On Saturday at 2:00 am, Israeli forces hammered on the door of the head of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, while he was sleeping. When he woke, the troops handed him a notice that he would be banned from entering the mosque that he heads for a period of four months.
The ban comes after Sheikh Ekrema Sabri went to the mosque for Friday prayers on the shoulders of his supporters on Friday January 24th, following a two-week ban placed by Israeli authorities on Muslims wishing to pray at their mosque.
Despite the fact that Israeli authorities have no jurisdiction, and are supposed to leave the operation and functioning of the Al Aqsa Mosque up to its Islamic leadership, according to signed agreements, Israeli authorities have taken it upon themselves to decide who can and can’t pray at the mosque.
Sheikh Sabri stated, upon receiving the order banning him from the Mosque that he runs for four months, “These are reprisal actions aimed at suppressing speech. Israeli authorities do not want to allow anyone to speak publicly against their actions in the blessed Al-Aqsa, as they attempt to take over Al-Aqsa.”
updated from:
Defying Israeli Ban, Sheikh Sabri Attempts to Enter Al-Aqsa
Jan 24, 2020 at 20:07
The head of the Supreme Islamic Commission and the Imam of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Ekrema Sabri, on Friday, defied the Israeli order banning him from the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, Shehab Agency reported.
Sheikh Ekrema entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform Friday prayers while being carried on the shoulders of worshipers, challenging the occupation’s attempts to ban worshipers from Al-Aqsa, which during the past two weeks affected more than 50 Palestinians.
The Israeli police intensified their presence and stopped Sheikh Ekrema, then assaulted the worshipers, injuring two.
It is noteworthy that the occupation forces banned Sheikh Sabri last week for one week, ending on Saturday, and require him to come for interrogation, for a possible renewal of his expulsion from Al-Aqsa, under the pretext of “incitement during Friday prayers.”
Video and Image reposted from Shehab News Agency
