The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the Israeli Knesset’s preliminary approval of a bill aimed at banning the Muslim call to prayer (adhan), known as the “Muezzin Law”, WAFA reported.
The OIC described the proposed legislation as null and void, calling it a discriminatory and racist legislative measure that constitutes a flagrant violation of freedom of religion and worship, as well as the cultural and religious rights guaranteed under international law and international human rights law.
It said the bill marks a dangerous escalation in a series of Israeli laws, decisions, and policies that target the Palestinian presence and the Arab and Islamic identity, adding that it represents a direct assault on Islamic religious rituals and holy sites.
The organization stressed that restricting the call to prayer violates Israel’s obligations under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other international instruments that protect the right to freely practice religious rites without discrimination or restriction.
The OIC called on the international community, particularly the United Nations, its specialized agencies, and all relevant international parties, to take urgent action to halt Israel’s unlawful measures and policies, revoke the proposed legislation and other discriminatory laws, ensure respect for freedom of worship and the protection of Islamic holy sites, and hold Israel, as the occupying power, accountable for its ongoing violations of international law and international legitimacy.
