Ramallah: The celebration of “Jerusalem the Capital of the Islamic Youth 2018” began at Ahmad Al Shukairi Hall, at the Presidential Headquarters in Ramallah in the presence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and representatives of 27 Arab, Islamic and European countries, Ministers for youth and sports, as well as Palestinian officials.
Qatar’s delegation to the event was headed by Minister of Culture and Sports, H E Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, to reiterate the firm position of Qatar in support of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people. Maj. Gen. Jibril Rajoub, chairman of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, said during the celebration that “the Islamic consensus last year to consider Jerusalem as a youth centre for 2018, by hosting an international programme for one year with the participation of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, was a warning voice to draw attention to the attempts to Judaize the Holy City, through the high rates of settlement construction, the confiscation and demolition of houses and the fighting against the people of Jerusalem, which was suffered by the city of Hebron after the massacre of the Ibrahimi Mosque by a killer settler.
He expressed hope that this conference would be a spark for the start of an Arab-Islamic revolution to support the Palestinian people, especially Jerusalemites, and to protect Islamic and Christian holy sites in the Islamic city. Jerusalem was declared the capital of the Muslim youth in 2018 by a decision of the Youth Forum of the Islamic Conference for Dialogue and Cooperation, the youth wing of the OIC last year.
