(15 Oct 2004) SHOTLIST
Jerusalem
Night shots
1. Minaret, zoom out to worshippers heading to Temple Mount (al-Haram al-Sharif) for morning prayers, AUDIO of call to prayer
2. Various of worshippers walking through gates to al-Aqsa mosque, Israeli soldiers on guard
3. Ramadan decorations, tilt down to worshippers walking
Jerusalem
Dawn shots
4. Al-Aqsa mosque as lights go out which signifies the beginning of Ramadan
Jerusalem
Day Shots
5. Horse mounted police at Damascus gates
6. Israeli police checking identification of Muslim worshipers
7. Various of Muslim worshipers being checked
Jerusalem
Day shots
8. Various of people praying near Haram as-Sharif /Temple Mount
9. Dome of the Rock mosque surrounded by people praying
10. Prayer in Dome of Rock
11. Various of prayer in Al Aqsa mosque
12. Police Minister Gideon Ezra arriving at the Wailing Wall
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Gideon Ezra, Israeli Police Minister:
"We allowed anyone who wanted to come to pray to the Temple Mount to come and pray after that all the things that we asked the Waqf (Islamic Trust) to do were done and there were no dangers for the prayer and I'm happy it finished this way, and happy Ramadan to the people."
Kabul, Afghanistan
14. Top shot of market with crowds buying food for feast at the end of the first day of Ramadan
15. Shopkeeper filling bag
16. Face of an old man
17. Pickles in a box
18. Exterior shot of mosque
19. Various of people praying in mosque
Sadr City, Iraq
20. Street with cars driving past
21. Pan of crowd gathered to pray
22. Cleric addressing crowd
23. People bowing to pray
24. Cleric speaking, people respond by chanting and raising fists
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
25. Interior mosque, wide tilt down of worshipers inside the mosque, preparing for prayers
26. Worshippers reading the Quran
27. Imam calling for prayers
28. UPSOUND (Arabic) "God is great", as worshippers kneel in prayer
STORYLINE
Muslims around the world marked the first day of the holy month of Ramadan on Friday.
The origins of Ramadan stem from the belief that the first verses of the Quran, Islam's holy book, were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during these four weeks in the 7th century.
To honour the revelation, observant Muslims pray and abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex between dawn and dusk.
In Jerusalem thousands of worshippers attended prayers at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third holiest shrine.
In the past, as many as 250-thousand Muslims have streamed to the site for Friday worship during Ramadan.
Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon had said he would limit the number of worshippers at the holy site to 50-thousand unless Muslim clergy agreed to take steps to help prevent a possible collapse of the structure.
This followed warnings from Israeli officials and experts that a section of the compound weakened by an earthquake might collapse under the weight of crowds of worshippers.
However, Muslim officials insisted the shrine is safe and said they would not meet the Israeli demands, which include roping off a corner of the sacred hilltop, known to Muslims as Haram as-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount.
On Thursday, Sharon's office issued a statement saying it accepted assurances from the Islamic Trust and would allow unlimited numbers of worshippers.
Security was tight in the compound and around its entrances.
The Israeli police minister on Friday said he was happy with all that Muslim officials had done to ensure safety at the mosque.
In Iraq, some markets were also bustling, despite ongoing problems with violence.
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