Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 10/01/2023
H.E. the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, affirmed that the Israeli attacks against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque are an offense against the feelings and beliefs of Muslims around the world, as well as a flagrant violation of international law and UN resolutions. In his speech at the extraordinary, open-ended meeting of the OIC Executive Committee, which discussed the ongoing Israeli attacks on the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Secretary-General confirmed that these attacks would fuel violence and tension and destabilize security and stability in the region. The Secretary-General called for a responsible international action that compels Israel to stop these serious violations in order to preserve the existing historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque as a place of worship for Muslims alone.
This came in the context of the OIC General Secretariat following, with concern, the policies of the Israeli occupation in the occupied city of Al-Quds, as the OIC held its extraordinary meeting regarding the continuous Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, on 10 January 2023. H.E. Hissein Taha addressed the opening session, stressing that the Israeli occupation is taking measures aimed at changing the geographical and demographic situation in the occupied Al-Quds, obliterating its Arab-Muslim identity, and attacking its Islamic sanctities, especially the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, by closing its gates, attacking worshipers and preventing them from reaching it, and storming it by extremist settlers and senior Israeli officials under protection of the occupation forces, particularly the provocative visit of the extremist Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, to Al-Aqsa Mosque.
H.E. Hissein Taha explained that he held contacts with international actors through which he conveyed the OIC position in this regard. These contacts included the United Nations and the European Union in order to urge them to exert pressure on Israel to stop its serious violations against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The OIC Secretary-General called for mobilizing and redoubling the OIC's political, economic and media efforts in order to protect the occupied Al-Quds, support the steadfastness of its people in the face of Israeli Judaization schemes and defend the inalienable Palestinian rights.
