In the holy city prominent Jerusalemite families have started competing with each other to frequent the Aqsa Mosque for prayers and social gatherings in an effort to intensify the Muslim presence at the holy site and defend it against the Israeli occupation’s covetousness and desecration.
Despite their keenness on visiting the Aqsa Mosque regularly to perform prayers and other acts of worship the families of Salhab at-Tamimi al-Malhi Abu Sneina al-Hashlamoun al-Ayoubi al-Jubeh al-Ataya ad-Deeb al-Zaghal Khayat Adkedek and many others recently organized special rallies and gatherings in the Mosque’s courtyards.
Following the Fajr prayer in recent weeks men women and children from these families took the oath of allegiance to the Aqsa Mosque and swore to defend it with their souls and money.
The Aqsa oath initiative was launched a few weeks ago by the family of Salhab following an invitation made by Sheikh Abdul-Adheem Salhab head of the Islamic Awqaf Council in Jerusalem before other Jerusalemite families followed suit and started competing for the performance of prayers at the Mosque especially the Fajr prayer on Fridays.
The Jerusalemite families have responded actively to the initiative in order to defend the Aqsa Mosque against Jewish settler groups who recently announced their intent to regularly defile the Islamic site en masse on religious occasions as part of their efforts to impose their control over it spatially and temporally in collaboration with the Israeli police in the holy city.
In addition to their presence at the Aqsa Mosque on Fridays for the Fajr prayer a number of Jerusalemite families most notably as-Salaymeh family have also showed keenness on frequenting the holy site almost on a daily basis especially for the Maghrib and Isha prayers.
For his part Sheikh Nouruddin al-Rajbi a noted Jerusalemite religious figure said that the initiative contributed to fostering a spirit of competition and determination among the Jerusalemites to defend and protect the Aqsa Mosque.
“The initiative is aimed at consolidating the Muslim and Jerusalemite presence at the Aqsa Mosque and reviving the Fajr prayer especially on Friday” Sheikh Rajbi added.
Acting on its own initiative the Adkedek family for its part had special invitation cards printed to encourage its members and others to flock to the Aqsa Mosque for the Fajr prayer on Friday.
Recently about 100 members of the Adkedek family gathered in the Mosque’s main courtyard and sang religious songs following the Fajr prayer before they sat down for breakfast later in the morning.
Al-Hashlamoun family was also one of the families who vigorously participated in this Fajr prayer campaign at the Aqsa Mosque. “Our participation in performing the Fajr prayer on Friday at the Aqsa Mosque confirms our religious and ideological affiliation and attachment to the Mosque” lawyer Azzam al-Hashlamoun member of the Higher Islamic Council in Jerusalem stated.
“We went to pray at the Aqsa Mosque to highlight our presence alongside other Jerusalemites and our support for the holy site which it is being targeted by the Israeli government’s systematic Judaization policies” lawyer Hashlamoun added.
