Jerusalem's Top Muslim Cleric Denies Israeli Police Charge

JERUSALEM (AP) - Jerusalem's chief Muslim cleric, Ikrima Sabri, was detained Tuesday and questioned by Israeli police, who said he endorsed Palestinian suicide bombings in a recent newspaper interview.

But Sabri - who often preaches to thousands at the huge Al Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam's most important religious sites - said after his release that ''1,000 journalists'' have asked his position on suicide bombings, and he has always refused to comment.

Sabri, 63, whose post as mufti of Jerusalem is influential but largely ceremonial, was released after being held for three hours at a police compound in central Jerusalem. He has often made controversial comments that have outraged Israelis and police have detained him previously.

Police questioned Sabri about a June 1 interview in the Dubai-based newspaper Al-Bayan. The Arabic newspaper quoted him as saying that he ``did not see any religious prohibition'' against suicide bombings. ``On the contrary, it is self-defense and one of the successful types of resistance.''

After his release around midday, Sabri told The Associated Press: ``That newspaper published words that I never said. From the beginning of the uprising, I have been interviewed by more than 1,000 journalists ... and most of them asked about attacks in Israel. My response was that I had no position toward that.''

However, Al-Bayan said Sabri was quoted correctly in the interview, according to Omar al-Omar, head of the paper's international section.

``Obviously he's under a lot of pressure (from the Israelis) and what he said is expected, because he was arrested and forced to say that so he can be freed,'' al-Omar said.

Sabri was not charged. According to Israeli law, incitement to violence is a criminal offense.

Sabri, appointed to his post in 1994 by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, was detained briefly by Israeli police in September 2001 and questioned about a sermon and a meeting with Lebanese guerrilla leaders.

Last year, Sabri described the Palestinian uprising against Israel as a ``holy war'' and said that suicide bombers and other Muslims killed in the conflict were ``martyrs.''

``The issue is decided,'' Sabri said then. ``Muslims believe in the Day of Judgment and that dying as a martyr has its reward - going to heaven - and that a martyr is alive in the eyes of God.''

Israel says many Muslim clerics and Palestinian political leaders have encouraged suicide bombings with inflammatory speeches that say such attacks are sanctioned by Islam.

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