OIC: Legal Status of Holy Places in Al-Quds need to be preserved

RELIGIOUS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issued a statement on Monday reaffirming the eternal bond of Muslims with the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque.

“Asharq Al-Awsat” reported marking the 54th anniversary of the attempt to burn Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the OIC stressed the need to preserve the legal and historical status of the Islamic and Christian holy places in the occupied city of Al-Quds, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque, with its entire area of 144 dunums, as a place of worship strictly for Muslims only.

“This day marks the painful fifty-fourth anniversary of the sinful attempt to burn the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque,” the OIC said in the statement.

The Organization also affirmed that the anniversary comes amid escalation of Israeli violations, and its attempts to prejudice Al-Aqsa’s legal and historical status through repeated incursions into its courtyards by extremist settlers under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces.

It added that Israel has been flagrantly violating the sanctity of the holy places, desecrating and closing the gates of al-Aqsa, attacking crowds of worshipers, and restricting their freedom of access to the Mosque.

The OIC also affirmed that the city of Al-Quds Ash-Sharif, the capital of the State of Palestine, is an integral part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967. It rejected any measures or decisions aimed at changing its geographical or demographic character, as well as any attempts to impose alleged Israeli sovereignty over this city and its sanctities, as Illegal and illegitimate actions under international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

The Organization called on the international community, especially the actors in the international arena, to correct the historical injustice inflicted on the Palestinian people by ending the Israeli colonial occupation and enabling the Palestinians to regain their legitimate rights, including their right to return, and the establishment of their independent state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Al-Quds as its capital.

It also called on the realization of the vision of the two-state solution based on the relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, which still represents, with all its elements and natural sequence, a political and legal reference and a historic opportunity to achieve peace.

The OIC expressed its appreciation and admiration for the Palestinian people who are steadfast in their land defending their sanctities.

The Organization finally reaffirmed its solidarity and unwavering support for its legitimate national rights and calls for strengthening support and solidarity for the city of Al-Quds and its people.