Sheikh Najeh Bakirat head of the Aqsa Academy for Science and Heritage has warned of Jewish settlers’ intents to defile the Aqsa Mosque en masse at the beginning of every Hebrew month calling such a step as “aimed at undermining the Mosque’s Islamic sanctity.”
In press remarks on Saturday Sheikh Bakirat called the ongoing settler break-ins at the Aqsa Mosque “aggression against the Muslim nation’s religion and rights” and a “violation of the international law that calls for respecting other religions.”
The Jerusalemite official also warned of relentless Israeli efforts to tamper with the Islamic sanctity and identity of the Aqsa Mosque adding that its persistent violations against the Mosque would affect the future of Occupied Jerusalem and the Palestinian presence in the holy city.
He pointed to Israel’s attempts to change the administration of the Aqsa Mosque and impose its control over its affairs and stressed the need for urgent international action to protect the Mosque against settler violations and pressure the Israeli government to respect the Jordanian guardianship over the Islamic holy site.
He also talked about the exposure of Muslim worshipers to intensive Israeli restrictions on their entry to the Aqsa Mosque for prayers in recent weeks especially during the Fajr (dawn) prayers describing such practices as “intended to dry up the Arab presence at the Aqsa Mosque.”
Recently Jewish temple mount groups announced their intents to organize major settler break-ins at the Aqsa Mosque on January 23 as a prelude to holding such practice at the beginning of every Hebrew month.
