By: Lama Khater

Al-Quds has endured attempts by successive Israeli governments to seize the country using all available means ever since it came under Israeli occupation. Most significantly, Judaizing it and altering its geographic, demographic, and political characteristics. In addition to this, the Palestinians are subject to onerous restrictions in order to drive them out and clear the way for settlement and Judaization projects.

The country's religious identity and its enduring symbol, Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, were the key objectives of the Israeli occupation. Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa symbolism strengthens the nation's Islamism and its standing in the hearts of all Muslims worldwide. The Zionists have been irritated by Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa because it is the foremost symbol for Palestinians. Moreover, because the settlement project needs religious and historical significance to support its core ideas, and to rally Zionists behind a fabricated historical right. As a result, the myth of the temple emerged, which has been applied against the Palestinian Islamic right by extreme Zionist groups since Israeli occupation came. This myth, though, urges for the destruction of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa and the construction of the purported temple, making that the ultimate objective and listing numerous steps to reach it.

The Temple Movement has been working to transform Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa into a joint gathering place for Jews and Muslims, and this is one of their most important interim steps. Moreover, applying the temporal and spatial divisions in an effort to replicate what occurred in the Al-Masjid Al-Ibrahimi in Hebron. With intense military control over it and the presence of Jews most of the time, save for when Muslims are allowed to perform prayers there, it was virtually entirely Judaized.

It's vivid that Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa now faces the threat of temporal division because the occupation police restrict the hours during which Muslims are permitted to enter it. They are allowed to enter Al-Masjid for the five daily prayers, as well as Friday and Taraweeh during Ramadan. Otherwise, they are not allowed to stay in it. Additionally, an evidence for this  may be found in the everyday assaults and beating of Palestinians, who practice I'tikaf (a religious sleepover, where Muslims sleep Al-Masjid for prayers and nights full of worshiping) in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa and Al-Qibli Prayer Hall.

The occupation also insists on disregarding the holiness of Ramadan during the Jewish Passover holiday, which has coincided with Ramadan for the past two years. They permit settlers to storm Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa early in the morning. However, this holds true even if doing so required employing violence against Muslims; either by open fire or throwing tear gas canisters, in order to drive them out of Al-Aqsa and pave the way for colonial settlers to storm it. This comes for the purpose of imposing a fait accompli that the public comes to accept, namely that Jews have a claim to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa and are free to enter whenever they choose and perform their Talmudic rituals there.

These days, the Temple Movement encourages the slaughter of oblations in the Al-Aqsa courtyards. Not only this, but it offers large financial rewards to those who will be able to access oblations and slaughter them at the Cupola of the Chain, also known as the Dome of the Chain, which is close to the Dome of the Rock Masjid. The movement contends that the Dome of the Chain was constructed in place of the Jewish altar of the Temple and that the slaughter of the oblations signifies the restoration of the Jewish altar. The framework is accepted even if the Islamic masajids are still present in the Al-Aqsa courtyards, indicating that the significance of the act of slaughtering oblations is in its ramifications and outcomes rather than in the act itself.

All of this is taking place with the tacit approval and widespread backing of the extremist Zionist government, which is eager to pacify the Temple organization and offers it every assistance to accomplish its objectives. This government also shares the movement's beliefs regarding the Jews' claim to the Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa and the Temple Myth.

However, Al-Murabeteen (Muslims who are now stationed in the Al-Aqsa courtyards) are its first line of defense and the main hindrance to the Judaizing occupation's advancement. In spite of the daily suppression and assaults against them by the Israeli police, those Murabeteen are defending Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa with their permanent presence. Moreover, hundreds of them are being arrested on a daily basis. However, they realize that this is an existential battle, and that Al-Aqsa is an integral part of the Muslim faith and one of the most important responsibilities of Al-Murabit. This insistence on protecting Al-Aqsa in spite of suppression and restrictions is what can confront and shatter the myth of the Temple. Right holders are steadfast and strong, even if they are unarmed, whereas the falsehood based on myth is not able to confront the truth except by mobilizing troops, weapons, and bullets to impose its presence and Judaize Islamic sanctuaries.

This is a protracted and challenging battle, but it is essential and crucial. It will also continue to exist, grow, and flare up until the aggressors against the sanctuaries are vanquished, and the Islamic identity of Al-Aqsa wins over all false myths.