JERUSALEM, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 (WAFA) – The Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, the highest Islamic cleric, today warned of dire consequences if Jewish fanatics and settlers continue with their provocative intrusions into Al-Aqsa, Islam’s third holiest site located in Jerusalem’s Old City, particularly during the upcoming holy fast month of Ramadan.

With the advent of Ramadan, which starts early next month, and as thousands of Muslims are expected to be present at Al-Aqsa Mosque during all hours for worship, Sheikh Hussein warned that allowing Israeli settlers to continue to be present at the Muslim holy site during this month could provoke trouble, expressing concern that it may be a prelude to the “malicious intentions” of the Israeli occupation authorities.

He said that the Israeli government “will be responsible for all consequences of its hideous decisions that increase and fuel hatred and hostility in the region as part of its attempt to control the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

The Israeli Minister of Public Security, Omer Bar-Lev, yesterday said that Jewish settlers will be free to be at Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan, just as in any other day, raising concern that the presence of the Jewish fanatics could lead to friction with the thousands of Muslims who will be at the Mosque at the same time.

Previously, Israel would ban non-Muslims from being at Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan.

Palestinians fear that Israel intentionally attempts to provoke trouble at Al-Aqsa Mosque in order to justify the presence of its forces in the holy compound at all times in an attempt to change the decades-old status quo at the holy place as a Muslim-only worship area.

Jewish fanatic groups want to change the status quo at the Mosque by getting their government to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque and allow Jewish prayers there as well in a scenario similar to what happened at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron when the Israeli government divided it between Muslims and Jews following the infamous massacre in February 1994 during which a Jewish settler opened fire at Muslim worshippers on an early Ramadan morning killing 29 and injuring dozens of others.

The majority of these Jewish fanatic organizations even advocate destroying the entire mosque compound and its Muslim holy places and replacing them with a Jewish temple.

“Harming the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque is a heinous crime, which is part of efforts to impose a new fait accompli in it in contravention of religious values that prohibit harming the holy places dedicated to worship, and the provisions of international laws and norms regarding respect for the holy places regarding not harming them or their people in order to protect their freedom of worship,” said the Mufti, Mohammad Hussein.

“But the occupation authorities ignore all of this and provoke the feelings of about two billion Muslims in the world, which poses a real danger and calls for a serious Arab-Islamic stance,” he said.

M.K.