Zainab Chaudry on Jerusalem Holy Site Restrictions, Religious Freedom, and International Law

Zainab Chaudry, Pharm.D., is Maryland Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations and serves as a spokesperson on issues involving civil liberties, religious freedom, education, and public policy. Based in Maryland, she has represented CAIR in media, legislative, and community forums and has appeared in recent statewide advocacy efforts, including Muslim Lobby Day initiatives in Annapolis and Maryland advocacy. In 2015, she was appointed to the Maryland State Advisory Committee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and Baltimore media later profiled her as one of the city’s most prominent civil rights leaders.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen interviews Zainab Chaudry of CAIR about Israeli restrictions on access to major holy sites in Jerusalem, including the Al-Aqsa compound and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Chaudry says Israeli authorities imposing restrictions on Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem is a dangerous threat to religious freedom and an egregious escalation of its oppression of Palestinian Muslims and Christians. She discusses interfaith implications, international human rights standards, and the way U.S. media frames Palestinian Christians and Muslims. The conversation closes with a call on Congress to exercise its authority to press for accountability of Israel, protect all sacred spaces, and end the illegal occupation of Palestine.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Let us begin with the broader picture. Regarding restrictions on access to major holy sites in Jerusalem, what reasons have Israeli authorities given for these measures, and what broader concerns do critics raise based on precedent?

Zainab Chaudry: Israeli authorities have a long history of imposing draconian, oppressive restrictions on the Masjid Al-Aqsa complex as a means to exercise political control, assert sovereignty and control the movement of Palestinians.

These restrictions are expanding to Christian holy sites, notably the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Faith leaders and some U.S. and foreign officials are increasingly objecting to these policies that are interfering with the freedom of worship. For example, on Palm Sunday, Israeli police reportedly barred senior Catholic clergy, including the Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. That decision drew widespread criticism from the Latin Patriarchate and U.S. and European officials. The Latin Patriarchate said in a statement, in part: “For the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This incident is a grave precedent and disregards the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem.”

Jacobsen: Have any deadlines been specified for how long these restrictions will remain in place, or were they imposed without a clear end date?

Chaudry: Following backlash and criticism, including from senior U.S. officials, Israeli authorities partially lifted the ban on access for the Latin Patriach to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At this time, there is no stated timeline for the lifting of restrictions on the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Jacobsen: There has also been a political reaction from the United States, correct?

Chaudry: There has only been political reaction from some U.S. officials in relation to restrictions imposed on the Church, not on the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This unfortunately underscores the double standards in how U.S. officials prioritize faith communities’ religious freedom rights, especially in Jerusalem. Israel’s violations of Muslim communities’ rights do not receive nearly the same level of priority, concern, direct political attention or moral clarity.

It’s worth noting that even in cases where U.S. officials do speak up, it has only led to diplomatic concessions, not concrete policy changes.

Jacobsen: So the central concern from critics is that worshippers should be able to practice freely without being blocked from these sites?

Chaudry: Restricting access to any holy site, whether through permitting requirements, age limitations, on the basis of nationality, through arbitrary checkpoints, or now outright closures particularly during major religious observances, is an egregious violation of basic religious freedom and the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It adds more layers of oppression and subjugation by Israel against Palestinians.

Jacobsen: This has also been described as an interfaith issue. Is that accurate?

Chaudry: Yes. Israel’s forced closures have affected access to predominantly Muslim but also Christian sites within and beyond Jerusalem. As a result, concerns are being raised more broadly about religious liberty and equal access, rather than just one single group.

Jacobsen: What about access to Al-Aqsa? Some claims suggest recent measures are unprecedented since 1967.

Chaudry: Israeli authorities frequently and routinely block access for Muslim worshippers to the Al-Aqsa complex, but did so during the holy month of Ramadan for the first time since 1967. This forced closure extended into, and now beyond, one of the two holiest days on the islamic calendar, Eid ul-Fitr.

Jacobsen: And the Church of the Holy Sepulchre?

Chaudry: According to the Latin Patriarchate, access to the Church had not been restricted for centuries. There’s no such precedent in modern times. While that restriction was partially reversed following criticism, the fact that it was imposed to begin with is a serious escalation and signifies that Israel is expanding its reign of oppressive policies across diverse communities.

