Indonesia Together with the Islamic State Condemns Israel Zionists to Close Al Aqsa Mosque During Ramadan

ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH/Stacey Franco

JAKARTA - Indonesia together with a number of Arab and Islamic countries strongly condemned the Israeli Zionist regime's move to close the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex and not allow worship activities at the holy site during the month of Ramadan.

This was conveyed in a joint statement by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs (Menlu) of the Republic of Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey published by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the X social media.

"The foreign ministers reiterated their full rejection and strong condemnation of this illegal and unjustified step, as well as Israel's provocative actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif and against the worshippers," according to a joint statement as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, March 12.

"They reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over the territory of Jerusalem that it occupies or over the Muslim and Christian holy sites there," the joint statement continued.

The ministers stressed that restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem and places of worship within it, along with the unilateral and discriminatory restrictions imposed by the Zionists on the place, are serious violations of international law.

The move also violates international humanitarian law, the historical and legal status quo, and the principle of full access to places of worship.

The Foreign Ministers emphasized that the entire area of the Al-Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims, and the Jerusalem Waqf department, which is under the responsibility of the Jordanian Ministry of Waqf and Islamic Affairs, is a legitimate entity that has special rights to manage the Al-Aqsa Mosque, including the right to determine access.

They urged Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately stop closing the gates of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, lift all restrictions on entry into the Old City of Jerusalem, and no longer hinder Muslim worshippers from visiting the holy mosque.

The ministers also urged the international community to take firm action so that Israel stops its violations of the law and illegal practices against Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and ends its harassment of the sanctity of the place.

As reported by the Palestinian news agency WAFA, as of Wednesday (11/3), the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque has lasted for 11 consecutive days.

The Israeli regime claimed that the closure was carried out for security reasons related to its conflict with Iran.

The continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque for the last ten days of Ramadan sets a dangerous precedent.

This marks the first time that tarawih prayers and I'tikaf have been banned inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967.