mosque and that he has accompanied them since he was an infant. She said that he was afraid of losing his loved ones, and that the image of Haidar and other martyrs does not leave his mind.
Mahdi’s father tried to convince him that God will take care of them and that the people of Daesh will go to hell. Mahdi was reassured by the bravery of the imam who continued with his prayers after hearing the sound of the first explosion. The doors of the mosque were kept closed until after the prayers were finished.
Mahdi’s mother said that they haven’t stopped talking to the boy about it, and that he is now calm and has gone back to praying in the mosque. She added that the sound of the explosion has not terrorized people, and that children in nearby homes went out to find the source of the explosion as a soon as it happened.
While the children were brave, the sight of blood and body parts was new to them, but it didn’t cause them to hide inside; rather, it pushed them to wonder about the reasons behind these despicable acts. They asked their parents: "Who are Daesh, and why are they killing worshipers?"
Despite everything, life has gone on for those in Al-Madaris neighborhood, even though there has been a rumor about a Daesh member who is on the run. Directly after the explosion, everyone was outside waiting and cooperating with the police. Haj Ahmad Al-Sanabeir, a man in his seventies, was close to the explosion and his children were the first to know about it. His daughter embraced him, but he told her that the worshipers were fine and that terrorists are bound to go to hell.
Fathiya, his daughter, said that she was surprised by the act, and asked how someone could have blown himself up: "Doesn’t he have the fear of God in his heart?" Her father responded that the terrorist's psychological state was not right, causing him to orchestrate the attack.
Al-Sanabir said: "We finished evening prayers and heard the explosion, but the imam was calm and we continued to pray, which gave us more strength. After we finished prayers we opened the doors and were surprised to see so many people outside."
Many people from Al-Madaris and other neighborhoods came to pray in the mosque. According to worshippers, the prayer that followed the explosion was an answer to the terrorist who was trying to put fear in their hearts. Faraj Al-Omran Mosque is one of the most ancient mosques in the Al-Qatif governorate. It was built 80 years ago. Its initial imam was Al-Faqih Faraj, and now his son, Hussein Al-Umran, is the imam. The mosque was renovated in 2006 and can accommodate up to 1,800 worshippers.
Source: Arab News