Indonesian Ulema Condemns the Arrest of Sheikh Sabri

Jakarta, MINA – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) on Monday condemned the arrest of Imam of Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri and a number of mosque worshipers.

MUI also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to continue building Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Chairman of the Commission on Foreign Relations and International Cooperation, Bunyan Saptomo, said that all efforts by the Israeli Government to close down the Al-Aqsa Mosque in various ways, such as blocking, expelling worshipers who pray at the mosque, and arresting the mosque imam is a challenge to UNESCO’s 2016 decision.

The MUI also expressed appreciation to the Deputy Chairman of the People’s Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR-RI) who strongly condemned the arrest of the Imam of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and called on the United Nations (UN) to also give a stern warning to Israel.

Bunyan said that in connection with the Israeli Government’s agreement last month to build 800 new homes for Jews in the West Bank, MUI asked Israel to stop the project because it violated international law.

“MUI also expressed its appreciation of its support to the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate war crimes committed by Israel in the 2014 Gaza war,” he said.

MUI hopes that the ICC’s jurisdiction also covers other Israeli crimes, such as the forcible confiscation of land and the forced eviction of Palestinians from their land and homes.

He added that MUI also called on the UN Secretary General and the permanent members of the UN Security Council to take concrete actions needed to stop Israeli government policies that harm the Palestinian people, and bring Israel and Palestine to the presence of peace talks based on the principle of a “two state solution”. according to the 1967 borders.

“MUI as the representative of Indonesian Muslims will always support the struggle of the Palestinian people to achieve their independence from the Zionist Israeli occupation,” he said.

He said MUI hoped the Indonesian government would continue to be the front guard defending the Palestinian people against Israeli imperialism.

“MUI hopes that the Indonesian government can also garner support from OIC member countries, the Arab League and the United Nations to jointly realize a just peaceful settlement for the Palestinian people,” Bunyan said. (T/R7/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)