Al-Aqsa Mosque Confusion at the International Business Times

UPDATE

Following correspondence with HonestReporting, the IBT has completely changed both its sub-header and text.

The sub-header now reads: “The unrest has led to renewed calls for peace talks, which last broke down more than two years ago.”

The opening text now states: “Israeli authorities have banned non-Muslims from entering a contentious Jerusalem holy site, following a series of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police. The decision comes during the holy month of Ramadan and will be applied until the end of June, but will remain open for Muslim prayer.”

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The International Business Times reports on Palestinian violence on the Temple Mount over the past few days.

(Click to enlarge image)

The sub-header mistakenly refers to the Al-Aqsa mosque being “sacred to both Muslims and Jewish visitors.”

It’s not.

The mosque itself is not sacred to Jews, who usually pray in synagogues. The Temple Mount compound, however, is the most sacred site in Judaism.

In addition, the sub-header and the opening paragraph of the article claim that the mosque has been closed by Israeli authorities until the end of Ramadan. In fact, the mosque is open for Muslim prayer. It’s non-Muslims, and particularly Jews, who have been prevented from visiting the Temple Mount by Israeli authorities on security grounds.

Aside from the factual errors, the story implies that Jews are restricting Muslim freedom of worship when it is clearly not the case.

A request for a correction has been sent to the IBT. Watch this space.