Prince Hashem attends 89th Hashemite Scientific Council on Jerusalem

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, HRH Prince Hashem, the chief Chamberlain, on Friday attended the 89th session of the Hashemite Scientific Council at the Royal Cultural Centre, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Organised by the Awqaf Ministry, the scientific council is an annual Ramadan event that features the participation of intellectuals, clerics and Sharia (Islamic law) professors from the Kingdom and other Arab and Muslim countries.

Friday's session covered the jurisprudence related to Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque and the Muslims' duties in this regard.

Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine Sheikh Mohammad Hussein said: "The land of Palestine is an Islamic endowment that should not be compromised under any circumstances."

He stressed that the Hashemite custodianship on the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem borne by Jordan under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, entails the protection and safeguarding of the holy city and its shrines.

The head of religious teaching at Jerusalem's Awqaf Department Sheikh Najeh Bkeirat said that efforts by scholars and all Muslims are necessary to protect Al Aqsa Mosque.

He stressed that if Muslims gave up on protecting the holy land, the Muslim world would become on the "margin" of nations, adding that "the degrading situation that Al Aqsa is witnessing today is a result of long term inattention to the holy site".

Jordan's Grand Mufti Mohammad Khalayleh said that Muslim nations must "unite and make internal reforms" to protect and safeguard Jerusalem, noting that "a scattered nation cannot protect its properties".

Khalayleh also referred to Jordan's Hashemite Fund for the Restoration of Al Aqsa Mosque, stressing the duty of Muslims to support the fund with donations in order to build and protect the holy site.

The event was attended by Royal Court Imam Sheikh Ghaleb Rababaah, Awqaf Minister Abdul Nasser Abul Bassal, Royal Court Secretary General Yousef Issawi, Chief Islamic Justice Abdul Karim Khasawneh, several ambassadors, civil and military officials, as well as clerics.