More than 150 organisations and over 1,000 academics and scholars have signed a petition organised by Friends of Al-Aqsa, calling on leaders of Muslim-majority countries to take concrete action following Israel’s closure of Masjid Al-Aqsa during much of the month of Ramadan.
The petition was launched in response to Israel's closure of Masjid Al-Aqsa Sanctuary, one of the holiest sites in Islam. Signatories are urging governments to move beyond diplomatic statements and take practical steps to protect the site.
The signatories welcomed a recent joint statement by the foreign ministers of the UAE, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which condemned the closure. However, they said the situation requires stronger action.
The petition argues that the closure of Masjid Al-Aqsa is taking place alongside a number of other developments that it says threaten Islamic holy sites. These include the ongoing war in Gaza, the transfer of administrative authority over the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron (Al-Khalil), and increasingly public calls by Israeli political and ideological figures to alter or replace the existing structures at the Al-Aqsa compound.
Ismail Patel, chair of Friends of Al-Aqsa said, “While we welcome the statements issued by several Muslim-majority governments condemning the closure of Masjid Al-Aqsa, statements alone will not prevent further violations. The threats facing this sacred site are immediate and growing. What is needed now is political courage and decisive action.”
The signatories’ emphasised Israel has previously disregarded UN resolutions, UNESCO rulings and international humanitarian law, arguing that diplomatic criticism alone has failed to deter further actions affecting the status quo of the Al-Aqsa Sanctuary.
The signatories are therefore calling on Muslim-majority governments to adopt stronger measures, including suspending trade with Israel, withdrawing ambassadors and imposing diplomatic and economic sanctions.
“The defence of Masjid Al-Aqsa requires leadership,” Ismail Patel added. “History will not remember the statements made at this moment, but the actions taken to protect one of Islam’s holiest sites.”
The petition will be handed to the embassies of Muslim Majority countries.
END
