West Bank, March 15, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Israeli authorities ordered Sunday the destruction of Salman Al-Farsi, the mosque under construction in the northern West Bank village of Burin, reported Ghassan Daghlas, head of the Palestinian Authority's settlement portfolio.

Daghlas explained that the Israeli Civil Administration ordered a stop on construction work at the mosque, demanding the demolition of what has already been completed of the three-story building.

The order was issued by the Israeli Construction and Structure Department in Beit El under the pretext that the mosque's renovations were done without the proper licensing, Daghlas said. He added that a lawyer, Twafeq Jabaren, has taken over the case and is beginning legal procedures to halt the demolition order.

The order gave Palestinians seven days to dismantle building, Jabaren said.

The mosque - surrounded by Palestinian homes built since 1967- was being funded by local residents and is the second-largest mosque in the village. Burin's mayor, Ali Eid, said Israeli authorities claimed the mosque was in area C, thereby falling under Israel's full control.

Source: Various agencies