INDONESIA STRONGLY CONDEMNS ISRAELI VIOLENCE IN AL AQSA MOSQUE by Fardah

    Jakarta, Nov 6, 2014 (Antara) - Ongoing violations and violence by Israeli Zionist Jews in the Al Aqsa compound have been condemned by the Indonesian government.

         The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry, in a statement following a total closure of Al Aqsa Mosque by Israel recently, said that Israel must allow access to the mosque and guarantee the safety of Muslims carrying out their prayers in the Al-Aqsa mosque.

         The government has called the Israeli move a violation against human rights, and particularly the religious freedom of all Muslims in Jerusalem, Palestine.

        "Indonesia strongly condemns Israel's move to bar access to the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. We demand that Israel immediately reopen the mosque," the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry stated.

         Indonesia also conveyed its deepest concerns over the escalating tension and violence in Jerusalem, asking Israeli security personnel to end their violent acts against civilians in Palestine.

        "The heightened violence in Jerusalem is of great concern to Indonesia. We also urge all parties to refrain (from such acts)," the ministry stated on October 30, 2014.

         Henry Hidayatullah, an activist of the Medical Emergency Rescue-Committee (MER-C), which has often helped Palestinian victims of Israeli military aggressions, said violations and violence committed by the Zionist Jews in Al Aqsa has escalated tension that could lead to a war.

        Indeed, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said through his spokesman that the closure of Al Aqsa combined with other dangerous escalations by Israel were "tantamount to a declaration of war," Wafa news agency reported
  Henry Hidayatullah told Republika daily on October 31, 2014 that Palestinians must gain their freedom in their own sovereign nation. 
  The Indonesian government which believes in a world peace must help end the Palestinian and Israeli conflict, because Palestine was among the first to recognize Indonesia's independence in 1945, he said.

        "The people and government of Palestine contributed to the recognition of Indonesia's independence. And remember that our Constitution has stated that freedom is the right of every nation," he added.

       Even Indonesian Catholic priest Franz Magnus Suseno expressed his regret over the closure of Al Aqsa by the Israeli regime recently that hurt the feelings of all Muslims including those in Palestine.

        "I regret the official Israeli political policy. They must reopen Al Aqsa. So far they have applied confrontationist politics against Palestine," Suseno told Republika recently.

        He also criticized Israeli violence in Gaza and constructions of new illegal Jewish settlements in occupied territories. 
   "The most serious one is the new Jewish settlement that has increased continuously and the Gaza blockage which is deplorable," he added.

       "It is impossible that Jerusalem can become the Israeli capital," he stated in response to Republika daily's question.

       He said the Indonesian government must support the struggle of the Palestinian people on the international fora. "So, we must support the Palestinian people's freedom struggle in international fora. We need not be soft towards Israel," the priest said.

        The Al-Aqsa Mosque ("Distant Mosque") is the most important mosque in Jerusalem. Located on the Haram esh-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary). It is the third holiest shrine in Islam after Mecca and Medina.

         The mosque is the central focus of the Muslim community in Jerusalem, hosting daily prayers and accommodating large crowds for Friday sermons.

         Israeli politicians know the importance of the site to Muslims and have used the access to the mosque as another weapon to subdue the Palestinian people, the Friends of Al Aqsa (FOA) reported on Facebook.

         For the first time since 1967 the Israeli military closed off Haram al-Sharif - the Noble Sanctuary, which contains the golden Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque, to worshipers.

         So far, restrictions placed on Palestinian worshipers accessing Al-Aqsa have included barring entry to all men aged 50 and under.

        This blanket ban affects tens of thousands of Palestinians. Furthermore, women and children are arbitrarily denied entry on a regular basis, significantly impacting Palestinian religious freedom.

        These restrictions can be contrasted with the freedom enjoyed by illegal Israeli settlers, whose trespass onto the al-Aqsa is facilitated almost daily by Israeli police and armed forces, according to FOA.

        "Tensions have been running high in occupied Jerusalem as Israeli authorities gave a green light to the break-in into al-Aqsa Mosque by settlers while continuing to ban access to Muslims to its plazas," FAO wrote on Facebook on November 6.

        Palestinians are rightly concerned, as the illegal settler groups who come to Al-Aqsa openly declare their goal of occupying Al Aqsa, demolishing its structures and building a Jewish temple in its place.

        The human rights violations committed by Israel in Al Aqsa have triggered condemnations from various countries including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.

        Kuwait's National Assembly Speaker and Chairman of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU) Marzouq Al-Ghanim said in a press release recently that the international community, especially the UN and major countries sponsoring the Middle East peace process, should stop such Israeli acts from reoccurring, according to a news story reported by KUNA.

          Saudi Arabia has warned of the danger of Israeli plan to Judaise and divide Al-Aqsa Mosque, calling it a flagrant violation of the sanctity of the mosque, the principles of international law and United Nations' resolutions, Anadolu news agency reported on Monday.

         Jordan recalled its ambassador to Israel on November 5, 2014, after police clashed with stone-throwing Palestinians inside the  mosque compound, AFP quoted Petra news agency's news story.

         Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur asked the foreign minister to "recall the Jordanian ambassador from Tel Aviv in protest at Israel's escalation on the Al-Aqsa mosque compound," Petra reported.

        The miraculous journey of Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Al Aqsa (al Isra) and his ascension through the heavens (al Ma'araj) has linked Jerusalem to Muslim hearts and minds.

        FAO further explained that according to Islamic teachings there are only three places to which it is desirable to undertake a journey for the purpose of Salaah or prayers.

        Allah's Messenger, the Prophet Muhammad, said, "Set out deliberately on a journey only to three mosques: This mosque of mine (in Medina), the Sacred Mosque (in Makkah) and the Masjid Al Aqsa."  
   Al Aqsa is the second house of prayer established on earth and the first Qibla (the direction to which Muslims faced when praying Salaah).

         The graves of over 100 Prophets are in Palestine, including Ibrahim (Abraham), Yakub (Jacob), and Ishaq (Isaac).

        Throughout Muslim rule of over one thousand two hundred years of Jerusalem, members of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic communities prospered in Jerusalem.

         Muslim rule enabled the city to live up to its rightful title of "The Holy City" as it encompassed all the believers in One God to go about their business without any hindrance, according to Friends of Al-Aqsa.

        Jordan's status as custodian is enshrined in its 1994 peace treaty with Israel.

        King Abdullah II vowed recently to oppose any Israeli attempt to change the status of Muslim or Christian holy sites in Jerusalem amidst Israel's ambition to build a Jewish Temple in place of Al Aqsa. ***1***
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