Amman, March 31 (Petra) -- The Orthodox Central Council in Jordan condemned escalating violations by Israeli occupation authorities against freedom of worship in occupied Jerusalem, as systematic targeting of both Islamic and Christian holy sites, in blatant violation of international law and a direct assault on human dignity and the fundamental right to practice religious rites freely and safely.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the Council said the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the imposition of arbitrary restrictions preventing worshippers from accessing it coincide with a dangerous precedent marked by the closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the prevention of the Latin Patriarch from entering to conduct Palm Sunday Mass according to the Western calendar. It said these actions constitute a violation that strikes at the core of Christian faith and the Church’s freedom to carry out its spiritual mission.

The Council, affiliated with the Orthodox Society in Jordan, stressed that freedom of worship is not a privilege granted but a divine right rooted in human dignity, and that any violation of this right constitutes an attack on both religious and humanitarian values, as well as the sanctity of sites blessed throughout history.

It also expressed its absolute rejection of these policies, warning of their serious repercussions on the spiritual and historical fabric of occupied Jerusalem, which has long been and will remain a symbol of peace and a meeting point of religions, not a space for exclusion and domination.

The Council called on the international community, United Nations bodies, the European Union, and all churches and human rights institutions worldwide to assume their moral and legal responsibilities, act to halt these violations, ensure respect for the status quo, and safeguard freedom of worship for all believers without discrimination.

It reaffirmed its full support for the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, both Muslims and Christians, and called on people of conscience around the world to adopt a unified moral stance in defense of a city whose stones carry a message of heaven and of holy sites that affirm God as a symbol of freedom, justice, and peace.

//Petra// AF