Amman, Aug. 22 (Petra) — The 1969 arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque was
one of the most heinous crimes carried out under Israeli protection,
the head of Jordan’s Department of Palestinian Affairs said Saturday.

Director General Rafiq Khirfan said in a statement marking the 57th
anniversary of the attack that the burning of the holy site on Aug.
21, 1969, was not an isolated incident but a full-fledged crime aimed
at erasing the holy city’s Arab and Islamic identity. He added that
the event remains a wound in the collective memory of the Arab nation
and serves as proof of ongoing Israeli violations against Islamic and
Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

Khirfan said the attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque remains an event that
cannot be forgotten, describing it as one of the most serious Israeli
violations against Muslim holy sites. He recalled that Denis Michael
Rohan set fire to the Qibli prayer hall inside the mosque under the
protection of the Israeli occupation.

He said the painful anniversary comes while the situation is becoming
increasingly bleak amid continuing Israeli violations of
international laws and norms, which further increases the
international community’s responsibility to take immediate and
serious action to halt the violations and protect the Palestinian
people and their holy sites.

Khirfan stressed that Jordan, under the leadership of His Majesty
King Abdullah II, who holds the historic Hashemite custodianship over
Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, has never wavered in
fulfilling its role in protecting Al-Aqsa Mosque and preserving its
Arab and Islamic identity through the King’s firm positions in
international forums and his continued support for Jerusalemite
institutions.

He reaffirmed the continued direct Hashemite patronage of maintenance
and restoration works at Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre, describing them as an extension of the Hashemites’
historic role over many decades.

Khirfan stressed that the Hashemite custodianship will remain a
shield protecting Al-Aqsa Mosque and that Jordan will continue to
stand as a bulwark against all attempts at Judaization and attacks,
supporting the steadfastness of Jerusalem’s residents and upholding
the Palestinian people’s just and legitimate rights.

//Petra// AF