Israel’s total disregard for religions

Bahrain Tribune
Oct 15 2004

Israel said on Wednesday it would severely limit the access of Muslim
worshippers to Jerusalem’s holiest site, Al Aqsa Mosque compound,
during the holy month of Ramadhan, claiming it could collapse. Angry
Muslims dismissed Israel’s claims, saying Arab engineers assured
them Al Aqsa Mosque compound was stable. They accused Israel of
exaggerating the danger in hopes of increasing its control over the
site, which is administered by the Islamic Trust.

The sacred hilltop is one of the most sensitive spots in the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s
visit to the holy complex led to the Intifada in 2000 which escalated
into the current round of fighting. Egyptian and Jordanian engineers
who inspected the walls said that there is no real danger. In another
recent case, a Jewish seminary student attacked an Armenian archbishop
carrying a cross in a procession. He spat on the Archbishop and broke
the cross. Christian clergymen frequently complain about harassment
by Jews but no action is taken. Even the Israeli government harasses
the churches by holding up visa requests for clergymen.

Any fair observer will undoubtedly deduct from these acts that Israel
has no respect for Muslim or Christian faiths. The Muslim world at
least has the guts to make noises by complaining to anyone who is
willing to listen about Israel’s actions against non-Jewish holy
places and religious men, but the so-called Christian world always
remains silent even when Israel and Israelis abuse their clergy or
the cross – the symbol of their faith.

Adding insult to injury we hear the leaders of America’s Christian
Evangelists giving their unshakable support to Israel. One cannot
help but ask these people: do they believe in the same Christ that the
rest of the Christian world believes? Is the cross the symbol of their
Christianity or they have another symbol – the Star of David maybe?

If the West is reluctant to stand with the Muslim world in safeguarding
the Islamic holy places, shouldn’t they at least try to protect their
own holy places and give support to their clergymen by taking Israel
to task?

Israel’s complete disregard of the two monotheistic religions has been
exposed time and time again. Never in the history of Arab Islamic
rule of the holy city has there ever been such abuse of the holy
places or the clergymen. On the contrary, The Jerusalem Christians
have only seen respect and protection from their Islamic rulers.

Israel is refusing to return the holy city to its rightful owner,
the Palestinians, and the world is tacitly complying with the Israeli
consent although they are not open about it, undoubtedly hoping that
during a final status agreement with the Palestinians Israel will
manage to hold on to the holy city.

Will the world, specifically the Christian world, be happy to see
its holy places in the hands of a country like Israel which abuses
all non-Jewish holy places and clergymen without a blink on an eye?