The Hamas Movement and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem slammed the Israeli occupation authority (IOA)’s decision to curb the number of Christians wishing to celebrate Holy Saturday at the Church of Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
“The interference of Zionist courts in the religious affairs of Palestinians is a racist practice that exposes Israel’s fake image of allowing freedom of worship for all religions” head of the political department and Palestinian foreign affairs of Hamas Basem Naem said in a press statement on Friday.
For his part Archbishop Aristarchus refuted the IOA’s claims that the limitation is due to public safety explaining that 10-11 thousand Christians celebrate the Holy Saturday annually.
“Were the limitation of the number of Christians inside of the Church of Sepulcher in Jerusalem for public safety then why the access to its entrances compounds and neighborhoods is restricted too?” Archbishop Aristarchus questioned.
Aristarchus called on the Israeli police not to set makeshift checkpoints in the Old City of Jerusalem and allow Christian worshippers to celebrate the Holy Saturday confirming that this ritual is ‘at the heart of the Christian faith.’
Limiting the number of Christian worshippers who can celebrate the Holy Saturday to only 1700 which coincides with the continuous aggression on Al-Aqsa Mosque and Muslim worshippers between the 16th and the 22nd of April are both a flagrant violation of Palestinian rights.
