UPDATE
Thanks to the Telegraph for promptly removing the reference to “Palestine” from the photo title. However, Israel has not been inserted in its place, leaving Jerusalem as a geographical orphan. Is it too much to expect the Telegraph to recognize the reality of Jerusalem’s location as part of Israel? We don’t think so.
UPDATE 2
We commend the Telegraph for issuing the following clarification that now appears in the caption accompanying the Al-Aqsa Mosque photo:
It reads:
CLARIFICATION: This item previously located the Al Aqsa mosque in ‘Jerusalem, Palestine’ and stated that Palestinians were denied access to the Noble Sanctuary by Israeli security forces. Since the status of East Jerusalem is not settled, we have removed mention of ‘Palestine’. We have also amended the text to clarify that, for security reasons, access for some Palestinians is sometimes restricted, not entirely denied.
* * *
The Telegraph’s travel section is running a photo feature on “The world’s most beautiful mosques.” Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque is included. But where has the Telegraph located it?
According to the Telegraph, the mosque is located in “Jerusalem, Palestine.”
The text is also problematic:
Jerusalem’s Old City is currently under Israeli control, and worship at the Noble Sanctuary is limited to Muslims only, but tension between Palestinians and Israelis mean that the former find themselves denied access to the site by the latter’s security forces.
Stating that the Old City is “currently under Israeli control” infers a potentially temporary situation. The reality is that the Old City is an integral part of Jerusalem, which is Israel’s capital city and under its sovereignty.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque itself is clearly a Muslim holy site. The Noble Sanctuary, however, is the Muslim name for the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism. The Telegraph has therefore addressed more than just the mosque. That being the case, surely it should be mentioned that the only people who are denied the right to worship on the Temple Mount are Jews.
In addition, while there are restrictions sometimes placed on Palestinians concerning access to the site, this is wholly dependent on security considerations at any given time and not a blanket ban. Muslims have absolute freedom of worship in their holy places.
It appears that geography isn’t the only thing that the Telegraph is confused about.
