Following a by now familiar pattern, the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) has published a statement issued by an “interfaith” coalition blaming Israel for recent violence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The statement begins:
We, the undersigned, come together in solidarity with Palestinians, especially those who have been prohibited from worshiping in peace and security at the Al Aqsa mosque sanctuary due to the escalation of Israeli settler violence, which is supported by the Israeli police and military.
As a diverse community and as Americans we sincerely believe in freedom of worship for all people. This is not a religious conflict between Muslims and Jews. Nor is this a conflict about access to space to pray as the settler groups have said. This is a struggle between an occupier and an occupied people. The tensions arise because of provocations from the Temple Movement, a loose coalition of several messianic, extremist Jewish groups – backed by Israeli authorities — intent on seizing control of the Al Aqsa sanctuary for themselves. Palestinian Christians also are prohibited from accessing their churches in Jerusalem and frequently find themselves targets of settler price tag attacks as well.
High-ranking Israeli officials have threatened to take Al Aqsa’s sovereignty from the Jordan-based Islamic Trust. Bills circulating in the Israeli Knesset and Jerusalem Municipality, if successful, effectively would expel Palestinians from portions of the sanctuary, including a large percentage of Al Aqsa mosque itself. This all leads to a climate of fear and great instability, which could spill over into the larger Muslim world if these measures come to fruition.
Religious freedom is guaranteed under international law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is also enshrined in American law, which obligates recipients of US foreign military financing assistance to protect the freedom of religious worship.
Read the rest heret
The American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) is a Palestinian advocacy group with strong ties to both the US Muslim Brotherhood and to the Hamas support infrastructure in the US. In December 2014, the GMBDW reported that calls for violence against Israel were heard at the recent 7th annual American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) conference. In April 2014, the GMBDW reported that a fundraising dinner for the AMP featured high praise for Rasmieh Odeh, convicted in Israel for her role in several bombings there. For our profile on AMP, go here.
The other US Islamic groups signing the statement are all tied to the Muslim Brotherhood in the US:
- Muslim American Society (MAS)
The remainder of the organizations signing the statement are a variety of Christian, Jewish, and Arab anti-Israeli groups including the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) described by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as one of the top 10 anti-Israel groups in the United States.
Earlier this month, the GMBDW reported on the launch what was described as a “ground-breaking platform to support religious freedoms for Muslim and Jewish communities across Europe. Participants included a global charity linked to the Muslim Brotherhood that is banned by Israel over Hamas funding and a German Muslim Brotherhood leader who is associated with the virulently anti-Semitic Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is often the subject of various Global Muslim Brotherhood conspiracies theories involving alleged Israeli plots and plans to destroy the mosque. The GMBDW reported last week on a call by the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), headed by Youssef Qaradawi, for Palestinians to ‘Rescue al-Aqsa’ and rise up against Israel. We had reported earlier last week that the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood had issued a statement condemning what it called “an attack” by Israeli police Sunday on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. At the end of last month, we reported that the country’s Internal Security minister had asked the Minister of Defense to urgently ban two organizations operating on the Temple Mount and funded by the Muslim Brotherhood in Israel (the charities were subsequently banned.) In January 2015, we reported that the internal security service Shin Bet had shut down three Islamic charities for allegedly inciting violence against Jews and Israeli security forces. According an Israel media report, the charities were created in October 2014 by the northern branch of the Islamic movement in Israel essentially comprising the Israeli Muslim Brotherhood.