Hamas: Israel responsible for upshots of Adhan ban
The Palestinians will not remain mum over the Israeli ban on Adhan (Muslim call to prayer), Hamas leader Musheer al-Mesri warned Thursday.
Speaking with PIC, al-Mesri said the Knesset decision to ban Adhan via mosque loudspeakers is a serious violation.
He held the Israeli occupation government responsible for the fallouts of the ban.
“The move is a serious assault on Islamic holy sites and a proof of Israel’s bullying politics”
The Hamas leader called on the Arabs and Muslims to assume their duties and speak up for Palestinians’ holy sites ad right to the freedom of worship.
He stressed the need for the Palestinians to combine forces and boost the anti-occupation uprising in order to face up to such Israeli violations in Occupied Jerusalem.
The Israeli parliament (Knesset) on Wednesday postponed voting on a bid approved by the legislative committee to ban Adhan in an attempt to prevent mosques from using loudspeakers to announce Muslim prayer times in Occupied Jerusalem and territories occupied in 1948.
The postponement came following an appeal filed by the Israeli Health Minister Yakov Litzman on Tuesday to prevent the Knesset from voting on the bill, thereby sending it back to the government for further review.
In his appeal, Litzman referred to the similarities between the Adhan calls and the call announcing the beginning of Shabbat.
Adhan is an Islamic ritual recited five times a day to invite Muslims to perform their religious prayers. It was first chanted by, Bilal, the Companion of Prophet Mohamed (Peace Be Upon Him) some 1,400 years ago.
The text of Adhan reads literally as follows: “ALLAH is Most Great. I testify that there is no god except ALLAH. I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of ALLAH. Come to prayer. Come to success. Prayer is better than sleep. ALLAH is Most Great. There is no god except ALLAH.”
The Israeli occupation government claimed Adhan—the peaceful call to prayers—is a nuisance to the Israelis residing across the occupied Palestinian territories.
