Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and preacher of the Al-Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Muhammad Hussein said on Monday that the Al-Aqsa Mosque with its total area of 144 dunums is a place of worship for Muslims only.
“Islamic Shariah law besides UN and UNESCO formal resolutions approve that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is an Islamic holy site” Mufti Hussein said in a statement commenting on the Israeli premier Naftali Bennett’s statements claiming that his government is the sole authority to fully supervise Al-Aqsa Mosque affairs.
Mufti Hussein affirmed that Bennett’s statements reflect the racist Israeli policy which aims at the Judaization of Jerusalem and changing the status quo of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. He added that Israel’s policy constitutes a grave violation of international norms and conventions including the Geneva Conventions.
“Al-Aqsa Mosque which is the third holiest site in Islam is a red line and does not accept division” Mufti Hussein confirmed.
The Mufti called on the Arab and Muslim countries parties and people to pressure Israel to stop its repeated attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“The Israeli occupation’s brutal crimes against the Palestinian people and their holy sites especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque violate their freedom of worship and provoke the feelings of more than a billion Muslims all over the world” he warned.
Mufti Hussein concluded by saying that Israeli leaders must be held responsible for the repercussions of their brutal attacks and flagrant violations against the Palestinian holy sites.
