Minister of Religion: "Al-Aqsa is in danger" and Muslims and Christians are "owners of Jerusalem"
Friday sermon, speaker: Minister of Religious Affairs, Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash
Present in audience: President Mahmoud Abbas; Tayeb Abd Al-Rahim, Secretary General of the Presidential Office.
Al-Habbash: "The Arabs and Muslims, all of them… are invited to come to Jerusalem, to come to Al-Aqsa [Mosque], in order to tell the whole world: This mosque is ours; we will not abandon it, nor will we abandon the Palestinian people in its struggle [against] the schemes to harm the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In its struggle against the schemes and the plans, which aim to alter the landmarks of Jerusalem and the landmarks of the Al-Aqsa Mosque… Israel does not want the Muslims and the Arabs in Jerusalem. Are we acceding to what it wants? Are we acceding to its [Israel’s] desire, to separate Jerusalem from its owners? The owners of Jerusalem are all the Muslims and all the Christians in the east and the west of the country. Jerusalem is today in great danger… A few days ago we heard some nonsense that has no legal or religious value. It was said by one of the Israeli MPs who wants to propose a law to divide the Al-Aqsa Mosque between Muslims and Jews. Simply and firmly [I say] – this is a recipe for blood, fire, and war… No one can imagine that a single centimeter of the Al-Aqsa Mosque will belong to non-Muslims, not even a single millimeter, not even a breath in the Al-Aqsa Mosque belongs to someone who is not Muslim… These calls and statements are a great danger. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is in danger. These [MPs] are trying to claim a false right to this mosque for themselves … Anyone who wants to harm the Al-Aqsa Mosque will burn himself and destroy himself… These worthless calls, uttered by some of the worthless Israeli MPs – we will trample them. They have no value, they are not even worth the dust that our feet tread upon anywhere in this world."
Present in audience: President Mahmoud Abbas; Tayeb Abd Al-Rahim, Secretary General of the Presidential Office.
Al-Habbash: "The Arabs and Muslims, all of them… are invited to come to Jerusalem, to come to Al-Aqsa [Mosque], in order to tell the whole world: This mosque is ours; we will not abandon it, nor will we abandon the Palestinian people in its struggle [against] the schemes to harm the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In its struggle against the schemes and the plans, which aim to alter the landmarks of Jerusalem and the landmarks of the Al-Aqsa Mosque… Israel does not want the Muslims and the Arabs in Jerusalem. Are we acceding to what it wants? Are we acceding to its [Israel’s] desire, to separate Jerusalem from its owners? The owners of Jerusalem are all the Muslims and all the Christians in the east and the west of the country. Jerusalem is today in great danger… A few days ago we heard some nonsense that has no legal or religious value. It was said by one of the Israeli MPs who wants to propose a law to divide the Al-Aqsa Mosque between Muslims and Jews. Simply and firmly [I say] – this is a recipe for blood, fire, and war… No one can imagine that a single centimeter of the Al-Aqsa Mosque will belong to non-Muslims, not even a single millimeter, not even a breath in the Al-Aqsa Mosque belongs to someone who is not Muslim… These calls and statements are a great danger. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is in danger. These [MPs] are trying to claim a false right to this mosque for themselves … Anyone who wants to harm the Al-Aqsa Mosque will burn himself and destroy himself… These worthless calls, uttered by some of the worthless Israeli MPs – we will trample them. They have no value, they are not even worth the dust that our feet tread upon anywhere in this world."