By Daoud Kuttab

Attorney Botrus Mansour the president of the Federation of Evangelical Councils in the HolyLand and Jordan has called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to intervene in ending the detention of Reverend Johnny Shahwan. The Palestinian attorney general’s office ruled Sunday to extend the ten-day detention for a further 15 days so that investigators can finalize their investigation by checking security cameras and cell phones.

Mansour told Maghtas.com that the extension of the detention is unjust and has the smell of discrimination. “This is an unjust decision and doesn’t fit what we expect from the Palestinian government in empowering a just legal system that operates on proper standards. If they have any evidence of violations, they need to present him to the court and there is no need for further detention.”

“The extension of the remand touches on the rule of law and reflects bowing to the pressure of the street demagogy. It has the smell of a discriminatory and abusive act against a man of the cloth.” Mansour called on President Abbas to put an end to what he called a “farcical act.”

Maghtas.com attempted without success to obtain a reaction from Dr. Ramzi Khoury the head of the Presidential Committee for Churches in Palestine. Sources tell Maghtas.com that Dr. Khoury considers the issue a legal issue and that the executive branch can’t interfere with its actions.

According to a statement by the Beit-Jala based center, which Shahwan started, the problem occurred March 1st when an unknown person entered the center while Shahwan was addressing a group of German tourists. The person then added himself to a group photo and then took a selfie with Shahwan.

 The intruder turned out to be Yehuda Glick a well-known Israeli extremist who is leading an effort to build the Jewish temple by replacing al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Islam’s third holiest mosque. His publication on Facebook of the selfie with Rev. Shahwan produced a storm that forced the Palestinian government to close the center and detain the founder.

The public sentiment didn’t believe that he was an intruder and felt he was invited. Maghtas.com has learned that one of the German guests who know Glick wanted to meet with him and had invited him to come to the guest house where they were staying.

 The Palestinian government which had temporarily closed the Liqaa Center later reopened it but the founder continues to be held in jail pending the conclusion of the investigation. A meeting is to be held Sunday night by the General Assembly of the Liqaa Center to decide on protest steps aimed at seeking the release of the founder of the center.