Gaza, MINA – Israel on Friday imposed a seven-day entry ban on Al-Aqsa Mosque preacher Sheikh Muhammad Salim following his Friday sermon condemning the Israeli war on Gaza, which has resulted in nearly 51,000 Palestinian deaths and left much of the enclave devastated.
According to sources quoted by Anadolu Agency, Israeli police arrested Sheikh Muhammad at one of Al-Aqsa’s gates and took him for interrogation at a police station in occupied East Jerusalem. He was later released but barred from entering the mosque for a week.
During the sermon, Sheikh Muhammad strongly denounced what he called the ongoing genocide in Gaza. His remarks appear to have prompted the temporary ban, which an official from the Islamic Endowment Department said could potentially be extended by Israeli authorities.
This is not the first time Israel has issued such bans. In previous instances, prominent religious figures such as Sheikh Ekrima Sabri have also been prohibited from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque due to their outspoken criticism of Israeli policies and their defense of Palestinian rights. []
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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
