KUALA LUMPUR - The recent actions of the Israeli authorities in detaining and expelling the Grand Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, are heinous and a violation of the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
According to his lawyer, Khaled Zabarka, in an Arabic interview recorded via the WhatsApp application for Bernama, these actions are a violation of international law, particularly regarding the freedom of worship and access to holy sites.
"Such actions by the Israeli authorities are illegal as they have no authority over Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque."
"So, what we can understand from this is their attempt to legitimise Israel's authority over the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is actually unlawful under international law. This also leads us to consider what may happen to this mosque in the near future,” he said.
He also claimed that Israel is planning to introduce a project known as the "settlement period" to resolve all pending issues, including land, identity, and holy sites.
Khaled said that they (Israel) are working hard to implement this as they perceive the "silence voice” from Arab and Islamic countries, as tacit approval of their actions.
"Therefore, this provides a golden opportunity for Israel to finalise their plans to make it favourable to them, particularly Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque,” he added.
He also said that Sheikh Ekrima and his family in the West Bank are still receiving death threats from extremist Jewish groups due to their outspoken opposition to the Israeli Zionism.
Khaled called on the Islamic world and Arab nations, including the Malaysian government, to continue giving their support and move to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the rights of the Palestinian people from further violations by Israel.
Previously, Anadolu Agency reported that Sheikh Ekrima was detained by Israeli authorities on Friday (August 2) for expressing sorrow over the death of Hamas's political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, during Friday prayers.
He was then detained for several hours before being released with a ban on entering Al-Aqsa Mosque for a period of six months, starting from August 9. - BERNAMA