Masjid Al-Aqsa, one of the first masjids on the earth, and its surroundings are holy places. These places are mentioned in the holy book of Quran and hadiths of Prophet Muhammad and many prophets worked on this land to spread the message of oneness of Allah. The knowledge and experience accumulated in this land over time has made important contributions to the world civilization.
Jerusalem, which was conquered by Caliph Omar, and Masjid Al-Aqsa which is located in this city experienced a historical process of tranquility until the beginning of the past century when believers of three divine religions lived in peace except for a century-long Crusader occupation. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, Jerusalem has become a venue of chaos and occupation.
In this circle of violence, an occupying state was created with the support of western countries and 1948 became the year when Israel illegitimately came into being. Israel which was established through massacres has increased its pressure on Palestinian people whose land it occupied and took their social life under its control. In addition to these, its policies led to the damage of holy places and cultural sites. Following the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel occupied Jerusalem and since then has never ceased its attacks on Masjid Al-Aqsa.
Israel has for numerous times attempted to damage and demolish Masjid Al-Aqsa in different ways for about a half-century. In the so-called archeological excavations which continue under Masjid Al-Aqsa, there is a systematic plan to demolish the mosque gradually.
If no measures are taken, Masjid Al-Aqsa, which is the common heritage of the Islamic world and the entire mankind, will face with the threat of demolition by Israel in the near future.
Organized by the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, International Masjid Al-Aqsa Symposium brought together dozens of academics, opinion leaders and civil society representatives from across the world in İstanbul on 25 April 2009. During the symposium, an agreement was made to bring the threats against Masjid Al-Aqsa to the world’s attention and support the Palestinian cause. It was also agreed that Lailat al-Miraj will from then on be marked as the World Masjid Al-Aqsa Day. Let’s altogether celebrate Lailat al-Miraj, which will be observed on June 28 this year, as the World Masjid Al-Aqsa Day.
Please visit http://www.aksasempozyumu.com for information about the history of Masjid Al-Aqsa, its spiritual value and the threats it faces today.
