Asia-Pacific HQ for Palestine Condemns Closure of Al-Aqsa
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Ulama, academics, and researchers united under the Head Quarter (HQ) Asia-Pacific for Palestine initiative, representing the conscience of the Muslim ummah in Asia-Pacific, have witnessed with profound sorrow the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque for more than the last 10 days during this Ramadan 1447 H.
In a press release, HQ stated that this closure is not merely a restriction of access, but a systematic plan against the symbol of monotheism, the legacy of the Prophets in the land of the Prophets, and the rights of the ummah to worship at the third holiest site in Islam.
Al-Aqsa, according to HQ, is a divine trust that must be protected; this oppression violates the UN Charter, the Geneva Conventions, and the Jakarta Declaration of the Head Quarter (HQ) Asia-Pacific Conference for Palestine 2025, which HQ upholds as a moral mandate for the region.
HQ strongly condemns the illegal occupation that obstructs Ramadan worship such as tarawih prayers, i’tikaf, and spiritual connections among Palestinian congregants, and threatens the sanctity of Baitul Maqdis in the midst of this noble month full of forgiveness.
In response, HQ states its position: First, it is obligatory under Islamic law for the entire global Muslim ummah to defend Al-Aqsa by all sharia-compliant means: prayers, economic boycotts, firm diplomacy, and global pressure through OIC, UN, and parliamentary forums.
Second, it encourages and reactivates the Asia-Pacific Solidarity Movement via the Head Quarter (HQ) Global Coalition for Palestine: policy briefs, digital campaigns like #FreeAlAqsaNow, and mobilisation of an Endowment Fund for victims of occupation in Palestine.
Third, it calls upon Muslim leaders, especially Indonesia as a diplomatic axis, to lead a collective fatwa demanding the full opening of Al-Aqsa Mosque and sanctions against the perpetrators of aggression/genocide.
Fourth, it advises youth and humanitarian philanthropy to increase Ramadan infaq for the reconstruction of Gaza and Al-Quds, as jihad with wealth is also a strong fortress of defence at present.