NATIONAL FRIDAY KHUTBAH (SERMON) – “THE NAKBAH (THE CATASTROPHE)”

The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) urges all Imams, Khateebs (speakers) and Community Leaders, to dedicate their Friday Khutbah (Sermon), this Friday, 10 May 2024, to address:

“THE NAKBAH (THE CATASTROPHE)”

ANIC recommends the following points to be addressed:

• On the15 May, the Muslims, Palestinians, and the global community will commemorate the 76-year anniversary of the Nakbah (The Catastrophe), which involved the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and obliteration of Palestinian communities as a means of establishing the State of Israel in 1948. Over 750,000 Palestinians were either forcibly expelled or fled their homeland. This will fall on next Wednesday, 15 May 2024.
• Palestinians today continue to experience the “Nakbah” through the ongoing application of brutal Israeli policies, which involve forced evictions, expansion of illegal settlements, arbitrary arrests and restrictions on movement due to military checkpoints and the separation walls.
• The Palestinian people have the right to self-determination and oppose the unjust and unlawful occupation. Israeli occupying forces continue to commit genocide against the Palestinian people, with more than 33,000 killed in Gaza and tens of thousands injured. Over half the population in Gaza is now displaced and is facing starvation imposed by Israel. This is other than the escalated aggression currently being perpetrated against Palestinians in the West Bank and other Occupied Palestinian Territories.
• Gaza has faced a 16-year blockade, often called the world’s “largest open-air prison,” with Israeli forces causing harm to innocent Palestinian civilians. They deserve the basic human rights and an immediate ceasefire.
• Palestine is home to Masjid al-Aqsa, the second house of worship to be built on Earth, following the Holy Mosque in Mecca. It’s also the first qibla in Islam, the destination of Prophet Muhammad’s night journey, and the meeting place of 124,000 Prophets and Messengers, led by the Last Prophet Muhammad, who brought the final message of the Quran to humanity.Muslims worldwide firmly connect to Al-Aqsa and the Palestinian cause with their faith. In the Quran, Allah (SWT) says: “Glory be to the One Who took His servant (Muhammad) by night from the Sacred Mosque (Makkah) to the al-Aqsa Mosque (Jerusalem), whose surroundings We have blessed. Indeed, He alone is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing.” (Quran 17:1).
• In the Quran, Al Aqsa and its surrounding areas are blessed by Allah (SWT), and one prayer in the holy mosque is worth 500 times more reward than anywhere else. It is, therefore, deeply disturbing to hear the ongoing reports of cruel attacks on civilians living in or around this blessed site.
• For many decades, Palestinian people have endured Israeli oppression, including ongoing clashes and desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Worshippers have the basic human right to freely and peacefully attend their religious and public places of worship.

We urge the Muslim community to take the following practical actions:

            Advocate for the Palestinian cause and their ongoing suffering and plight by raising awareness among friends, colleagues, neighbours, and local MPs on social media and wherever possible.

            Advocacy and protesting must be displayed with the best Islamic morals and manners, and must avoid hateful slurs or comments to any community.

            Promote calmness and forbearance and avoid any action that may create division or disharmony and give a negative perception of a very just cause (Palestine). Any unwise reaction will undermine the reality and truth of the Palestinian cause and the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people in the public.

            Demand for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the war on Gaza and the recognition of the State of Palestine.

            Raise awareness of Islamophobia, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian sentiment, their danger, and the importance of reporting what you See, Hear or Witness. This can be made through the www.reportislamophobia.com.au platform.

            Continuously make Dua’a for the Palestinian brothers and sisters, particularly after every Salat (Prayer), asking Allah to ease their suffering and end the occupation.

The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) extends its thanks and gratitude to all Imams, Khateebs and Community leaders for their outstanding leadership, tireless efforts, cooperation and support on this matter and for standing for justice and fairness in support of their brothers and sisters in Palestine.

Issued By The Australian National Imams Council

ANIC NATIONAL KHUTBAH (SERMON) – the Nakbah