Abbas’ advisor: Jerusalem is “Arab and Islamic and a pure Islamic heritage, which no one other than the Muslims have a right to”
Headline: “Al-Habbash from Tunis: The visit of Arabs and Muslims to Jerusalem is a religious virtue and a political need”
“Supreme Shari’ah Judge of Palestine and [PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas’] advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash… called to revive the roles of the waqf (i.e., an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law) ministries in the Islamic world in order to support the residents of Jerusalem, to aid them in standing firm on their land and in their city, and to provide them with direct aid through Arab and Islamic investments in the holy city, visits to Jerusalem, making direct contact with its residents, and becoming familiar with their suffering. He noted that visiting Jerusalem is normalization with its original [Arab] residents and true owners who are longing to meet their Arab and Muslim brothers in their city, and not normalization with the occupation.
The supreme Shari’ah judge presented Tunisian Minister [of Justice and Religious Affairs Ghazi Jeribi ] with a book on Jerusalem that bears its name and includes all of its religious, historical, and cultural aspects that remind us every day that this city is Arab and Islamic and a pure Islamic heritage, which no one other than the Muslims have a right to, as was confirmed by the latest international resolutions, and particularly the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) resolutions.”
UNESCO Resolution on “Occupied Palestine”
On Oct. 13, 2016, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) passed a resolution in Paris on “Occupied Palestine” with 24 countries voting in favor, 6 against, and 24 abstentions. The resolution was later approved by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee on Oct. 26, 2016, in a secret ballot in which ten countries voted in favor of the resolution, two opposed, eight abstained, and one country, Jamaica, was absent.
In the resolution, UNESCO refers to the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, only as “Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif,” and presents it only as a “Muslim holy site.” The resolution condemns “escalating Israeli aggressions” and Israeli “violations” at the site, and calls on Israel “to respect the integrity, authenticity and cultural heritage of Al-Aqṣa Mosque/Al-Ḥaram Al-Sharif… as a Muslim holy site of worship.” The resolution likewise refers to the Western Wall Plaza as the “Al-Buraq Plaza ‘Western Wall Plaza,’” adding quotation marks to the Jewish name for the site.
The resolution was submitted by Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, and Sudan.
The countries voting for the resolution were: Algeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chad, China, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, and Vietnam.
Those voting against it were: Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, The Netherlands, the UK, and the US.
Mexico later noted for the record that its position on the issue is one of abstention, although the vote count was unaffected.
On Oct. 14, 2016, Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova indicated her opposition to the proposal, making the following statement: “The heritage of Jerusalem is indivisible, and each of its communities has a right to the explicit recognition of their history and relationship with the city... To deny, conceal or erase any of the Jewish, Christian or Muslim traditions undermines the integrity of the site, and runs counter to the reasons that justified its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list. When these divisions carry over into UNESCO, an organization dedicated to dialogue and peace, they prevent us from carrying out our mission."
Full text of resolution here: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002462/246215e.pdf
“Supreme Shari’ah Judge of Palestine and [PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas’] advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash… called to revive the roles of the waqf (i.e., an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law) ministries in the Islamic world in order to support the residents of Jerusalem, to aid them in standing firm on their land and in their city, and to provide them with direct aid through Arab and Islamic investments in the holy city, visits to Jerusalem, making direct contact with its residents, and becoming familiar with their suffering. He noted that visiting Jerusalem is normalization with its original [Arab] residents and true owners who are longing to meet their Arab and Muslim brothers in their city, and not normalization with the occupation.
The supreme Shari’ah judge presented Tunisian Minister [of Justice and Religious Affairs Ghazi Jeribi ] with a book on Jerusalem that bears its name and includes all of its religious, historical, and cultural aspects that remind us every day that this city is Arab and Islamic and a pure Islamic heritage, which no one other than the Muslims have a right to, as was confirmed by the latest international resolutions, and particularly the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) resolutions.”
UNESCO Resolution on “Occupied Palestine”
On Oct. 13, 2016, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) passed a resolution in Paris on “Occupied Palestine” with 24 countries voting in favor, 6 against, and 24 abstentions. The resolution was later approved by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee on Oct. 26, 2016, in a secret ballot in which ten countries voted in favor of the resolution, two opposed, eight abstained, and one country, Jamaica, was absent.
In the resolution, UNESCO refers to the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, only as “Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif,” and presents it only as a “Muslim holy site.” The resolution condemns “escalating Israeli aggressions” and Israeli “violations” at the site, and calls on Israel “to respect the integrity, authenticity and cultural heritage of Al-Aqṣa Mosque/Al-Ḥaram Al-Sharif… as a Muslim holy site of worship.” The resolution likewise refers to the Western Wall Plaza as the “Al-Buraq Plaza ‘Western Wall Plaza,’” adding quotation marks to the Jewish name for the site.
The resolution was submitted by Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, and Sudan.
The countries voting for the resolution were: Algeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chad, China, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, and Vietnam.
Those voting against it were: Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, The Netherlands, the UK, and the US.
Mexico later noted for the record that its position on the issue is one of abstention, although the vote count was unaffected.
On Oct. 14, 2016, Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova indicated her opposition to the proposal, making the following statement: “The heritage of Jerusalem is indivisible, and each of its communities has a right to the explicit recognition of their history and relationship with the city... To deny, conceal or erase any of the Jewish, Christian or Muslim traditions undermines the integrity of the site, and runs counter to the reasons that justified its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list. When these divisions carry over into UNESCO, an organization dedicated to dialogue and peace, they prevent us from carrying out our mission."
Full text of resolution here: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002462/246215e.pdf