Ekrima Sabri a Main Line of Defense in Jerusalem

Who is Ekrima Sabri (عكرمة صبري)?

Ekrima Sa‘id Sabri, born in 1939, is an influential religious figure in Jerusalem. He is the Imam and preacher of the Al-Aqsa mosque. He was also the Grand Mufti (المفتي الأكبر) of Palestine from 1994 -2006.

Ekrima is well known for his positions against the occupation and its policies in Jerusalem.

Who was Sa‘id Sabri(سعيد صبري)?

Sa‘id Sabri,Ekrima’s father, served as a judge in Jerusalem, a member of the Shari‘a Court of Appeal and a founding Member of the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem.

Where Did Ekrima Sabri Study and Get his Education?

As a result of his father, Ekrima was well-poised to become a religious leader and had access to educational opportunities to do so. He studied Religion and Classical Arabic in Baghdad,Iraq in the early 60s. He then obtained a masters degree from al-Najah University in Nablus,Palestine and a PhD in General Jurisprudence from the Faculty of Sharia and Law of Al-Azhar University in Egypt.^[1]

What Positions of Importance Does Sabri Hold?

Sabri held and still holds many sensitive and key positions not only in Jerusalem, but abroad.

In 1994, he was appointed by Yasser Arafat to the position of Grand Mufti of Palestine. He held this position until 2006. Below is a list of other local and international positions he has held or currently holds.. ^[2]

Director of Preaching and Guidance in the West Bank and director of the Faculty of Islamic Sciences in Abu Dis
Head of the Supreme Muslim Council in Jerusalem
Founder and President of the Association of Scholars and Preachers
Member of the Islamic Fiqh Academy in Jeddah
Chairman of the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Jerusalem Islamic schools
Chairman of the Islamic House of Mercy for the Elderly in Jerusalem
Founding member of the YMCA in Jerusalem
Honorary President of the Association of Blind Jerusalemites
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Supreme National Authority for Combating Drugs
Member of the Board of Trustees of the World Union of Muslim Scholars

What Are The Works Sabri Has Published?

Sabri is the author of a number of published works on religion and Islamic contemporary thought. Below are some titles.:^[3]

Islamic Endowment between Theory and Practice
The Book of Enlightenment on Islamic Creed and Quranic Exegesis
Compendium of the Science of the Foundations of Jurisprudence
Highlighting the Miracles of the Quran
Islam and Modernity
Education in Islam
Science is the Path to Faith
Our Right to Palestine

What Role Has Sabri Played in Activism Against the Occupation?

Sabri is routinely questioned, interrogated and harassed by Israeli authorities ^[4] for his fierce opposition to the policy of Judaization and the continuous violations that occur at the hands of Israelis in the Aqsa Mosque and in East Jerusalem. Ekrima spoke out against the Israeli decision to silence the call to prayer in Jerusalem, and the Israeli decision to close the gates and arenas of to worshipers in 2017. Sabri was hit by a rubber bullet after an Israeli attack on worshipers who refused to enter al-Aqsa through the electronic scanners placed by the Israeli government at the Lions Gate^[5] Following the Jerusalem riots of 2017, where he was arrested, the Israeli government has issued orders to bar Sabri from travel.