Jerusalem – Ma’an – On the 55th anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Mosque fire, the fires of the occupation and its settlers are still burning and even escalating in Al-Aqsa, by imposing restrictions on the entry of worshipers to it, carrying out arrests and deportations, in addition to wide-scale raids and complete desecration of Al-Aqsa.

In recent days, settlers’ prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque have become public and collective, under the protection and support of the occupation police, who accompany them during their storming of Al-Aqsa.

The settlers have been bragging on their various platforms about their freedom to pray in Al-Aqsa in recent days. Some of what they have published is that ‘praying in Al-Aqsa, which they call the ‘Temple Mount,’ has become completely free, without arrest or deportation,’ ‘full prayer in the Temple,’ ‘We are allowed to prostrate in the Temple Mount… we lived and this time has come,’ ‘Prostration is allowed… we will meet in the Temple Mount,’ ‘We are implementing Minister Ben Gvir’s pol
icy on the Temple Mount,’ referring to praying in it. The settlers called for continuing the incursions and praying in Al-Aqsa.

The settlers’ prayers in Al-Aqsa during the past few days have been concentrated in the eastern area ‘opposite the Dome of the Rock Mosque’ which they consider the entrance to the alleged temple. The occupation authorities have prevented anyone from reaching this area for years during the two periods of incursions, and anyone who is present or sits in the area is subject to persecution, arrest and deportation.

On the thirteenth of this month, on the anniversary of the so-called ‘destruction of the Temple,’ nearly 3,000 settlers led by ministers, Knesset members, and senior rabbis stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque and prayed publicly and collectively in all areas of Al-Aqsa. Israeli flags were also raised, and since that date until today, the settlers have been praying publicly in it.

Today, 196 extremists stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque during the morning and afternoon storming periods, which are
carried out daily except for Fridays, Saturdays, holidays and religious occasions. The number of those storming Al-Aqsa increases during the various Jewish holidays.

The Council of Endowments, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places issued a statement saying: ‘In these difficult days and on the fifty-fifth anniversary of the ominous fire that engulfed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, in one of the ugliest manifestations of injustice, tyranny and fanaticism, which left behind feelings of pain and sadness in the conscience and memory of the sons of the Islamic nation, which was planned and executed by treacherous Zionist hands that ignited the fires of their hatred by treachery, carried out by the extremist called Michael Rohan, an Australian national, which destroyed a large part of the mosque, including the historic pulpit of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi and many precious and rare features of Islamic art, civilization and decorations.’

The Council added: ‘The chapters of this heinous crime and the arson
continue to this day in forms and dimensions that are no less dangerous in undermining the message and identity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and with the direct involvement of those with the same extremist mentality calling for destruction, arson and demolition through successive series of daily incursions by extremist Jewish groups, which continue to invent a series of provocative trends for the feelings of Muslims, such as holding public prayers and Talmudic rituals, chants and dances inside the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and no less dangerous are those excavations and suspicious Judaization projects in its vicinity and under its walls, with clear support and endorsement from the hateful extremist system and its sponsors.’

The Council of Endowments, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places in Jerusalem stressed that the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surroundings, despite all the attempts to Judaize it and change its religious, historical and legal reality through the logic of force and arrogance,
will remain an Islamic mosque for Muslims alone, not accepting division or partnership, with its entire area of ??144 dunams above and below ground.

He stressed his adherence to and full support for the guardianship and care of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein and his continuous defense of the Holy City and its Islamic and Christian sanctities, most notably the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Source: Maan News Agency