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Al-Aqsa is in danger

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Al-Aqsa in Danger Festival in Umm al-Fahm

Al-Aqsa is in danger (Arabic: الأقصى في خطر) is an Islamist[1] political slogan often used by Palestinian Muslims and Muslims in general[2] in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly in rallies and campaigns surrounding the status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.[3]

After 1967, a campaign titled "Al-Aqsa Is in Danger" was initiated by radical Palestinians, along with various Arab and Muslim thinkers and groups. In this effort, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other identity symbols of Jerusalem were strategically employed as tools to Islamize the conflict with Israel, framing it as a clash between religions. The overarching goal of this strategy was to mobilize the broader Arab and Muslim world in response to the challenges posed by the Jewish Israeli side. Consequently, numerous confrontational incidents occurred in and around the Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa compound.[4]

The slogan was notably used between 1996 and 2015 for the annual "Al-Aqsa in Danger Festival" by Raed Salah's Islamic Movement in Israel (Northern Branch), considered the most well-attended Islamic festival in Israel.[5][6][7] At the "Al-Aqsa is in Danger" Festival in September 2000, there were calls to Islamize the Western Wall. Sheikh Salah asserted that the Jewish public had no right to any part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, including the Western Wall. He considered it a declaration of war on the Islamic world if Al-Aqsa remained under Israeli sovereignty.[4]

Commentators argue that the slogan is sometimes used for political purposes and may be employed to fuel anti-Israel sentiments. It has been described as a "dangerous lie", used to fan the flames of uprisings such as the 1929 Palestine riots, the Al-Aqsa intifada, the 2009 Al-Aqsa clashes, the 2022 Al-Aqsa clashes and the 2023 Al-Aqsa clashes.[8] The Israeli government has consistently maintained that it is committed to protecting the rights of all religious groups to worship in Jerusalem, including at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

References

  1. ^ Rekhess, Elie (2002). "The Arabs of Israel after Oslo: Localization of the National Struggle". Israel Studies. 7 (3). Indiana University Press: 1–44. doi:10.2979/ISR.2002.7.3.1. ISSN 1084-9513. JSTOR 30245594. S2CID 144093617. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  2. ^ Lawler, Andrew (2021-11-03). "How Christians Eager to Excavate the Biblical Past Sparked Strife in Jerusalem". Time. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  3. ^ Eran Tzidkiyahu. ”Whose surroundings we have blessed”: The Islamic Movement in Israel Unites around the Al-Aqsa Mosque. [Research Report] Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies; Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. 2015, pp.3 - 8. hal-03459539
  4. ^ a b Reiter, Y. (2008). Jerusalem and Its Role in Islamic Solidarity. Palgrave Macmillan US. pp. 4, 57. ISBN 978-0-230-61271-6. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  5. ^ Frisch, H. (2011). Israel's Security and Its Arab Citizens. Cambridge University Press. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-139-50334-1. Retrieved 2023-07-31. The annual "al-Aqsa in danger" commemorations held in Umm al-Fahm's soccer stadium since 1996 are by far the biggest and best-attended events on the Arab sector's political calendar. Especially prominent was a gathering in 1998, which interposed the commemoration of Muhammad's ascent to heaven from the al-Aqsa mosque-the "night of the nocturnal ascent" (al-isra wal-miraj) - the only holy day in the Islamic calendar linked to the Temple Mount, as well as the fiftieth anniversary of the Nakba (catastrophe referring to Israel's victory and creation in the War of 1948). Attended by over 30,000 people, it far outshone the commemoration ceremonies organized by the "national" (non-Islamic) groups. The latter attracted only a few hundred attendees, even according to sources sympathetic to them.
  6. ^ Larkin, Craig; Dumper, Michael (2012). "In Defense of Al-Aqsa: The Islamic Movement inside Israel and the Battle for Jerusalem". Middle East Journal. 66 (1). Middle East Institute: 31–52. doi:10.3751/66.1.12. ISSN 0026-3141. JSTOR 41342768. S2CID 144916717. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  7. ^ Center, Berkley; Affairs, World (2021-05-08). ""Al-Aqsa Is in Danger": How Jerusalem Connects Palestinian Citizens of Israel to the Palestinian Cause". Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  8. ^ Cravatts, Richard L. (2017-06-21). "'Al-Aqsa is in danger' is a dangerous lie. 'Temple Denial' is antisemitic historical revisionism. It's time for the Western media to stop indulging them". Fathom. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
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