Gulf | Saudi Arabia
Israel 'violating mosque sanctity'
A Saudi-based body of Islamic scholars yesterday condemned Israeli archaeological work near the Al Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, saying it was a "blatant violation" of the shrine's sanctity.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:00 February 4, 2007
Riyadh: A Saudi-based body of Islamic scholars yesterday condemned Israeli archaeological work near the Al Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, saying it was a "blatant violation" of the shrine's sanctity.
"The most serious element is plans to excavate under the walls of the Aqsa Mosque and its underground tunnels," the Islamic Jurisprudence Academy said in a statement carried on Saudi state news agency SPA.
"The Academy expresses its sorrow about blatant violations of the sanctity of the mosque, whose existence is threatened,' said the Jeddah-based Academy, which groups prominent Sunni and Shiite clerics from around the world.
The Aqsa Mosque and another mosque called the Dome of the Rock are located in the Al Haram Al Sharif. The Aqsa Mosque has been a flashpoint for Israeli-Palestinian fighting in the past. Control of the area has been a stumbling block in attempts to negotiate an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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