Cairo:Al-Azhar Al-Sharif strongly condemns the storming of the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque by an Israeli government official and groups of extremist settlers, under heavy protection from occupation forces.
Al-Azhar stressed that this irresponsible act constitutes a grave violation of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the first Qiblah and the third holiest site in Islam, and a blatant provocation to the feelings of nearly two billion Muslims around the world.
Al-Azhar emphasized that Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, including all of its courtyards and prayer areas, are an integral Islamic endowment and warned against attempts to alter the historic and legal status quo in the holy city. It also cautioned against policies aimed at changing Jerusalem’s Arab and Islamic identity through Judaization, as well as attempts to impose temporal and spatial divisions and create new realities on the ground.
Al-Azhar called on the international community and relevant institutions to end their silence and fulfill their legal and moral responsibilities by working to stop such provocative actions and prevent further violations by the Israeli authorities and extremist settlers.
Al-Azhar also prayed for the protection of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, and the realization of the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.