Muslim Scholars call for an Islamic-Arab humanitarian alliance to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque

The International Union of Muslim Scholars called for an Islamic-Arab humanitarian alliance to face what he described as “the Zionist aggressions” on the al-Aqsa mosque and restore the Palestinian people’s fair rights and end the occupation.

The Israeli police had stormed, on Wednesday morning, al-Aqsa mosque using tear gas to eject the sitters away from the mosque before allowing groups of settlers to storm the mosque during the Jewish festival of Sukkot, which led to outbreak of clashes between police and worshipers and resulted in injuries on both sides.

Commenting on these events, the International Union of Muslim Scholars said in a statement, that it “follows with deep concern the escalating criminal events carried out by the Zionists, who are occupying the land of Palestine, against al-Aqsa Mosque including very serious raids”. The union also expressed its concern over the “continuing calls to storm, initiated by Zionist groups, which requested opening a door in al-Aqsa mosque for the Jews.” The organisation added that “it is unfortunate that all of this is happening, and even more, amid a global silence and especially the Arab and Islamic silent reaction towards these calls, except for the very few”.

The Union said it “denounces the storming of al-Aqsa mosque by the Zionist occupiers and the Israeli security forces who threw bombs that led to the burning of some of al-Aqsa mosque’s carpets”. It also condemned “the attack on Jerusalem people for the protection of the Zionists who were attempting to storm al-Aqsa mosque.”

The Union called on “all countries of the world and international organisations to work towards stopping this Zionist crime and ending the unexplained silence, at a time when the world is establishing alliances against organisations that are deemed extremist. Meanwhile they are standing silently before an illegitimate and illegal occupier without being stopped by anyone,” in reference to the formation of an international coalition against ISIS.

It called upon the Muslim and Arab world and the free world to “organise global activities in support for the fair Palestinian cause, revolt globally in rejection of the attacks on al-Aqsa mosque and Jerusalem, and reject the Judaization of Jerusalem, Palestine, on Friday, October 17, 2014.” The union demanded preachers to focus their sermons on that day on the issue of Palestine and al-Aqsa mosque. The union also requested the Arab leaders leaders of the Islamic countries to “show responsibilities towards the nation’s first regional issue: the Palestinian case.”

The statement called on those leaders to “prosecute the Israeli aggressors and occupiers legally and internationally, and work to stop these attacks and repeated raids against al-Aqsa mosque, and the attempts to destroy it, burn it, or attack Jerusalem people.”

The union demanded the formation of a humanitarian alliance to restore the rights of the Palestinians, asking, “Doesn’t al-Aqsa mosque deserve the formation of an Islamic Arabic humanitarian alliance to confront the Zionist attacks, restore the fair rights of the Palestinian people and stop the occupation”? The statement did not add any further details on the nature of this alliance and its function.

Report by Ahmed El-Masry / Anadolu agency