Israeli police have banned a group of extremist Jews from entering Jerusalem's mosque compound Monday to lay the foundation stone for a new Jewish temple on the site, Islam's third holiest, reported AFP.
The Jewish extremist group, the Temple Mount Faithful, wanted the foundation ceremony to coincide with the Jewish Feast of the Tabernacle, or Sukkot, to build a third Jewish temple at the sacred site, according to the agency.
Jerusalem Mufti Sheikh Ekrima Sabri called on Muslims to go to the holy compound to protest the ceremony, near the Al-Aqsa mosque.
The Temple Mount Faithful, an extremist Jewish group, had announced its intention to march on the Haram Al Sharif on Monday to lay the corner stone of the “Third Temple Mount,” said Hamas movement in a statement published on its web site on Sunday.
“The Israeli government has allowed the establishment of the corner stone of the supposed temple mount near the holy Aqsa mosque,” Hamas said.
The Islamist movement added that the extremist Jewish group “has bought more then five tons of marble, one block of which is to be used as the corner stone, and the rest will be used to build the temple.”
Hamas denounced this attempt, describing it as “hostile against the Arab and the Islamic nations.”
The movement called on the people to gather in the squares of the mosque on Monday morning in order to prevent such an attempt from taking place, and to defend the Aqsa from such an “aggression.” – (Several Sources)
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