The Grand Mufti of “Palestine”, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, criticized National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir after he instructed senior police officials to enforce the confiscation of loudspeakers in mosques and to increase fines in mixed cities and Arab communities due to complaints about noise from the loudspeakers.
In a statement, Sheikh Hussein claimed that Ben Gvir's decision was made as part of an Israeli policy of "oppression", alleging that the decision interferes in matters of religious worship and attacks religious customs in “Palestine”. He described the decision as "racist," contradicting laws, norms, and the principles of monotheistic religions.
Sheikh Hussein emphasized that the call of "Allahu Akbar" from the mosques would not be silenced, even if the "occupation authorities" imposed fines and penalties, as that call is tied to faith and is an integral part of Islamic worship passed down through generations.
He added that the call is not intended to provoke non-Muslims, warning that preventing the muezzin's call could ignite a religious war throughout the region.
Sheikh Hussein called on the international community to intervene to put an end to what he described as the "attacks" on mosques in “Palestine” and to prevent Israel from interfering with Muslim worship, as this is a right of Muslims in “Palestine” and worldwide.
In making the announcement on the move, Ben Gvir said, "I am proud to lead, together with my colleague Minister [Idit] Silman, a policy to stop unreasonable noise from mosques, which has become a nuisance for the residents of Israel. In most Western countries, and even in Arab countries, noise is regulated—only in Israel is there lawlessness. Prayer is a fundamental right but cannot come at the expense of the residents' quality of life."
Ra’am party chairman MK Mansour Abbas responded, saying, "I appeal to the reasonable people in the Israeli government and in the State of Israel to restrain the instigator of a religious war, Ben Gvir, who is trying in every possible way to ignite the flames and provoke Muslim Arab citizens into reacting to his provocations.”
“He failed at Al-Aqsa Mosque, and today he is trying to provoke all the mosques within the mixed cities. Ben Gvir relentlessly seeks to sabotage coexistence in the country, and it’s time to put an end to this," added Abbas.