In the Name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful

Statement on Palestine, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Iraq and Somalia

Praise is due to Allāh, Lord of the worlds, may the blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, the last of prophets, on his family, and all his companions,

The Council of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, holding its 17th session in Amman, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, on 28 Jumādā al-Ūlā – 2 Jumādā al-Ākhirah 1427h (24–28 June 2006), in its capacity as a representative of the Muslim countries and peo- ples, and due to its concern with the affairs of Muslims, issues this statement on Palestine, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Iraq and Somalia.

Palestine and Al-Aqsa Mosque

The International Islamic Fiqh Academy closely observes the painful realities that the Palestinians are suffering under the pitiless occupation and the tight Israeli siege, which has become now more violent, as a punishment for the Palestinians’ practice of their natural right of their natural right electing their government and legislative council. The Academy calls upon the Muslim coun- tries and the countries of the whole world to shoulder their moral and human- itarian obligations to lift the various kinds of oppression and the sufferance of the Palestinian people.

The International Islamic Fiqh Academy, while watching these serious events, calls on the whole world to stop the terrorist crimes of the occupation author- ities; acts of killing innocent children, women and men, executing collective massacres, destruction of houses and displacement of their dwellers, seizure of lands and damaging of crops and cutting down fruitful trees. Not only that, but the occupation authorities is constructing, on the ruins of the destroyed Palestinian homes, a racist wall to chop off and swallow 25% of the Palestinian land, in violation of the teachings of the revealed religions, traditions of hu- manity, international laws and the verdicts of the International Court of Justice. The Academy points out that such despised siege and crimes had never been witnessed even in the darkest and most oppressive eras of human history. Regretfully, all these crimes are committed by the Israeli authorities under the veil of self-defence and by twisting the facts to claim that the Palestinians’ re-

sistance to the oppressive occupation is an act of terrorism and aggression.

The International Islamic Fiqh Academy, given the aggressive statements and evil plans of the extremists and officials of Israel regarding Al-Quds City in gen-

eral and Al-Aqsa Mosque in particular, reaffirms once again in this Session its previous resolutions regarding this issue, especially the following:

1. Al-Quds City and Al- Aqsa Mosque are sacred places for Muslims all over the World due to their relationship with the Midnight Holy Journey of the Prophet Muhammad SAW to the skies, as stated in the Holy Quran, and also because Al-Aqsa Mosque was the first Qibla of
2. The Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque belongs to Muslims alone, and the Jews have nothing to do with There should be a warning against potentially dangerous consequences of desecrating it. The entire responsibility of any aggression against Al-Aqsa Mosque is on the shoulders of the Jewish oc- cupation authorities and those countries that support it. Al-Aqsa Mosque can never be subject to negotiations and concessions, and that nobody would be able to negotiate or give concessions on it as its loftiness is above all that.
3. Equitable peace and stabilization can never be achieved in the region, except by putting an end to the Jewish occupation of Al-Quds City and its Holy Mosque and returning the land of Palestine to its lawful
4. The Palestinian people have the right to establish their independent state on all their lands with Al-Quds as its capital city. Palestinians also have the right to defend themselves, fight their enemy with all available lawful means, and return their refugees to their
5. The Academy would like to commend the great efforts exerted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for providing custodianship to Al-Aqsa Mosque and preserving the Arab and Islamic identity of Al-Quds City, through the Jordanian Ministry of Awqāf, Islamic Affairs, and Holy The Academy also commends the efforts of Bait Mal Al-Quds Agency of the OIC Al-Quds Commission and appreciates the support extended by other Arab and Muslim countries and organizations.

Once again, the Academy calls upon the governments and peoples of the Arab and Muslim countries to bear their religious, national, and historical responsi- bilities to extend hand to the Palestinian people, defend the occupied Al-Quds City and its Holy Mosque, stand by its resisting people and fortify their exist- ence and support their institutions in the fields of health, education, social and humanitarian services, etc. in order to forestall any attempt to judaize or inter- nationalize Al-Quds City as both are not acceptable under any circumstances.

Iraq

Today Iraq is facing severe crises which endanger its entity, existence, unity and sovereignty. In addition to the hardships and sufferings caused by the occupation, the gangs of violence and terrorism have gone so far in killing innocent people, especially women, elderly, and children, blasting mosques, worship places and markets, and spreading ruin and destruction on the land.

Besides this catastrophic situation, sectarianism aggravates the sufferance by killing people on identity, spreading terror among the Iraqi people, and converting Baghdad, the land of peace, ancient civilizations and the greatness of Al Rashid and Al Mamun, into an area of massive ruins, vice, damage, and beheading. Every morning the river of Dijlah is found full of tens of floating corpses, cut-off heads and torn-off limbs. Haphazard blasting is now a most common unpleasant scene in places of mass gatherings such as mosques, Shia sites, market areas, bus stations, and government offices and institutions. Added to all of this, the horrible practices inside prisons and the merciless bombarding of residential areas.

Despite all these great sorrows, the Academy can still see a glimpse of hope in the last elections, which have led to the formation of formal institutions of Iraq viz. the parliament, the government, and the presidency.

Accordingly, the Academy calls for ending the occupation; condemns violence and terrorism and provocation of sectarian disputes and religious conflicts; and urge the Shiite and Sunni leaders to do their best to stop these dangerous bloody sequential events that produce no winner. It is a catastrophic disaster that de- stroys everything. Defusing religious tension and extinguishing sectarian flames are pre-requisites for the success of any political solution, stability, and progress. On this occasion, the Academy also invites all Iraqis to pay much care for po- litical participation and contribute thoughtfully to political activities by joining the various governmental bodies, especially the defence and interior ministries. Such broad participation would help achieve a balance between the various com- ponents and strips of the Iraqi people and enhance the success of the government plan for dissolving the factional militias and achieving national reconciliation through tolerance and justice for all. Only then, Iraq will be able to regain its full sovereignty, maintain its national unity, get rid of the occupation, which will then become unjustifiable, and come back to play its vital role within the

ranks of the Arab and Islamic Ummah.

The Academy appeals to all Islamic and friendly countries to extend emer- gency relieves to the afflicted Iraqi areas and assist Iraq to pass this severe crisis and regain its positive role in the international family. The Academy commends the reconciliation efforts being made by some countries to put an end to the Iraqi

sufferings, especially the efforts exerted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan through contacting the different religious leaders in Iraq to reach a comprehen- sive religious solution that can form a basis for a political settlement.

Somalia

Regarding the current situation in Somalia, the Council of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy of the Organization of the Islamic Conference calls upon all our rational brothers there, including the president, the government, the leaders of the Islamic Courts and all Somali people, to opt for effective serious reconciliation, refrain from violence and fighting and place the supreme welfare of Somalia above any personal interests by seizing this available opportunity for peace and compromise; and unifying their efforts for regaining peace and stability; and heading forward to rebuild their war-wrecked country.

The Academy also supports the great efforts exerted by the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference under the righteous guidance of their respective Secretary Generals and the Somalia Affairs Follow-up Committee. The Academy looks forward to the continuation and furtherance of such efforts to include economic, political and security support to Somalia to embark upon national unity and re-assume its role as an active member of the international community and Arab-Islamic Organizations.

In the meantime, the Academy calls upon the Ummah, governments and peoples, to support Somalia and provide assistance in all fields, especially post- war emergency relief and assistance to drought-stricken people. “Each Muslim is the brother of the other Muslim, he never aggrieves him, betrays him, or hand him over to the enemy,” and “Allāh bestows His help upon His slave as long as his slave helps his brethren.”

Indeed, Allāh is the Giver of Success.