Muslim countries have spoken out against changing the status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque

Representatives from 14 Muslim countries, at an emergency meeting in Amman, strongly condemned attempts to alter the historical status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The participants emphasized that the complex is an exclusively Islamic holy site and that Jordan holds the exclusive right to administer it, according to The National News.

During the meeting of the Arab League Committee, attended by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, and other countries, systematic violations on the compound’s grounds were discussed. In their final communiqué, the participants protested against incursions by settlers, restrictions on worshippers, and interference in the administration of the holy site. According to Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi, any encroachment on the established status quo could provoke a large-scale regional religious conflict.

It should be recalled that, under the 1994 peace treaty, the site is administered by an Islamic foundation accountable to Jordan, and non-Muslims are prohibited from praying on the compound’s grounds. The situation surrounding the mosque has escalated since October 2023: according to sources, more than 3,200 incidents of settlers entering the Al-Aqsa compound have been recorded recently, causing serious concern in the Islamic world.