The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu today condemned and expressed the anger of the Islamic nation and its denunciation for the continuing Israeli violations in the occupied Arab territories. On behalf of the OIC, he also deplored Israeli practices toward the city of Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque, especially the continuation of Israel's drilling operations, confiscation and demolition of Awqaf property and demolishing the Holy Mosque of Al-Aqsa. He also regretted Israel's persistence in conducting excavations and constructing deep tunnels beneath and behind the Mosque, which caused it to collapse. In a press statement here on the occasion of the 38th anniversary of the burning of the Holy Mosque of Al-Aqsa, which is observed throughout the Islamic world today, Ihsanoglu affirmed that all legislative and administrative measures that have been made by Israel to change the legal status of Al-Quds are "flagrant violation and open challenge to the United Nations resolutions that have consistently emphasized that such procedures are illegal and null and void." He stressed the need to remove all settlements established by Israel in Al-Quds City, the ring roads and the 'apartheid' wall. --MORE
