Abbas advisor calls on Palestinians to "perform Ribat" to "save the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the schemes of Judaization"
“The [PA’s] Supreme Shari’a Judge and Advisor to President [Mahmoud Abbas] on Religious and Islamic Affairs, Mahmoud Al-Habbash, called on the Arab and Islamic governments and nations to work seriously to save the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the schemes of Judaization and the division being planned by the occupation authorities, [which are] similar to what happened at the Ibrahimi Mosque (i.e., The Tomb of the patriarchs in Hebron). [Al-Habbash’s statement came] in view of the rise in the number of cases of desecration of Al-Aqsa by the settlers, and in light of the fact that the occupation authorities have closed its doors to Muslims, with the aim of allowing the settlers to invade it. Al-Habbash emphasized that the actions of extremist settlers, Israeli MPs and senior Israeli officials, such as the terrorist [Israeli MP] Moshe Feiglin are doing, will not give any right whatsoever to the Al-Aqsa Mosque to non-Muslims, and this could trigger a religious war that would destroy everything. He also emphasized that those who are not Palestinian have no sovereignty over Al-Aqsa, or over any of the Islamic and Christian religious sites, and the right to them belongs exclusively to the Arabs and Muslims. He added that we would be exempt from any agreement with Israel, should it perform any kind of division [in the Al-Aqsa Mosque]. Al-Habbash called on the residents of Jerusalem, the Palestinian territories occupied in 1948 (i.e., Israel) and on anyone capable [of doing so] to go to the Al-Aqsa Mosque to defend it, pray in it and perform Ribat (i.e. religious conflict/war to defend Islamic lands and property) in its plazas, in order to thwart the Zionist plan to divide it.”
Notes: The PA considers any presence of Jews on the Temple Mount an "invasion." However, all visitors are subject to rigorous checks by Israeli security personnel before being granted access to the Temple Mount.
The division according to time or place refers to a proposed law (May 2013) being reviewed in Israeli Parliament that would allow for both Jews and Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount. The law seeks to implement separate prayer times for Muslims and Jews at the site.
Notes: The PA considers any presence of Jews on the Temple Mount an "invasion." However, all visitors are subject to rigorous checks by Israeli security personnel before being granted access to the Temple Mount.
The division according to time or place refers to a proposed law (May 2013) being reviewed in Israeli Parliament that would allow for both Jews and Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount. The law seeks to implement separate prayer times for Muslims and Jews at the site.