Al-Aqsa Mosque preacher Sheikh Akramah Sabri has called on the Arab and Islamic nations to diligently unify their efforts to protect Al-Aqsa and all sanctities, as well as endowment property in Jerusalem and all areas across Palestine.
In a statement Sunday, he called for heading to Al-Aqsa on Tuesday, Aug. 25, marking the anniversary of the Mosque arson.
This arson, Sabri stressed, would remain a moment of grief and a provocative act in the nation's history that must be commemorated to remind future generations of a nefarious assault on the Mosque and to remain permanently vigilant of the lurking risks facing it.
The preacher underlined that this commemoration would be an opportunity to uphold immutable Islamic rights and convey the voice of Jerusalem to the entire world. He stressed that these rights can never be waived or compromised under any circumstance.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque arson took place on Aug. 21, 1969. The fire engulfed parts of the Qibli prayer hall and Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi's pulpit.
Fifty seven years later, the anniversary comes as Al-Aqsa Mosque is plagued by rising threats, including stepped-up daily incursions by Israeli settlers, tighter restrictions on Muslim worshippers and attempts to cement a division of the site by time and space under the protection of Israeli authorities