After Friday Prayers, The Grand Imam and Sheikh of Al-Azhar urgently addressed the people of Jerusalem. He says:

“Make your intifada (uprising) as strong as your belief in your cause and your love for your country. We are with you and will not let you down.”

In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

  Al-Azhar Al-Sharif utterly rejects and denounces the American administration’s recognition of the city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as the capital of the brutal occupying Zionist entity in an unprecedented step and in a serious challenge to the international conventions, to the feelings of more than 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, and to the feelings of millions of Arab Christians who, throughout history, have been brought together with their fellow Muslim brothers by the mosques and churches of ancient Jerusalem.

We, at Al-Azhar and in the name of the whole Muslim world, affirm our categorical rejection of this reckless step, which is both illegal and illegitimate. We also affirm that taking such a step is considered as an explicit and unacceptable falsification of history and an absurdity of the future of peoples, a matter which can never be accepted as long as the hearts of Muslims are beating.

Let everyone know that Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinians, occupied by the brutal Zionist entity, and will never be otherwise. In addition, any action contradicting this fact is unacceptable and will have its serious consequences.

We heavily warn against the seriousness of adherence to this false decision which ignites and feeds the flames of hatred in the hearts of all the Muslims and peace-loving people all over the world. In addition, it poses a serious threat to international peace and security.

The American policymakers shall know that their double-standard policy, support of the brutal Zionist occupation forces, and denial of the rights of peoples and the heritage of nations and their civilization are all non-civilized policies that sooner or later will come to an end. Moreover the cause of Arabism of Jerusalem will remain the primary cause for the Arabs and the Muslims that will never die.

From Egypt of Al-Azhar, Egypt of Arabism and Islam, We call upon the leaders and governments of the Islamic world, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the United Nations to act swiftly and seriously to stop the implementation of this decree and to overturn it in its cradle.

We also call upon all international peace-loving forces and organizations which are against the policies of abhorrent colonialism to move together to stop this international and humanitarian crisis taking place in our world.

Moreover, we appeal to the peoples of the Arab and the Muslim world to reject these malicious Zionist-American plans and to restore the Arab and Islamic awareness of the cause of Al-Aqsa, the first of the two Qiblas [the direction of prayer, which was later changed to Mecca], the third of the two Holy Mosques (following the Holy Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina), and the place where the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers, ascended to the Heavens.

Finally, we say to our people in the occupied Jerusalem: We salute your heroic steadfastness and we support you. Let your third intifadah (uprising) be as strong as your belief in your cause and your love for your country. We are with you and will not let you down.  “Allah always prevails in His purpose, though most people do not realize it.” (Qur’an, 12:21)

“When the second warning was fulfilled [We sent them] to shame your faces and enter the Place of Worship (Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem) as they did the first time, and utterly destroy whatever fell into their power.” (Qur’an, 17:7)