The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has condemned the raiding by Israeli special forces of Al-Aqsa Mosque on the morning of Sunday, 21st October 2009 and the attack launched against worshipers and the mosque"s caretakers. He emphasized that attacking Al-Aqsa Mosque is tantamount to a blatant attack against Islamic sacred sites and sanctities. The Secretary General dubbed the repeated incursions into Al-Haram Al-Sharif as extremely serious and likely to yield undesirable consequences. He pointed out that the intensification of Israeli aggressions against Islamic sanctities in the holy city of Al-Quds entails an earnest and firm stand by the Ummah [nation] to defend its holy sites. Ihsanoglu appealed to the international community to compel Israel to comply with international law and put an end to its attacks on holy sites. He cautioned that any act likely to damage Al-Aqsa Mosque or any other holy places would bear grave consequences amid both Muslims and other believers across the world with unpredictable ramifications for international peace and security.
