KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 — Over 30 Malay-Muslim NGOs are planning a protest tomorrow against Israel’s restrictions on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam, with a march towards the United States embassy.

The march, called “Himpunan Kemarahan” [The Rally of Anger], is scheduled to begin after Friday prayers tomorrow from the Lembaga Tabung Haji’s mosque on Jalan Ampang, and will be joined by a number of societies, including Malay rights group Perkasa and the newly-launched PAS offshoot Parti Amanah Negara.

“The insolence of the Zionist regime to continuously intrude on the Muslims’ first ‘kiblat’ cannot be left alone. Their actions appear geared towards trying to challenge the patience of Muslims.

“Muslims must rise to state their protest so all these intrusions and attacks are stopped immediately,” Amanah secretary-general Mohd Anuar Tahir said in a statement yesterday.

“Kiblat” is the Malay spelling for “qibla”, the direction Muslims face when they pray.  

During Prophet Muhammad’s time, Muslims had at first faced Jerusalem during prayers for over 13 years.

It was changed by Muhammad to Mecca one day, a practice that continues until today.

Other organisations expected to join tomorrow’s rally are student groups Malaysian National Muslim Students Association, Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Malaysia, HaluanSiswa, and the student wings of Islamist groups Ikram and Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia.

It is unclear why the groups have decided to protest against the US government.

However, many Malaysian Muslims often lump the Jews, Zionists, Israelis and Americans together, pointing to the powerful Jewish lobby in the US.

Clashes erupted this week across the occupied West Bank following ongoing confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli forces at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

The compound is called the Temple Mount by the Jews and is the holiest site for Judaism, which has resulted in adherents of the two Abrahamic faiths to tussle for ownership of the site.

Israel has restricted access for Palestinians visiting the mosque’s compound for the week-long Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which started on Sunday, to facilitate Jews from across the country visiting the holy site.