Jordanian cleric arrested following crackdown on 'harmful' religious edicts

A Jordanian cleric who proposed allowing Jews to pray on Haram al-Sharif, known in Judaism as the Temple Mount, was reportedly arrested by Jordanian police on Thursday.

According to the religious Zionist news site Arutz Sheva – citing Jordanian media – Sheikh Yassin al-Ajlouni was arrested on the orders of the Administrative Governor of the Irbid Governorate.

The arrest comes shortly after the announcement by Jordan’s Religious Endowments Minister of measures taken to punish those issuing religious edicts deemed “harmful” to Jordanian society.

Al-Ajlouni released an online video statement on December 18 stating that "there should be a special place of worship for the Jews among the Israelis under Hashemite and Palestinian sovereignty, and in agreement with the Israeli regime.”

"This by no means entails the harming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock," he added, emphasising that under his vision "part of the courtyard, where there are trees, will be allocated for the prayer of the Israelis."

He later retracted his statement on December 28, stating that "the Israelis interpreted this call as if I were saying that they have a right to Bayt al-Maqdis [Temple Mount]. I would like to emphasize that Bay al-Maqdis is pure Islamic land.”

"No one is allowed to give it up, trivialize it, or to pass sovereignty over it to any non-Muslim party."

Religious Endowments Minister Hayel Dawoud said his ministry had lodged a complaint against the sheikh with the prosecutor-general's office.

"This edict harms the national interests of the Jordanian state," he told the Anadolu Agency.

"It also harms Jordanian efforts to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other religious sites in Jerusalem."

The al-Aqsa Mosque, located on Haram al-Sharif, is regarded by Muslims as their third holiest site and is administered by a Jordan-administered body called the Islamic Waqf.

It has been a source of major controversy in recent months as far-right Jewish activists have entered the site, which has been traditionally forbidden to Jews according to rabbinical edicts.

The Second Intifada, a conflict in which thousands were killed, was reportedly sparked off by the visit of Israeli politician Ariel Sharon to the al-Aqsa mosque.