Muslim Leaders Warn Al-Aqsa 'Is in Danger'
The religious and political leaders, representing at least 50 civil society
organizations and political parties in their countries assembled at the 8th
Islamic Countries' Opinion Leaders Forum, titled "Al-Aqsa is in
Danger" in Istanbul, organized by the Arab-Turkish Relations Center.
Yasin Aktay, vice chair of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party,
represented Turkey as he spoke at the opening of the forum, saying: "Al-Aqsa
[Mosque] is in danger means humanity is in danger, because Al-Quds gave us an example how people [from different sects] coexisted peacefully in an
ideal way."
Abderrazak Makri, president of the Movement of Society for Peace in Algeria,
claimed: "There would be no success in any Islamic country without working on
Palestine" and blamed foreign powers that "do not want us to become
united, be developed. That is why we should be united to work for Al-Aqsa
Mosque."
Palestinians have in the past accused Israel of altering the status quo, a
balance of prayer and visiting rights that reserves the right to worship at the
site for Muslims, through its policing of Al-Aqsa and the surrounding area.
The tension caused by restrictions on entry to Al-Aqsa last year were followed
by a period of violence that has seen at least 235 Palestinians killed by
Israeli forces, mostly during clashes or alleged attacks.
"You know that the bad coup, the failed coup in Turkey was aiming to weaken
Turkey because Turkey is taking a strong role on Palestine; because they wanted
to stop Turkey supporting Palestine," Makri added.
Salah Abdel Maksoud, Egypt's former information minister in Mohamed Morsi's
government, said Turkish people defeated a military coup that aimed to
marginalize the country.
He claimed that the military coup in Egypt in 2013, which ousted Morsi, had
been triggered because he " wanted to break the [Israeli] siege, help
Gaza."
Meanwhile, Mohammed Walid, head of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, spoke at the
forum, addressed the crisis in his country.
The clerics meet once a year in Turkey to discuss solutions for conflicts that
challenge Muslim countries. The two-day forum ends Saturday.
Source: Anadolu Agency
