Indonesia urges granting of worship rights in Al Aqsa

Jakarta, NU Online
The Indonesian government has urged to grant worship rights to Muslims in Palestine at the Al Aqsa Mosque following an entry restriction imposed by the Israeli authority.

"We continue to discuss technical matters as part of our concern, so that worship rights can be restored after the Israel authority restricted Muslim people from offering prayers in the Al Aqsa Mosque," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi noted here on Monday.

During her communication with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Marsudi conveyed that Al Aqsa is a holy mosque for Muslim people.

Marsudi also highlighted the importance of restoring worship rights in Al Aqsa to Indonesia's friendly countries that are part of the UN Security Council.

"The Al Aqsa was the first qibla for Muslims. Thus, Muslim countries pay high attention to the area," Marsudi noted.

The minister cautioned that some potentially wider impacts could be witnessed if the UN Security Council failed to reduce the high tension in Palestine.

Indonesia is urging all parties to lower the escalation in Palestine, Marsudi noted.

"I will communicate with the Jordanian government to deliver what we have discussed with the Turkish foreign affairs minister, the US secretary of state, and the OIC secretary general," she added.

Marsudi noted that some countries understood the necessity of handling problems in Palestine. The US government has also agreed on the necessity of a status quo in the Al Aqsa Mosque complex.

Palestinian independence is one of the values of the Indonesian foreign policy.

"We are standing at the very front to assist the Palestinian effort to achieve independence," Marsudi added. (Antara/Masdar)