The
Sheikh of Azhar’s withdrawal of his call to Muslims to visit the Aqṣá mosque, as a way of
supporting
Palestinians, was met with strong angry reactions. He declared that the deputy ambassador of Palestine
made this call, not him. He said that he and Pope Shenouda agree to visit Jerusalem when Palestinians
invite them.
The Palestinian scholar’s league urged the Grand Imām not to support Muslims’ visit to
Jerusalem because this
would negatively affect the Palestinian case.