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The Noble Sanctuary Is No Excuse for Murder

(Newsweek) Mohammed Kaabiya - Following the attack by three Arab Israelis at the Noble Sanctuary, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, which left two Israeli police officers dead, the Israeli government decided to place new security restrictions at the entrance to the holy site. The Waqf, or Islamic trust presiding over the site, and the Palestinian Authority have called on Muslims to rally against these measures, which protect first and foremost worshipers coming to pray. The attackers, the Waqf and the PA are ignoring the clear prohibition in the passages of the Koran that forbid the killing of innocents and even more so, doing it in a holy place. The Noble Sanctuary is a very powerful propaganda tool for many Arab and Muslim organizations that want to exploit it for disinformation, incitement and provocations. It was the well-known method used by Haj Amin al-Husseini who was the Mufti of Jerusalem in the 1930s, when he told the Arab world that the Al-Aqsa Mosque was in danger in order to divert their attention to the conflict. We see today the same method used by all kinds of extremist movements and organizations that are constantly harping that the Noble Sanctuary and the Al-Aqsa Mosque are in danger and should be "liberated." Mere rumors by Palestinians regarding Al-Aqsa are enough to ignite a conflagration. We have not heard a clear and unequivocal condemnation of the attack from the general Muslim society. The murdered policemen were Druze, believers in Allah, serving there to preserve the peace and protect the people of all faiths who visit the holy site. Extremists are opposed to any change even if they are there to serve the safety and security of their own worshippers. Even the King of Saudi Arabia said he saw no problem with the installation of electronic means of inspection, which are the same ones used at Islam's holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. It is upon us as Arab citizens of Israel to condemn all acts of terror without doubting or blinking, in a loud and clear voice, as well as fighting incitement and those within our society who call for violence. The Palestinian leadership is abusing Islam and its holy site to incite the masses in order to promote their own agenda. The international community, including the Muslim world, should support any action that safeguards freedom of religion and the worshipers' personal safety at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The writer is a strategic advisor on the Arab world to Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2017-07-24 00:00:00
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