Doha: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned the Israeli Knesset's preliminary approval of a bill that would prohibit the Muslim call to prayer from being broadcast through loudspeakers in occupied East Jerusalem and in Palestinian areas occupied of 1948.
According to Qatar News Agency, the OIC's General Secretariat issued a statement describing the proposed legislation as a "flagrant violation" of freedom of religion and worship, as well as cultural and religious rights protected under international law.
The organization stated that the bill represented a "dangerous escalation" in a series of Israeli measures and legislation targeting the Palestinian presence and Arab and Islamic identity. It said the proposal amounted to a direct attack on Islamic religious practices and holy sites.
The OIC further highlighted that restricting the call to prayer would violate international legal obligations and conventions that guarantee the right to practice religious rites without discrimination or restriction. The organization called on the international community, particularly the United Nations and its relevant bodies, to take action to halt Israeli measures that "contravene international law" and to ensure the protection of freedom of worship and Islamic holy sites.