Dubai: The UAE took part in an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) yesterday in Jeddah to take a unified stance on Israel’s ongoing violations of the Al Aqsa Mosque.
Shaikh Nahyan Bin Saif Al Nahyan, UAE Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Permanent Representative to OIC, headed the UAE delegation which attended the open-ended meeting of the OIC Executive Committee for Permanent Representatives to discuss a unified Islamic position on the ongoing Israeli attacks on Al Aqsa Mosque.
Shaikh Nahyan reiterated that the UAE strongly condemned the storming of Al Aqsa Mosque by Israeli police forces, the attacks on worshippers and the multiple arrests that were made, stressing the need to provide full protections for Al Aqsa Mosque and halt serious and proactive violations taking place there.
Respecting custodian role
He underlined the need to respect the custodial role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan over the holy sites in accordance with international law and the historical context at hand, and not to compromise the authority of the Jerusalem endowment that manages the affairs of Al Aqsa Mosque.
Shaikh Nahyan reiterated that the UAE rejects all practices that violate international resolutions and lead to further escalation in the region.
He stressed that the UAE supports all regional and international efforts to advance the Middle East peace process based on the two-state solution leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
During the meeting, Hussain Brahim Taha, OIC Secretary- General, stressed that Al Aqsa Mosque is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories and that is a place of worship for Muslims only.
