In an April 13, 2022 statement,[1] the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), which is supported by Qatar and Turkey, praised the perpetrators of the recent terror attacks in Israel, calling them "heroic mujahideen" and stressing that such attacks are "the only path towards the liberation of Palestine." The statement, which was signed by 40 organizations, also called on the Palestinians to march to and remain inside the Al-Aqsa mosque until the end of the month of Ramadan, saying that doing so would be a form of waging jihad for the sake of Allah. Claiming that the Israeli armed forces and the settlers are planning to storm the Al-Aqsa mosque in order to sacrifice an animal there, it emphasized that doing so would constitute "an attempt to impose an extremely dangerous new reality."
IUMS scholars deliver the statement (Source: Facebook.com /palscholarss/videos/707311350684386, April 13, 2022)
However, the same day, April 13, Ofir Gendelman, spokesperson to the Arab media in the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, tweeted in Arabic: "The claims that there are Jews who plan to make [animal] sacrifices in Al-Haram Al-Sharif [i.e. the Al-Aqsa compound] are completely false and were circulated by Palestinian terror organizations and other elements in order to incite and encourage terrorism. We safeguard the status quo in the holy places, and will not allow [anyone] to compromise security and public order in Jerusalem or anywhere else."[2]
Recently, the Palestinian factions have called on the people of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the West Bank to march to Al-Aqsa and remain there to defend it. Following a consultation at the office of Yahya Al-Sinwar, who heads Hamas' political bureau in Gaza, the representatives of the Palestinian factions issued a statement that said: "The Palestinian factions in Gaza call for the continued mobilization of the resistance everywhere, and urge preparation for the defense of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa. The factions announce a general mobilization wherever our [Palestinian] people are present, and urge the masses to set forth by the hundreds of thousands to defend our people and Al-Aqsa. They call on our people in Jerusalem, in the [West] Bank, and inside the occupation [i.e. Israeli Arabs] to flock en masse to the blessed Al-Aqsa mosque, in order to attend prayers there on Friday, Ramadan 14 [April 15], and to deploy there in order to protect it from defilement by the criminal Zionists."[3]
IUMS logo
The following is the full translation of the statement.
Statement By The Scholars Of The Ummah On The Zionists' Plots And Mobilizations To Storm The Al-Aqsa Mosque During The Month Of Ramadan 1443
"Go forth, light armed and heavy armed, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah! That is best for you if ye but knew" – Quran 9:41.
The Zionists Are Attempting To "Impose An Extremely Dangerous New Reality"
"The occupation's armed forces and the flocks of its settlers have mobilized their falsehood and prepared their cavalry, infantry and evil to carry out a large scale storming of the sacred Aqsa mosque during the so-called Passover and practice their prohibited religious ritual of slaughtering an animal as an offering inside Al-Aqsa mosque. [This is] as a moral gesture for them towards the building of their alleged temple starting from April 15, which corresponds to the 14th day of Ramadan for the Islamic year 1443, in a clear attempt to impose an extremely dangerous new reality there and to dictate its division, spatially and temporally, by force under the Zionist alliance with the pro-normalization forces of some Arab and Muslims.
"In response to this Zionist criminal aggression, we, the scholars of the ummah, individuals and organizations, the signers of this statement, would like to stress the following:
"First: The scholars stress that we are witnessing an extremely dangerous and advanced crime. These kinds of planned storming events are meant to reinforce the objectives of the Zionist enemy in turning the sacred Al-Aqsa mosque into a legitimate right for the Zionists, and part of all of their plots, as those who own it and control it – one of the ugliest Zionist attempts to destroy Al-Aqsa mosque. 'Who does more wrong than those who prevent Allah's Name from being mentioned in His places of worship and strive to destroy them? Such people have no right to enter these places except with fear. For them is disgrace in this world, and they will suffer a tremendous punishment in the Hereafter.' Quran 2:114."
Al-Aqsa "Belongs Exclusively To The Muslims"
"Second: The scholars stress that the sacred Al-Aqsa mosque, including all of its sections, buildings, walls, and fences, and what is above it and beneath it, belongs exclusively to the Muslims, and that any attack on it or on any part of it is considered an attack on the third most sacred place for all Muslims, after the Grand Mosque and the Prophet Mosque. [Thus,] it is an obligation incumbent upon the entire ummah to march forth and act within the available resources to stop this criminal aggression."
Religious Endowment Ministries In The Muslim World Should Mobilize People To March To Al-Aqsa Mosque
"Third: The scholars urge the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the ministries of religious endowment in the Muslim world to act immediately on all levels and to work with official and international entities to stop this systematic Zionist crime and to stop the planned storming activities. In particular, the scholars urge the Jordanian Ministry of Endowment, as the guardian of Al-Aqsa mosque, and the endowments in Al-Quds (Jerusalem), to act urgently and take up their direct responsibility to tend and protect the sacred Al-Aqsa mosque and to mobilize people to [march to and] remain at the destination of Prophet Mohammad's nocturnal journey, and to practice i'tikaf [constant worship] to protect and defend it."
A Call To Muslim Scholars To Inform Muslims Of Their Religious Obligations To Al-Aqsa
"Fourth: The scholars urge all scholars, preachers, and speakers of the Islamic ummah, particularly the scholars of the Grand Mosque and the Mosque of the Prophet, the twin mosques of the sacred Al-Aqsa mosque, to maximize their efforts and energy to explain the ummah's obligation to confront this occupying entity and its repeated attacks on the sacred Al-Aqsa mosque. [Likewise, it urges them to explain] the Muslims' obligation to support those who are stationed in Al-Quds and in Al-Aqsa, and the danger of the normalization of relations with Israel to the ummah, to Al-Quds, and to Al-Aqsa. 'Those who deliver the messages of Allah, and fear Him, and fear no one except Allah. Allah suffices as a Reckoner.' Quran 33:39."
