Al-Aqsa Mosque rehabilitation: ISESCO Chief lauds Moroccan King’s initiative

The Director General of the Rabat-based Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, commended the initiative of King Mohammed VI of Morocco to contribute to the restoration and rehabilitation of a number of facilities in Al-Aqsa Mosque and its vicinity that are in dire need of restoration, preservation and upkeep.

The generous initiative of King Mohammed VI, Chairman of Al-Quds Committee, translates his high interest in protecting the historical identity of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, Altwajri said in a statement.

The royal initiative also testifies to the King’s support for the population of this holy city, especially in these difficult times, as Al-Quds, the first of the two Qiblas and the third Holy shrine in Islam, is threatened by Israel’s judaization attempts, the UNESCO chief said.

The Sovereign’s decision, which was announced last Wednesday, actually translates his unwavering support to the resistance of the Maqdessis, and his relentless defense of the historic status of this city and the consecration of its civilizational identity and its religious symbolism as an open space of coexistence and tolerance between the different celestial religions.
In this context, Moroccan architects and craftsmen will be dispatched to Jerusalem to restore the centuries-old architectural authenticity of Al- Aqsa mosque.

The restoration works will be carried out in coordination with the Jordanian Ministry of Waqf and Islamic Affairs, which has custody of Al-Aqsa Waqf.

King Mohammed VI has repeatedly expressed support to the Hashemite custodianship over holy sites in Al Quds and the role the Jordanian Monarchy plays in protecting Al Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock (Kobbat Assakhra) and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher since 1946.

The King’s initiative came three days after a fire broke out at the Dome of the Rock compound in Jerusalem. The fire affected a guard’s room near the Marwani Prayer Room, also known as Solomon’s Stables.

The initiative also came a couple of weeks after King Mohammed VI and Pope Francis signed in Rabat “The Jerusalem / Al-Quds Call” urging for preserving, promoting and enhancing the specific multi-faith character, spiritual dimension and special identity of the holy city.