The head of the Moslem Supreme Council in East Jerusalem, Sheik Filmi el-Muhktasib, declared today in a public manifesto that the Egyptians do not have the authority to renovate the Al-Aksa Mosque in the Old City. He also criticized the Egyptians for coordinating their activities with Jerusalem on the issue.
The sheik noted that the Moslem Supreme Council is the sole authority which can make decisions on renovations of this sort, and added that a committee is presently investigating the matter. The sheik’s declaration followed publication of the Egyptian decision to send architects to Jerusalem to begin planning of renovations in the Mosque.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.