The imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca called Friday on Muslims to launch jihad, or holy war, in the name of the "martyrs" in the Palestinian territories, the official Saudi news agency SPA reported.
Praising the benefits of "the jihad and martyrdom," Imam Osama bin Abdullah Khayat told his faithful that "their sacrifice is the noblest of sacrifices for the defense of Islam," according to the news agency.
"We are participating today in the Intifada (uprising) on the ground of al-Qods and all the Palestinian territories," said the imam, using the Arabic term for Jerusalem.
He called on Muslims to "support your brothers and not to forsake them."
"The enemies of Islam call self-defense and defense of the sanctuaries of Islam violence and terrorism. ... In fact it is an Intifada, a legitimate right under all religions and under all international conventions," he said – MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AFP)
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