PA Mufti threatens "severe complications" if US embassy is moved to Jerusalem
Official PA TV, Friday sermon by PA Mufti Muhammad Hussein at the PA presidential headquarters mosque, in the presence of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Shtayyeh
PA Mufti Muhammad Hussein: “We say in light of the things that Jerusalem is suffering from, such as declarations and plans, like the plans of US President [Donald Trump] who promised during his election campaign to transfer the American embassy to Jerusalem - true, this is [only] an election promise, but we fear it will be similar to previous promises that include injustice, past promises that violated the rights of the members of the Palestinian people and the Arab and Muslim nation in Jerusalem and in Palestine. The Balfour Promise (i.e., Declaration) preceded the promises we heard from the American president-elect by 100 years. We must say that keeping this promise holds great dangers and a concern of severe complications that only Allah knows where they will lead. How can the Palestinian people, which has made many sacrifices, which has sacrificed processions of Martyrs (Shahids) one after the other, and which has given for the goal thousands of prisoners, the students of freedom who defend the fundamentals of the noble people, our people who is engaged in Jihad and Ribat (i.e., religious conflict/war over land claimed to be Islamic), our people and our leadership and all members of our people will not be silent if this promise is kept and the American president transfers the embassy to Jerusalem. We say to the American president and to the entire world, Jerusalem has a people, and it has residents, and it has a nation [that will stand by it]. Even if there are people who will not take the appropriate position regarding Jerusalem, all of the Arab and Islamic peoples will in no way agree to Jerusalem being harmed…
Why do they make promises like this? Indeed, all of the consequences regarding this are liable to lead the entire world to severe complications. This is a violation of all of the international balances, customs, and conventions. This also contradicts the interests, which unfortunately have turned into the standard controlling the behavior of many of the states. If the principles have disappeared, and primacy is given to interests, we say to the Arab and Islamic nation and to all those who love freedom in the world: America has many interests in the Arab and Islamic world, and if it keeps this promise, it must take into account what will happen to its interests if it is interested in properly protecting them. If it is interested in this, it must stand in its fitting place and support peace and international security, if it believes in peace and acts for international security…
Our honored Messenger (i.e., Islam’s Prophet Muhammad) said : ‘A group of people from my nation will continue to support the truth and to defeat their enemies, and those who stand against them or abandon them will not harm them, and so they will continue until the Day of Judgment.’ We asked: ‘Where are they, Messenger of Allah ?’ He said: ‘In Jerusalem and Jerusalem's surroundings’…
We say: ‘Every aggression only brings suffering, to those carrying it out and to the entire world. Every hostile action against Jerusalem, such as transferring the embassy if this promise is carried out, and every aggression against our people by any side, is something that our people oppose, and also the leadership of our people, and all those who love freedom in the world.’”
The Balfour Declaration of Nov. 2, 1917 was a letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Baron Rothschild stating that “His Majesty's government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” and is seen as the basis for later international commitments to establish the State of Israel.
PA Mufti Muhammad Hussein: “We say in light of the things that Jerusalem is suffering from, such as declarations and plans, like the plans of US President [Donald Trump] who promised during his election campaign to transfer the American embassy to Jerusalem - true, this is [only] an election promise, but we fear it will be similar to previous promises that include injustice, past promises that violated the rights of the members of the Palestinian people and the Arab and Muslim nation in Jerusalem and in Palestine. The Balfour Promise (i.e., Declaration) preceded the promises we heard from the American president-elect by 100 years. We must say that keeping this promise holds great dangers and a concern of severe complications that only Allah knows where they will lead. How can the Palestinian people, which has made many sacrifices, which has sacrificed processions of Martyrs (Shahids) one after the other, and which has given for the goal thousands of prisoners, the students of freedom who defend the fundamentals of the noble people, our people who is engaged in Jihad and Ribat (i.e., religious conflict/war over land claimed to be Islamic), our people and our leadership and all members of our people will not be silent if this promise is kept and the American president transfers the embassy to Jerusalem. We say to the American president and to the entire world, Jerusalem has a people, and it has residents, and it has a nation [that will stand by it]. Even if there are people who will not take the appropriate position regarding Jerusalem, all of the Arab and Islamic peoples will in no way agree to Jerusalem being harmed…
Why do they make promises like this? Indeed, all of the consequences regarding this are liable to lead the entire world to severe complications. This is a violation of all of the international balances, customs, and conventions. This also contradicts the interests, which unfortunately have turned into the standard controlling the behavior of many of the states. If the principles have disappeared, and primacy is given to interests, we say to the Arab and Islamic nation and to all those who love freedom in the world: America has many interests in the Arab and Islamic world, and if it keeps this promise, it must take into account what will happen to its interests if it is interested in properly protecting them. If it is interested in this, it must stand in its fitting place and support peace and international security, if it believes in peace and acts for international security…
Our honored Messenger (i.e., Islam’s Prophet Muhammad) said : ‘A group of people from my nation will continue to support the truth and to defeat their enemies, and those who stand against them or abandon them will not harm them, and so they will continue until the Day of Judgment.’ We asked: ‘Where are they, Messenger of Allah ?’ He said: ‘In Jerusalem and Jerusalem's surroundings’…
We say: ‘Every aggression only brings suffering, to those carrying it out and to the entire world. Every hostile action against Jerusalem, such as transferring the embassy if this promise is carried out, and every aggression against our people by any side, is something that our people oppose, and also the leadership of our people, and all those who love freedom in the world.’”
The Balfour Declaration of Nov. 2, 1917 was a letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Baron Rothschild stating that “His Majesty's government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” and is seen as the basis for later international commitments to establish the State of Israel.