The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein has issued a decision prohibiting the sale or facilitation of sale or ownership of any properties in Jerusalem to Israel.
“Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque are inalienable Islamic endowments which cannot be sold, given up or inherited and no one has the right to relinquish them,” he said.
“The waiver of Jerusalem or part of it, or part of Al-Aqsa Mosque for the enemies is just like abandonment of Makkah or Medina.”
Absentee Property Law
- defines persons who were expelled, fled, or who left the country after 29 November 1947, mainly due to the war, as well as their movable and immovable property (mainly land, houses and bank accounts etc.), as “absentee”. Property belonging to absentees was placed under the control of the State of Israel.
Israel has seized large swathes of land in the area through forgery or the enactment of laws including the Absentees Property Law, a member of the Committee for the Defence of Land and Real Estate in Silwan, Fakhri Abu Diab said, adding that a small percentage of land has been also been sold.
According to Abu Diab, the Israeli government and settlement associations have seized nearly 13 per cent of the town of Silwan which has an area of 5,640 dunums (5.6 square kilometres), mostly using the absentee property law or appropriation.
“Those who give up on Christian or Islamic properties chose to be on the occupation’s side which wants to Judaise the city of Jerusalem” he added.
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According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Centre nearly 50 Jewish settlement outposts have been built in the town of Silwan, most of them in the Wadi Hilweh neighbourhood closest to Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The centre told Quds Press that the outposts were seized either through confiscation, illegal seizure or under appropriation laws.