Sunday, September 30, 2007

Jordan On the Temple Mount

Medialine has the stroy in full:-

ROYAL COMMITTEE FOR TEMPLE MOUNT BEGINS WORK

The Hashemite Fund for the Renovation of Al-Aq'sa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock’s Board of Trustees conducted their first meeting on September 23. The meeting was attended by Jordan’s King 'Abdallah II, who announced a personal donation of over $1.5 million...The new fund is headed by a member of the royal family, Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad – another sign of the importance Jordan attributes to its activity.

...The fund has announced it will work to achieve two important goals: renovating the Al-Aq'sa Mosque and its surrounding compound, and supporting the Arab citizens of Jerusalem in order to "enable them to resist Israeli attempts to evict them from their city," according to Prince Ghazi.

"Looking after Jerusalem’s holy sites and supporting the steadfastness of its people are at the center of our attention and are a duty for all Muslims," King 'Abdallah II said during the meeting.

...Bab Al-Magharba is the central gate to the Al-Aq'sa compound. Last year the Jerusalem Municipality began renovation works on the earth rampart leading to the gate after parts of it collapsed...One of the first challenges to the seriousness of the Hashemite Fund will be the Bab Al-Magharba Bridge. During its first meeting this week one of its members, Raef Najm, said alternative plans to the Israeli bridge would soon be presented to UNESCO.

..."We, the members of committee, are unanimous in rejecting the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem and the annexation of the city," said another member of the Hashemite Fund, Dr. Kamil A-Sharif, during an interview with The Media Line.

According to A-Sharif, the main duty of the committee will be "to propagate the question of Jerusalem in the Muslim world and the world at large, to fight for the rights of the Arabs in Jerusalem and to reject the occupation. We are determined to keep the status of Jerusalem as an Arab city," A-Sharif said.

...Meanwhile, the fund is planning to implement a project to construct fire warning and extinguishing systems in the Al-Aq'sa compound. This project will begin in two weeks time after Eid Al-Fitr, head of the Jerusalem Islamic Endowments, Sheikh 'Azam Al-Khatib, told The Media Line.

Al-Khatib said he believed the main focus of the fund should be the renovation works in Al-Aq'sa.

"With regard to projects concerning the rest of Jerusalem, they are – to my understanding – outside the realm of the fund at present," Al-Khatib said.

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