MUST READ: Why Jerusalem is “Holy” for the Muslims
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The connection between Jerusalem and politics is expressed in another way: everyone knows that the source of the disagreement between the Shi’ites and the Sunnis is the political question of who was the legitimate Caliph in the middle of the seventh century: ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, the fourth caliph, or Mu’awiya bin Abi Sufyan, the ruler of Damascus, who rebelled against ‘Ali and became the fifth Caliph. Mu’awiya is the first Caliph from the Umayyads, and it was Yazid, his son, who sanctified Jerusalem as an alternative place to do the Hajj pilgrimage. Yazid was also the one who had Husein bin ‘Ali decapitated and therefore the Shi’ites – supporters of ‘Ali and his descendants – see the Umayyads as their eternal enemies, and their deeds as illegitimate. Therefore, the holiness of Jerusalem was not accepted by the Shi’ites and their third holiest place is the city of Najaf, in southern Iraq, ‘Ali’s burial site. Today, politics plays a role here as well: the leaders of Iran and the Shi’ite Hizballah can not remain behind when the subject is Israel, so they jump on the bandwagon “To liberate Jerusalem from the impurity of the Zionists”, despite the fact that according to Shi’ite tradition Jerusalem has no status as a holy place.
The historical reality of Jerusalem also stands before the leaders of the State of Israel: On one hand – it is the city that is central to the Jewish faith since King David until today, the center of Jewish ritual and religious life, the Jewish capital for approximately 3000 years and the center of the longing, hopes and prayers of Jews from the four corners of the Earth. On the other hand it is the city that Islam has adopted precisely because it is holy to others, and a city whose Islamic “holiness” stems from a problem of Islamic political legitimacy in the Islamic Empire, since the days of Muhammad until our times.
The question that confronts us today is whether Judaism and Christianity will submit to the Islamic religious narrative, which invalidates Judaism and Christianity, and appropriates their holiness, their prophets and their “founding fathers” unto itself, or will they stand up for their rights to be living and thriving religions, that adhere to their holy places and. Or will Jews and Christians behave submissively towards the desert tribes who, after conquering the Land of Israel geographically, have been trying for last 1400 years to overthrow the history and theology of its people.
All to whom Jerusalem is dear must raise their voices and demand that Israel’s government not sell off the holy city for the delusion of peace with those who don’t see Jews as having any right to their country. Jerusalem is not just another parcel of land or a building that belongs to the State of Israel, but the heart of hearts of the entire Jewish and Christian peoples worldwide. In practice this means that if it is necessary to build a bridge then Israel must build it and pay no heed to those who wish to undermine the Jews’ rights and sovereignty.
There will be real peace in the Middle East if, and only if Muslims will recognize the right of Jews to live with full sovereignty in the land of Israel and in its holy, historic capital.
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Translated from Hebrew by Sally.
tell a friendAbout the Author: Dr. Mordechai Kedar (Ph.D. Bar-Ilan U.) Served for 25 years in IDF Military Intelligence specializing in Arab political discourse, Arab mass media, Islamic groups and the Syrian domestic arena. A lecturer in Arabic at Bar-Ilan U., he is also an expert on Israeli Arabs.
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3 Responses to “MUST READ: Why Jerusalem is “Holy” for the Muslims”
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Historically, Jerusalem existed under the name “Salem” during the time of prophet Abraham 2000 years ago – and Abraham was certainly not an Israelite or a Jew. The entire city was demolished by Babylonians in 586 BC. and rebuilt seventy-year later by Cyrus, the King of Persia, who could not be a Jew. In 40 BC Romans occupied Jerusalem and incinerated the Temple of Solomon (Masjid-e-Aqsa, mentioned as “the Far-away mosque” in the Holy Qur’an).
Palestine has existed, though not as an independent state, for over 10,000 years. Its inhabitants have been Jebusites (the ones’ who most probably built the city), Cannanites, Phoenicians, Hittites, Aramaeans, Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, Arabs, Franks and Turks. Part of Palestine was ruled by Israelite under the name of “Kindom of Judea and Samara” until they were defeated and taken as slaves or expeled by Babylonians, Greeks, Romans and Persians between 171 BC and 135 CE. The City of Jerusalem was handed over to Muslim Army by the Christian Patriarch Sofronius in a public ceremony. Muslims found out that the ruins of Temple of Solomon were used as the city garbage dump. Under the orders of Khalifah Umar Ibn Khattab (ra), the site was cleaned of garbage and handed-over to the Chaief Rabbi of Jerusalem, who in gratitude declared the Khalifah as the “Promised Jewish Messaih”. Sheikh Imran Nazar Hossein in his book Jerusalem in the Quran exposes the Zionist lies about their Biblical claim on the Holy Land.
http://rehmat1.wordpress.com/2010/04/01/who-built-jerusalem/
Under the orders of Khalifah Umar Ibn Khattab (ra), the site was cleaned of garbage and handed-over to the Chaief Rabbi of Jerusalem
Good. Then you believe the Temple Mount was handed over to the Jews by your ruler.
Now go away.
Jesus. You must be confusing Abraham with Jesus. Abraham lived 4000 years ago. Jesus lived 2000 years ago. Jesus was a Jew. Abraham was the father of the Jewish nation.
Wait a minute, Solomon, the king who built the Temple you mentioned was a Jew too.
And the name Palestine (you call it Balestine, because you can’t pronounce the ‘P’ in the country you claim to own), was introduced by the Romans who conquered (for a short time) the indiginous Jewish (Israel) population.
And if you believe that any Chief Rabbi called some Arab the Jewish Messiah, then I can’t decide if you are stupid or deluded.
Your revisionist history is as bogus as you are.