The Aqsa Mosque compound in Occupied Jerusalem will remain closed to Muslim worshipers throughout the holy fasting month of Ramadan due to the coronavirus epidemic a council of Palestinian clerics in the holy city announced last Thursday.
In compliance with Islamic fatwas and health instructions the Council of Awqaf and the Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites in Occupied Jerusalem said it decided to continue to ban Muslim worshipers from attending the prayers at the Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.
In a statement the council that oversees the Islamic sites in Jerusalem called the decision “painful” but said it was in line with fatwas and medical advice.
Muslims should “perform prayers in their homes during the month of Ramadan to preserve their safety” the council said.
However the Muslim call to prayer will still take place five times daily at the Islamic holy site during Ramadan — which may start on April 23 — and only Awqaf employees will be allowed entry according to the council.
