Amman, Aug. 23 (Petra) -- The Coordinating Committee of Jordanian Political Parties Azm, National Charter, Jordanian National Union, Reform, and Mubadara organized a national event Sunday evening at the Hussein Cultural Palace in Amman to mark the 57th anniversary of the arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The event was attended by several political party secretaries-general, leaders, and representatives, as well as Muslim and Christian religious figures.
Participants said commemorating the 1969 arson attack serves as a national, Arab, and religious occasion to reaffirm Jerusalem’s centrality and its place in Jordanian, Arab, Islamic, and Christian consciousness, while rejecting attempts to alter the city’s historic and civilizational identity and its legal status.
They stressed Jordan’s historic role in protecting Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, saying the Hashemite custodianship represents an ongoing historic responsibility toward the holy city. They said the custodianship has been reinforced under His Majesty King Abdullah II, who continues to stress the need to preserve the existing historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem.
Head of the Lower House Palestine Committee Suleiman Al-Saud said in remarks that Jerusalem represents identity, history, and an inalienable right. He referred to continuing Israeli attacks, policies of Judaization and efforts to alter the city’s landmarks, stressing that the Palestinian people’s right to their land and holy sites is firmly established and just.
He also referred to the attacks in Gaza and the West Bank, calling for a clear international position to halt such practices.
Preacher Murad Al-Rifai underscored the religious and doctrinal significance of Al-Aqsa Mosque, warning against attempts to normalize repeated attacks on the site. He stressed the mosque’s deep connection to Muslims and its importance in Islamic faith.
Father Nabil Haddad said Jerusalem and its holy sites are a trust and that defending them is a spiritual, humanitarian, and moral responsibility. He stressed the importance of the Hashemite custodianship and its role in protecting the holy sites and preserving their identity.
Azm Party Secretary-General and Political Bureau Chairman Zaid Nafaa affirmed the party’s steadfast position on Jerusalem and the Palestinian cause and stressed the importance of continued political and party participation in defending holy sites and Palestinian rights.
A number of political party secretaries-general and representatives also spoke, affirming the centrality of Jerusalem and the Palestinian cause in the Jordanian consciousness and expressing their categorical rejection of continuing Israeli attacks and attempts to alter the city’s identity, erase its historic landmarks, or undermine its Muslim and Christian holy sites.
They stressed the importance of Jordan’s continued role, under His Majesty King Abdullah II, in defending Jerusalem and its holy sites, protecting them from attempts to alter their character and Judaize the city, and preserving its existing historic and legal status. They said the Hashemite custodianship over Muslim and Christian holy sites is a fundamental pillar in protecting Jerusalem’s religious and historic identity and status.
They reaffirmed their support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the right to self-determination and to establish an independent state on their national territory, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the two-state solution.
They said Jerusalem will remain firmly rooted in the Jordanian consciousness and a central issue that cannot be bypassed, stressing that Jordan will continue its historic and political role in defending the holy city, preserving its Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity, protecting its holy sites, and supporting the steadfastness of its residents.
They praised Jordan’s continued efforts to mobilize Arab and international positions to halt Israeli violations and called for intensified political and diplomatic efforts to protect Jerusalem and its holy sites and stop unilateral measures aimed at changing the city’s character and imposing a new reality on the ground.
They stressed that preserving Jerusalem and its holy sites is a shared Arab, Muslim, and Christian responsibility and that supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinian people is essential to confronting attempts to impose a new reality on the ground and ultimately achieving a just and comprehensive peace that guarantees the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
//Petra// AF
