OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The Jerusalem Committee of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad condemned the Israeli occupation forces’ detention of Sheikh Mohammed Hussein, the grand mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine and preacher of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, from inside the Mosque after he delivered the Friday sermon.
In a statement issued Friday, the committee said targeting religious figures marked a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Islamic holy sites.
It said the later release of Sheikh Hussein, after he was handed an order banning him from the Al-Aqsa Mosque for one week, did not reduce the seriousness of the measure.
The committee said the ban was aimed at tightening restrictions on the Palestinian presence in occupied Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
It warned against the continued targeting of religious figures in Jerusalem and called on the international community, rights organizations and Islamic bodies to assume their responsibilities.
The committee urged immediate action to stop such violations and protect Palestinians in Jerusalem from detention, banishment and persecution.
Israeli authorities detained Sheikh Hussein after the Friday prayer before releasing him and informing him of the one-week ban from the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
