Palestinians will never abandon Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Sabri says
Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine, imam and preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and head of the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem, said Palestinians would never abandon Al-Aqsa Mosque regardless of the intensity of Israeli attacks.
In a statement marking the ninth anniversary of the Bab al-Asbat (Lion's Gate) protests, Sabri described the events of July 2017 as a turning point in the history of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The protests ended with Israel removing electronic security gates installed at the mosque's entrances following widespread Palestinian demonstrations.
Sabri said Palestinians, led by the people of Jerusalem, had succeeded in preserving the Islamic sovereignty of the holy site.
'Al-Aqsa belongs exclusively to Muslims'
Sabri said the Bab al-Asbat protests sent a clear message that Al-Aqsa Mosque belongs solely to Muslims and that no part of the compound would ever be relinquished.
He added that Palestinians have consistently opposed Israeli attempts to impose a new reality at the site or alter its Islamic identity since Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967.
Israeli violations 'do not create legitimacy'
Commenting on what he described as increasing Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sabri said such actions were taking place in the absence of effective deterrence but would never become acceptable or confer legitimacy on Israeli control over the holy site.
"The increasing frequency of raids by extremist Jewish groups and other violations does not grant the occupation authorities any rights over the holy sanctuary," he said.
Sabri said Palestinians had made significant sacrifices to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque and would continue defending the site despite what he described as ongoing attacks.
Call to the Muslim world
Sabri also called on the Muslim world to assume its responsibility toward Al-Aqsa Mosque, describing the site as an inseparable part of the Islamic faith and a shared responsibility of the entire Muslim community.
He said Palestinians would continue serving as the guardians and defenders of the mosque until the broader Muslim world fully assumes its role in protecting Islam's third-holiest site, after the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah.
Marking the anniversary of the Bab al-Asbat protests, Sabri said the events had demonstrated the determination of the Palestinian people and stressed that no Israeli measure would establish legal or historical rights over Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Source:AA
