Occupation Authorities Ban Al-Aqsa Preacher from Mosque for Six Months
The Islamic Waqf in occupied al-Quds confirmed in a statement that Israeli police detained Sheikh Sarandah after Friday prayers and later informed him of the ban. Authorities accused him of delivering “inciting remarks” during his sermon.
According to the police statement, Sarandah had spoken about the situation in Gaza, calling for “freedom for them, support for them, and mercy for their martyrs.” He also said, “The kings and idolaters in the past were not able to harm Muslims, and the West today will not succeed either.”
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The ban extends an earlier restriction imposed two days earlier, when Sarandah was first arrested following his Friday sermon and prohibited from entering Al-Aqsa for one week.
That Friday, around 40,000 worshippers gathered at the mosque despite heightened Israeli security measures. Witnesses reported that police set up iron barriers, closed the Shuafat refugee camp crossing, restricted entry to the Old City, and detained young men for identity checks.
Preachers at Al-Aqsa have frequently faced restrictions when discussing the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza. The war, which began in October 2023, has left more than 65,000 Palestinians dead, with widespread displacement and famine worsening the humanitarian crisis.
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In his sermon, Sarandah also criticized Arab and Muslim leaders for what he described as silence in the face of the war.
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