Al-Aqsa Preacher Arrested After Friday Sermon Critical of Arab, Islamic Inaction
He was released later the same day but banned from entering the mosque for one week. The Waqf said the restriction is renewable but did not specify the reason.
The arrest came after tens of thousands of worshippers gathered at Al-Aqsa Mosque for weekly prayers. The Islamic Endowments Department estimated that around 40,000 people attended, despite Israeli security measures that tightened access through checkpoints around al-Quds, closed the Shuafat refugee camp crossing, and limited entry to the Old City. Witnesses said police also set up iron barriers, detained young men, and inspected identification cards.
Israeli authorities did not immediately comment on the arrest. Preachers at Al-Aqsa have often faced restrictions when addressing the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, where more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October 2023.
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In his sermon, Sheikh Sarandah sharply criticized leaders in the Arab and Islamic world for their stance on the war. He said that while the people of Gaza endure war, silence from neighboring nations leaves them vulnerable.
Using metaphor, he warned that “if you see your brother being eaten by wolves, know that your turn will come in an instant… Fire consumes one room of a house, and the next room will be destroyed,” reported Yemen News Agency (SABA).
Source: Agencies
