Minister's invitation stirs controversy in Egypt
The Grand Sheikh and scholars at Egypt’s al-Azhar University refused Monday calls by the Minister of Endowments to visit Occupied Jerusalem with Israeli entry visas.
Minister of Endowments Mahmoud Hamdi Zaqzouq stirred controversy in Egyptian religious circles when he called upon all Muslims to visit Jerusalem and the al-Aqsa Mosque to force the world to recognize it as the capital of Palestine.
The Scholars and the Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar, the world’s leading Sunni Muslim institution, declined to respond to Zaqzouq’s call and argued that a visit to Jerusalem with Israeli entry visas would be the equivalent of recognizing the occupation as being legitimate.
"I refuse to visit Jerusalem when it is bound by Israeli chains," al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi told AlArabiya.net. "The visit of any Muslim to Jerusalem is considered recognition of the legitimacy of the occupation and a consolidation of its oppression."
Tantawi said that Jerusalem has always been Arab and will remain so and called for using all legitimate means to return the Arab lands occupied by Israel.
"All Arabs have to unite in the face of those who shed blood, terrorize innocent civilians, and kill women and children."
The Coptic Pope Shenouda III has also prohibited Egypt’s Christians from performing pilgrimage to Jerusalem as long as it is under Israeli occupation.
Pope Shenouda III has repeatedly declared that Christians must only visit Jerusalem hand in hand with their Muslim brothers after the conflict with Israel is resolved peacefully and fairly for all parties
Tantawi called upon all Muslims and Palestinian factions to join forces to obtain their legitimate rights and stressed that he would never visit Jerusalem as long as it is occupied.
Egypt’s former Mufti Nasr Farid Wassel also stressed his adamant objection to visiting Jerusalem before it is liberated and agreed that any visit now will be considered recognition of the occupation.
"We will all visit Jerusalem one day, but after it is liberated and with an invitation from the Palestinian president," he said. "Jerusalem is the responsibility of all Muslims and they all should exert their utmost effort to liberate it."
Zaqzouq aired his controversial idea among attendees of a seminar entitled "Jerusalem from the Islamic Perspective" held in Cairo and organized by the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
Zaqzouq justified his statenment by saying the matter of Jerusalem is not only the responsibility of Palestinian but concerns all Muslims.
"That is why hundreds of thousands of Muslims should visit Jerusalem every year to prove to the entire world that it is the cause of all Muslims even if this requires obtaining a visa from the Israeli occupation forces," he said.
Zaqzouq added that he anticipated that his words would cause controversy criticism .
"This is my point of view and always will be," he added, acknowledging that his words would likely be controversial.
(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid).