Israel Arrests Grand Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque for Praising Ismail Haniyeh

Jerusalem, MINA – Israeli occupation forces have arrested the preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Ekrima Sabri, from his home after he was appointed Ismail Haniyeh, the deceased Hamas political bureau leader.

Israeli forces apprehended Sheikh Ekrima Sabri in the Sawaneh neighborhood of al-Tur, east of the occupied Jerusalem.

According to Almayadeen, Sheikh Sabri was arrested for honoring the martyrdom of Hamas’s political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, shortly after his death at the hands of Israeli occupation forces.

On Friday, Israeli officials launched a broad initiative campaign against Sheikh Sabri following his sermon about Haniyeh’s martyrdom.

Sheikh Sabri praised Haniyeh and spoke about the virtues of martyrs and believers. His sermon was met with takbir (a Muslim call of praise) from the congregation.F

Following this, a funeral prayer was held for Haniyeh, his companions, and all martyrs. In his Friday sermon, Sheikh Sabri said, “The people of Jerusalem and its surroundings, from the blessed pulpit of Al-Aqsa Mosque, consider Ismail Haniyeh as a martyr in the eyes of Allah. May He grant him the highest place in paradise.”

In response, Israeli police ordered an investigation into Sheikh Sabri. “Following the outcry from one of the preachers during Friday prayers at Al-Haram Al-Sharif today, the police began examining any connections to incitement through coordination with relevant authorities and will take action based on the findings,” stated the Israeli occupation.

The funeral prayer after Friday prayers coincided with a ceremony held at the Mohammed Bin Abdul Wahab Mosque in Doha, Qatar, where Haniyeh was buried in Lusail, attended by many officials and people. During the funeral procession, Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s deputy chairman, gave a speech emphasizing that Haniyeh’s martyrdom would strengthen the unity of the Islamic World and the Resistance in the struggle for Palestinian liberation.

The killing occurred while Haniyeh was visiting Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, after a meeting with Sayyed Khamenei.

Not only at Al-Aqsa Mosque were sermons preaching Haniyeh delivered. Mosques worldwide, including Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, also held similar services. Funeral prayers for Haniyeh were conducted in various countries. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)