Congress must take swift action to halt Israel’s blatant, unconscionable crackdown on religious communities and the relentless erosion of basic rights.

Our government must examine and take responsibility for its role in funding and permitting Israel’s oppressive policies.

Jacobsen: Beyond the immediate reporting, are there indications that some holy sites or faith communities are affected more than others, or are these restrictions broadly applied?

Chaudry: The extent and enforcement of restrictions specifically target Muslim and Christian worshippers (Israeli settlers are given access to Masjid Al Aqsa, for example). Muslim holy sites are disproportionately impacted. Israel has a long history of forcibly blocking access to Muslim worshippers to other mosques as well, including the Ibrahimi Mosque.

Restrictions affecting one religious community have broader implications for religious freedom. Access should be protected for all worshippers, regardless of faith, while balancing legitimate security considerations.

Jacobsen: How should international law frame access to sacred spaces in contested territories?

Chaudry: International human rights law provides a framework through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for example, which affirms the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, including the freedom to manifest religion in worship and practice.

Legal frameworks, including international humanitarian law, impose obligations on authorities to respect religious sites and preserve access, including during periods of conflict or occupation.

Jacobsen: When you read left-wing, centrist, and right-wing media in the United States, what tends to be underemphasized or overemphasized in coverage of these issues?

Chaudry: Media framing varies significantly but overwhelmingly western media tends to be blatantly biased in favor of Israel. This manifests through framing headlines and reporting in ways that diminish harm by Israel, shift the blame, sanitize its oppressive policies, and frequently gloss over, or not report on its genocide, extensive war crimes, apartheid system of governance and human rights violations.

Some progressive outlets exhibit more objectivity and do a better job of highlighting humanitarian impacts, civilian harm, and questions of international law.

Jacobsen: What do you see within these different media frameworks? What tends to be underemphasized or overemphasized from a more informed perspective?

Chaudry: Western media coverage is widely known to dehumanize Palestinians and portray them in ways that lack nuance or context. Reporting on Gaza is often routed through editorial bureau, with very specific guidelines favoring Israel that shape how stories and headlines are presented. These editorial standards influence how narratives are constructed and which perspectives are prioritized.

This creates massive gaps in the public’s knowledge and understanding. That lack of awareness impacts broader issues in how the region is presented and understood in public discourse.

Jacobsen: What is your final call to action regarding the protection of human rights, particularly access to religious sites?

Chaudry: The central call from advocates is for access to places of worship to be maintained or restored in a manner consistent with international human rights standards, including the protections outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This includes ensuring that Muslims and Christians have unrestricted access to their respective holy sites including the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Advocacy groups are also calling on governments, including the United States Congress, to use diplomatic, legal, and policy tools to hold Israel accountable for its long history of religious persecution, illegal and oppressive policies, genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine and now also Lebanon.

The broader principle is that access to sacred spaces must be protected and maintained as a basic, fundamental right, even in contexts of conflict.

We are calling for the full restoration of unrestricted access to all holy sites for the diverse faith communities connected to them. Congress must examine its role in the U.S. government in relation to current policy towards Israel, and exercise all available oversight mechanisms through our system of checks and balances, to apply pressure on the Israeli government regarding access restrictions and broader human rights concerns.

Access to the Al-Aqsa complex and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre should be maintained and restored in a manner consistent with international human rights standards.

Jacobsen: Zainab, thank you very much for your time and your expertise today. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen is a blogger on Vocal with over 130 posts on the platform. He is the Founder and Publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978–1–0692343; 978–1–0673505) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369–6885). He writes for International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN, 0018–7399; Online: ISSN, 2163–3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), Humanist Perspectives (ISSN: 1719–6337), A Further Inquiry (SubStack), Vocal, Medium, The Good Men Project, The New Enlightenment Project, The Washington Outsider, rabble.ca, and other media. His bibliography index can be found via the Jacobsen Bank at In-Sight Publishing,, comprising more than 10,000 articles, interviews, and republications across more than 200 outlets. He has served in national and international leadership roles within humanist and media organizations, held several academic fellowships, and currently serves on several boards. He is a member in good standing in numerous media organizations, including the Canadian Association of Journalists, PEN Canada (CRA: 88916 2541 RR0001), Reporters Without Borders (SIREN: 343 684 221/SIRET: 343 684 221 00041/EIN: 20–0708028), and others.