The People Of Al-Quds Are "The Definition Of Heroism And Manhood"
"Fifth: The scholars salute the men and women, the heroes of Al-Quds, who are stationed there and who always act using all the dignity of the faith that is in their hearts and their love for the Al-Aqsa mosque, and sacrifice then for the sake of Al-Aqsa and to protect it. They are the definition of heroism and manhood. Today, the scholars call on them and on all the sons of the Palestinian nation who have been standing guard and waging jihad in the occupied territories of 1948 and in the West Bank, from where they are able to go to the sacred Al-Aqsa mosque, to do so, to urgently march forth to the Al-Aqsa mosque and perform i'tikaf there, to challenge and thwart the storming attempt."
Remaining In The Aqsa Mosque During Ramadan Is An Act Of Waging Jihad For The Sake Of Allah
"Sixth: The scholars have issued a fatwa deeming performing i'tikaf in Al-Aqsa mosque necessary, starting from today and during the rest of the month of Ramadan. They also deem it necessary for those who are able to do so to come to Al-Aqsa mosque from all the Palestinian regions, to gather en masse. The scholars stress that performing i'tikaf in the Al-Aqsa mosque under the occupation and against the mass presence of the Zionists who would like to storm it fits many religious definitions. It is i'tikaf during the month of Ramadan at the Al-Aqsa mosque that combines the spatial and temporal blessings. It is an act of taking part in standing guard for the sake of Allah, and it is also an act of waging jihad for the sake of Allah by repelling the aggression and driving the Zionist masses from it."
A Call To Muslims To Extend Moral And Financial Support To The "People Of Al-Quds" And The Palestinians "Who Are Heading To Al-Aqsa Mosque"
"Seventh: The scholars call on the entire ummah to support the people of Al-Quds and of Palestine who are heading to Al-Aqsa mosque, and to those who are stationed around it, with all kinds of moral and financial support. They also call on people to maximize their efforts to stop the projects of harassment against our people in Al-Quds, and to contribute financially to restore the glory of the ummah – because it would be unacceptable for those standing guard to require support when the ummah cannot cover their expenses. That would be disappointing. We need the ummah to spend freely, donate, and create financial, media, and all forms of stations to support our people in Al-Quds.
"[The scholars] also call on the Muslim nations to go to the public squares and raise their voices, and on journalists to carry out their media duties and devote their pages, websites, and resources to the support of the sacred Al-Aqsa mosque, and to insult the faces of the occupier Zionists and expose their hostility and criminal plots."
We "Salute The Heroic Mujahideen" And Call To "The People Of Palestine In Every Place, And From All Factions, To Carry Out All Forms Of Jihad Activity"
"Eighth: The scholars salute the heroic mujahideen who carried out many heroic operations against the Zionists in our occupied territories of 1948, and stress that this is the only path towards the liberation of Palestine' and the only language that the belligerent occupiers understand. The scholars salute the people of Jenin – the young, the old, the men, the women, the pro-resistance, and the entire nation. They call on the people of Palestine in every place, and from all factions, to carry out all forms of jihad activity, to draw on readily available resources, and to line up in their ranks, unite their words, and punish the enemy for its aggression by threatening its life and existence – which it values the most.
"To the sons of the ummah everywhere: Al-Aqsa mosque is in dire need of every effort and every [type of] work. Those who have chosen to extend their support to Al-Aqsa have understood the path for success and glory, and those who have not chosen this path have proven themselves foolish and made themselves ridiculous. The wrongdoers will surely know at which turn they will be returning to (Hell)."
Signatories
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International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS)
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League of the Scholars of Eritrea
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The Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq
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The Permanent Commission for the Support of Al-Quds And Palestine
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Palestine Scholars Association
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The Association of Palestine Scholars
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The Association of Muslim Scholars in Lebanon
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Islamic Unity Society in Lebanon
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Al-Mourtada Foundation for Studies and Islamic Da'wa – Iran
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Iraq Imams and Preachers Association
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Al-Maali Society For Science and Education – Algeria
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Malaysian Scholars Association
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Unity For Scholars and Islamic Schools – Turkey
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Scholars Forum
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The House of Science Association
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The Righteous Caliphs Complex For Da'wa – Gaza – Palestine
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Guidance and Reform society – Algeria
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The Libyan Fatwa House
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League of Libyan Ulema
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Al-Quds Academic Forum
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Jama'at Ibad al-Rahman – Senegal
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Syrian Islamic Council
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Preachers Council – Lebanon
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Palestinian Preachers Congress
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Syrian Scholars League
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Society for Islamic Unity
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League for the Scholars and Preachers of Southeast Asia
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Rowwad E-Academy
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Yemen scholars league
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League for scholars of Arab Maghreb
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Sunna Scholars Association
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Warith al-Anbiya Foundation
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The Joint Committee for the Defense of Islamist Detainees
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National Independent Council for Imams – Algeria
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Al-Nahdah Social Association
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Scholars council for Malaysian Islamic Union
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Scholars commission for IKRAM Malaysia
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Moroccan Commission for the defense of the Issues of the Ummah
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League for the guidance of society – Somalia
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Palestine Scholars' Congress.
