Al-Quds Foundation Malaysia (QFM) represented by its CEO, Dr Sharif Abu Shammala, has participated in the 19th  International Academic Conference on Islamic Jerusalem Studies: “ISLAMICJERUSALEM TODAY: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE.” The conference was held in Ankara, Turkey on October 12th and 13th, 2019 and organized by Islamicjerusalem Research Academy (ISRA), in cooperation with Social Sciences University of Ankara (ASBÜ).

Abu Shammala presented his paper “The Role of the People in Defending al-Aqsa Mosque: Rabat as a Model” in the second session of the conference which was headed by Prof Ali GUNES, the Vice President of Social Sciences University of Ankara (ASBÜ).

The paper has shed light on the Rabat experience and documented it through a research study, to find out its historical backgrounds and circumstances of its emergence, current shape, and role as a peaceful resistance act in defending al-Aqsa Mosque, and to consolidate its Islamism exclusively.

The research also dealt with the occupation’s measures in combating the phenomenon of Rabat inside the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque, as one of the expressive examples of the role of people forces in the battle to defend al-Aqsa Mosque and the effectiveness of the people and community role in standing as a bulwark against attempts to unilaterally isolate al-Aqsa Mosque and leave it vulnerable to the frequent incursions of settlers into its courtyards.

Abu Shammala concluded his research by saying that Rabat needs a new life cycle that takes it to a third stage enabling it to cope with the changes, and according to him, it is capable, by the rule of thumb, to do so if there is an available Islamic incubator committed to the issue of Jerusalem and the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque.

It is worth mentioning that the conference was attended by Sheikh Dr. Ikrima Sabri, Imam, and preacher of the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque and the head of the Higher Islamic Commission in Jerusalem, along with a large number of Arab, Malaysian, Indonesian and Turkish researchers and participants.