JERUSALEM – Al-Aqsa Mosque Imam Sheikh Ekrima Sabri has been released by Israeli police after hours-long detention. The authorities have ordered his deportation from the mosque, international media reported.
Sheikh Sabri’s lawyer confirmed his release to international media, stating that the preacher has been deported from the mosque until August 8, with a possibility of extension for six months.
The arrest followed Sheikh Sabri’s eulogy for slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during Friday prayers. In his sermon, the former grand mufti of Jerusalem referred to Haniyeh as “the martyr” and prayed for Allah’s mercy and paradise for him. This led to chants of “Allah is great” from the congregation, videos of which circulated widely on social media.
Israeli police issued a statement explaining that they had launched an investigation into an imam suspected of making inciting statements and supporting terrorism during the midday prayer on the Temple Mount.
Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of Hamas, was assassinated in Tehran on Wednesday after attending the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s new president.
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