Ammon News - AMMAN, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) Jordan's the Islamic Action Front (IAF) criticized the government's rejection of its request to hold a rally on Oct. 16 in support of al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem.

In a statement on its website, the IAF, the political wing of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, said it received a letter Wednesday from Amman Governor Samir Mubaidin, in which he refused to grant the permission to stage the rally.

In the letter, the governor said "based on my authorizations under the General Assembly Law I inform you that I do not agree on your request."

The IAF and human rights activists have repeatedly criticized the law, which entails obtaining prior approval for any gathering by the local governor of each area, a matter that deemed by the IAF and those activists as restrictive to public freedoms.

The IAF said it was planning to hold the rally to protest the latest Israeli violations against the sanctity of al-Aqsa Mosque and to solidarity with the Palestinians in Jerusalem of whom many were arrested and injured in clashes recently with the Israeli troops. The clashes also resulted in the injury of many Israeli police members.

"The repeated violations against al-Aqsa Mosque provoke the feelings of all citizens in this country and preventing citizens from expressing their feelings is a stark violation of their rights," Hasan Dhuneibat, head of the Palestinian affairs at the IAF, said in a statement posted on front's website Wednesday.

"Jordan should be on the front line of those who defend the interests of the Muslim nations and its holy sites," said Dhuneibat, calling on the government to allow citizens, parties and civil society institutions to "express their anger over the Zionists' crimes against al-Aqsa Mosque."