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Jordan: Banning Muslim call to prayer violates peace treaty

March 10, 2017 at 12:52 pm

Image of Palestinian Muslim worshippers attending Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound [Mahfouz Abu Turk/Apaimages]

Jordan has rejected the Israeli Knesset’s passage of a bill that bans the use of loudspeakers for the call for prayer in mosques in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem saying it violates the peace treaty signed between the two countries.

Image of Jordanian government spokesman, Mohammad Momani [Youtube]

Government spokesman, Mohammad Momani, said the bill “is discriminatory and violates Israel’s obligations under international human rights laws and many charters and international conventions.”

“East Jerusalem falls under the provisions of international law and international humanitarian law, which state that the Jerusalem Awqaf Department is the only competent authority entitled to organise mosque Affairs in East Jerusalem, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif and affiliated mosques, including organising the athan [Muslim call to prayer],” the minister said .

He highlighted a clause in the peace treaty signed between Jordan and Israel which clearly states that Israel respect Jordan’s role in overseeing Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem.

On Wednesday, the Israeli Knesset approved the first reading of a bill which bans the use of loudspeakers to call for Muslim prayer between the hours of 23:00 and 07:00. The reading was approved by a vote of 55 in favour and 45 against.

Arab members of the Knesset said the new law amounted to a “declaration of war on our identity”.