‘Invalid and Unjust’: Banned Al‑Aqsa Preachers Defy Israeli Order
Israeli authorities on Monday issued the one-week ban against the two prominent Palestinian Islamic preachers, preventing them from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds.
In separate statements, both men said they were summoned for questioning and then handed the ban order. “We received an order preventing us from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Salah told reporters. “When asked about our response, we said that Al-Aqsa is a purely Islamic right and we have the right to be there.” He denounced the ban as “invalid,” “unjust,” and “an assault on our religion” and “religious persecution,” stressing that the Islamic Waqf in al-Quds holds sole authority over the holy site.
Sheikh al-Khatib said the one-week ban is likely to be extended. “It is clear that next Sunday there will be a decision to extend the ban to six months by the Jerusalem District Police commander,” he warned. “Al-Aqsa Mosque belongs to Muslims, and no one else has the right to even a grain of its soil.”
Al-Aqsa is the world’s third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two ancient Jewish temples. The Israeli regime’s authorities have issued hundreds of similar orders this year against clerics and worshippers, typically starting with a one-week ban that can be extended up to six months.
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Salah previously headed the Islamic Movement in occupied Palestine, while al-Khatib served as its deputy leader until Israel banned the group in November 2015, alleging incitement. Israeli authorities had earlier imposed a 15-year ban on Salah from entering Al-Aqsa, which ended in 2022.
Source: en.yenisafak.com
