Muslim countries criticize Israel for Al Aqsa Mosque Ramadan closure

Eight Muslim and Arab countries on Thursday condemned Israel for keeping the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem closed during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Israel shut all holy sites in east Jerusalem’s Old City for security reasons, but the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar called it “illegal and unjustified”.

In a joint statement, they said the continued closure of the mosque was “a flagrant violation to international law… and the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship”.