Opening session

Address by His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Heleel(*)

Praise be to Allah, and peace and prayers be upon the Prophet, his family, companions and followers

Excellency Dr. Khaled Tawqan, Minister of Education,

Excellency Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation,

Eminencies and Excellencies,

Brothers and sisters,

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah taala wa barakatuh,

The significance of this gathering lies in its results and impact on the future of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Palestine, hence the patronage bestowed on it by His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, may Allah preserve him, and his dedication and determination to grant this issue all importance. His Majesty has honoured me by delegating me to represent Him as the Patron of this Conference.

Bolstered by all the Islamic and Christian institutions and the National Palestinian Authority, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is tremendously keen on guaranteeing the protection of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Al Quds Al Sharif, the destination of the Night Journey of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), his point of ascension to the Seven Heavens, the birthplace of Prophet Jesus, and the cradle of all divine messages and prophecies. Today, the Islamic world is in need of more cooperation, co-ordination, consultation and dialogue in such blessed conferences and gatherings as the present meeting, which are held for a good cause. This has always been a concern of His Excellency Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, who has never tired of dedicating himself to the issues that are of concern to the Islamic world.

Brothers and sisters, Ladies and gentlemen,

In keeping with the tradition observed by the Hashemite household over the years, His Majesty King Abdullah II, may Allah preserve him, has always attached great importance to the holy sites in Palestine. Adhering to the tradition of Hashemite edification in Al Quds Al Sharif, His Majesty ordered the building of a fifth minaret in the blessed Al Aqsa Mosque and the restoration of the eastern wall. To this end, His Excellency Engineer Raef Najm, Deputy President of the Al Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock Restoration Committee paid a visit to Al Quds Al Sharif to take stock of the situation, and to initiate the necessary measures for commencing the minaret construction works. Furthermore, infrastructure works, the cost of which is estimated at five million dinars, are being carried out at the Aqsa Mosque. Restoration works include the domes, the minarets and the esplanades of the sacred mosque and of the Dome of the Rock, as well as the Marwani mosque which the Israeli authorities have often claimed to be on the verge of collapse. In this respect, the pillars of the mosque were joined to each other with rust-resistant iron bars that were affixed to the eastern wall of the Mosque to form one structure. The eastern and southern walls have also been restored and, thanks to Hashemite generosity, the minbar of Salah Eddine EI Ayyoubi is being rebuilt and renovated. His Majesty King Abdullah II, may Allah preserve him, gave special  instructions that the first decorative slab of the minbar be put in place on the Night of Destiny of last year's Ramadan.

I beseech the Almighty to assist His Majesty in returning this minbar to its rightful place at the heart of the blessed Al Aqsa mosque where it will serve its purpose as a podium from which will be proclaimed the true words : “There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is His Messenger”.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Jordanian Ministry of Islamic Waqf supervises Islamic endowments in Al Quds Al Sharif. The deputy secretary general of Al Quds Affairs supervises the Directorate of Islamic Waqf, sanctities and schools in Al Quds. There are about 750 ministry employees working in the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Waqf Administration in Al Quds. The ministry’s expenditure in this regard amounts to an annual 3.5 million dinars disbursed from its budget. I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to call upon the international community and international organisations and institutions to take part in the protection of these holy sites and in the preservation of the religious and civilisational heritage of Al Quds Al Sharif.

Lastly, I wish the proceedings of this Conference every success, and I hope it will do its share to protect Islamic and Christian holy sites in Palestine.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah taala wa barakatuh.

(*) Minister of Waqf and Religious Affairs in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and representative of His Majesty the Hashemite King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein.