A declaration for Jerusalem has announced by all the Deans of 87 Faculties of Theology in Turkish universities.
Here is full text of Declaration for Jerusalem by the Deans of the Faculties of Theology:
Jerusalem is the city where al-Aqsa Mosque, the second holiest temple of God on the earth, is located. It is the center of prophetic message delivered by the Prophet Muhammad and many other Prophets who came before him throughout the human history. It is the holy site in Islam from where the Prophet Muhammad started his miraculous ascension to Heavens. The Aqsa Mosque is the earliest direction for worship for the Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad urged his followers to visit and perform prayers in the three holiest temples on the earth, namely the Mosques in Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.
Jerusalem was conquered in 638 by the Muslims during the reign of the Caliph Omar and stayed under the rule of Islamic states, including the Seljuks and Ottomans, for thirteen centuries; for this reason, it has been the dearest place in the eyes of the entire Muslim community. As the city of Prophets, Jerusalem used to be the center for love, tolerance, and living peacefully together during the times when its was ruled by Muslim leaders. In the view of these Muslim rulers, the city was the shared heritage of mankind. But when this place was taken from the Muslims, unfortunately, it has become the center for violence, hatred and oppression.
The modern states that hold the worldly powers have played decisive roles in the Middle East. Through their unjust and immoral political objectives they have destroyed the peace in the region in general and in Jerusalem in particular. The recent declaration by the US President that recognized Jerusalem as Israel's so-called capital has been a provocative step towards leading the whole geography of the Middle East, and the entire world indeed, to chaos.
We, as the Deans of the Faculties of Theology in Turkey, strongly condemn the atrocious violations of human rights committed by the State of Israel against the Palestinians. The State of Israel has been illegally occupying the lands of Palestinians, leaving the Muslims and Christians therein homeless, landless, and hopeless. The State of Israel has been the symbol of systematic oppression against all kinds of untouchable basic human rights during modern times. And now, on top all these unjust state policies, the recent declaration by the US President has contributed nothing positive to the current terrible situation in Palestine and thus deepened the mortal injuries in the global human conscience and the crisis in the region.
The declaration is utterly against the international laws, the U.N. charters, and the resolutions of the Security Council. It is a political manipulation and intrigue to legitimize the occupation of Jerusalem by the State of Israel and to change the internationally-recognized legal status of the city. It means nothing but disregarding and devaluing the sacred beliefs attributed to Jerusalem by the global religious communities.
We should never forget that the way to global peace passes through the Middle East and the way to the Middle Eastern peace passes through Jerusalem. Bring peace and serenity to Jerusalem can only be accomplished through policies based on social conscience, justice, equality, and tolerance. Unless Jerusalem is free, the entire world lives in captivity...
Respectfully,
