Al-Azhar strongly condemned the continued closure by the occupying entity of the gates of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque – the first of the two Qiblas and the third holiest site in Islam – to worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan, thus depriving them of performing their religious duties during these blessed days.
In a statement issued Friday 13/3/2026, Al-Azhar affirmed that this crime constitutes a provocation to the feelings of Muslims worldwide and a flagrant violation of international law, which criminalizes attacks on places of worship.
It reflects the occupier’s attempts and intentions to obliterate the Islamic identity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the city of Jerusalem, and its deliberate efforts to stifle the joy of Muslims during their religious occasions.
