Al-Aqsa Mosque unalienable right of Muslim Ummah, not subject to historical revision or force: Al-Azhar Observatory - Foreign Affairs

Al-Ahram Weekly

3 days ago

Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem is a divinely blessed Islamic site whose status is not subject to historical distortion or military force, the Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism affirmed on Tuesday.
The statement was made in response to recent claims by Israeli Rabbi Menachem Brod, as published in an article on the Hebrew-language site Haredim 1, where he sought to promote the concept of constructing the so-called 'Third Temple' in the Jewish collective consciousness.
According to the observatory, Brod's article argues that the denial of Jewish ties to the Temple Mount — where Al-Aqsa Mosque is located — by what he calls the "enemies of the Jews" is a 'heavenly sign' urging Jews to renew their spiritual connection to the site.
Brod further alleged that early Islam acknowledged the existence of Solomon's Temple beneath the Dome of the Rock, but claimed that contemporary Muslims have rewritten history to erase this acknowledgement.
He called on Jews to deepen their spiritual and intellectual relationship with the Temple Mount — even without physically visiting it — by studying its history and teaching future generations about its significance.
The article also invoked the phrase 'The Temple Mount is in our hands,' first declared during the 1967 war, describing it as a symbol of Jewish spiritual restoration.
Brod claimed that a Third Temple will eventually be built by the awaited Messiah (HaMashiach) and will serve as a 'house of prayer for all nations' and a 'bridge to world peace' — suggesting, according to his religious interpretation, that Muslims will willingly relinquish the mosque upon the Messiah's arrival.
In response, Al-Azhar Observatory condemned these views as part of an extremist religious discourse aimed at legitimizing occupation and asserting supremacy in the name of faith.
The observatory emphasized that while Islam honours the legacy of all prophets, it firmly asserts that Al-Quds (Jerusalem) is a blessed city for all faiths — yet Al-Aqsa Mosque is a sacred Islamic endowment (waqf) and an unalienable right of the Muslim Ummah.
Located in occupied East Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam, after the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.
The mosque compound includes the iconic Dome of the Rock, whose golden dome has become a defining symbol of both Palestinian identity and the city of Jerusalem. According to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from this very site during the Night Journey (Isra and Mi'raj).
While Jews are permitted to enter the compound, they are forbidden from praying there due to concerns that such acts may inflame tensions with Muslim worshippers.
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