Opinion  Others
Friendship on Temple Mount
Yehuda Litani
Published: 22.02.07, 18:39
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18 Talkbacks for this article
1. Photos of what the Islamic Waqf is doing to the temple mount
Saul ,   Eretz Yisrael   (02.22.07)
Click this link http://www.har-habayt.org/
2. How a non-Mahomedan can work in Al Charim
Jewish History   (02.22.07)
http://www.jewish-history.com/Palestine/nonmuslim.html As the Mislamin [Muslim] now considers himself perfect in every point of view, it is quite natural that he holds it derogatory to his dignity to learn any trade; hence you seldom find among the Mahomedans, and this among the poorest classes, any mechanics; the rarest of all do you find them masons and carpenters, which trades are mostly supplied by Christians, and latterly also by Jews. If it is now the case that something has to be repaired in Al Charim, and the pious faithful are under the deplorable necessity to entrust this work to a Kafr, or unbeliever, in this instance always a Nazrani [Christian], because no Mislamin can be found to execute it properly, and the Jews not being permitted, according to their own Mosaic law, to enter at present the holy place, on account of the want of purification (see Num. 19:13 and 20), and as they are thus compelled to permit a Kafr to enter, they do it in this way: a black African dervish, belonging to the guard of the sanctuary, appears at the gate of the Temple Mount, takes the Nazrani on his shoulders, and bears him, running rapidly, to the spot requiring repair, the whole room in which he has to work being covered and hung round with carpets or coverlets, on which he is set down; and he is prohibited, on pain of death, to touch the bare floor in any manner. When the work is completed, he is again taken up on the shoulders of a dervish, and carried out at a running pace. As may be expected, all the places whither the Kafr has been carried must afterwards be purified by holy incense, scented drugs, and rose-water, of the Misma of the Kafr. Nevertheless, in this respect also the faithful have become more indulgent, and are not so averse as formerly, to come in contact and closer connexion with unbelievers, especially if these are their creditors, or they expect to obtain favours from them. [Descriptive Geography and Brief Historical Sketch of Palestine, 1850]
3. Thank you
Abdullah ,   EuMe   (02.22.07)
for the beautiful story, Yehuda.
4. Wait, Here's a Story That's Even More Wonderful
Patrick ,   Boston, MA   (02.22.07)
Unfortunately, it's fictitious: Muslims get to keep their two holy sites in Mecca and Medina, which aren't mentioned in the Torah, and Jews get their one holy site in Jerusalem, which isn't in the Koran, returned to them. It's not that such an example of plain fairness, that a child could understand, doesn't serve the Waqf's current interests; it's just the antithesis of core Islamic ideology to deem infidels as being worthy of such fairness.
5. the author is a disgusting dhimmi.
AK   (02.22.07)
There was no 'cooperation' between Muslims and Jews, under the Ottomans; only the Jews 'cooperated.' What is most telling however, is that the Ottomans did not overstretched themselves with the extensive renovation of the 'Third Most Holy Place in Islamdom." The real renovation, including the golden dome, was done when the Infidels were in control of the land.
6. Temple Mount #5 is correct!
Frank O. ,   Paris   (02.22.07)
7. Thanks Litani for this heartbreaking story.
Palestinian   (02.22.07)
I wish if some of today's Israelis acknowledge the fact that this land was not empty and that previous people with high spirit inhabited it, whether being muslim, christian or Jew. There is not question that we are all the son of one father Adam. And that Muslims are nothing but previously Christians, Jews or pagans who have inhabited this land before! I wish if people get closer with respect in understanding the other.
8. Number 5 is wrong.
Palestinian   (02.22.07)
You think that people never wrote about themselves in the middle east so that you can just simply change history as you like. It was the Ottomans who commissioned the most beautiful blue tiles that surrounds the Dome of the Rock. This building because of Ottoman hands and Umayyid hands is one of the most beautiful structures I have ever seen in this world. (I traveleved a lot by the way!)
9. Before and after the 1899 events until 1967 Jews were not...
Chanan ,   USA   (02.22.07)
alowed on Temple Mount their holiest site and only the third holiest for Muslims.
10. It is inexplicable that...
Chaim ,   Toronto, Canada   (02.22.07)
after G-d handed the Jews their holiest place on a silver platter, in 1967, they went and handed it to their sworn enemies. It's as if they spat on G-d's face. Is it any wonder that ever since then, after Jewish fortunes have reached their Zenith, things have been getting worse and worse for Israel.
11. True Muslims Hated and still HATE The Ottomans
Youssef Maanan ,   Hama, Syria   (02.22.07)
for what they did to the Muslim world.
12. What Litani says is true and absolutely irrelevant
Daniel ,   Formerly Israel   (02.23.07)
Of course there was great coooperation between Jews and Mslims before the twentieth century. And in fact Muslims did a lot for Jews between the dark ages and the enlightenment: They took us in and protected us and we lived and worked together with them and enjoyed a higher status within their empires than any other minority. But these facts have as little relevance today as the fact that Germans welcomed and protected Jews during the 19th century had during the 1940s. The unfortunate fact remains that today those in control of the Muslim world (even if they are not a majority) hate us and are trying to kill us. We should all be grieved by the fact that the friendship that once existed between Arabs and Jews is gone, but that grief should not lead us to grasp at the illusion that it still exists.
13. #7 Palestinian: You need to tell your Mjuslim partners
Yacov ,   Ashkelon   (02.23.07)
You need to tell your Muslim partners that are infiltrating terror cells all around the world to attack Jews, Xians, Buddhists, Hindus, Baha'i and especially the Muslims in Iraq who are murdering each other by the dozens every week.
14. #11
Benjamin R Hiatt ,   Portland Oregon, USA   (02.23.07)
Unfortunately HATE seems to be the standard emotion for "True" Muslims these days, doesn't it?
15. nice story but don't read it as a story of willingness
Cameron   (02.23.07)
Jews & Arabs worked together on the Temple Mount because they were ordered to. Read the story more as a mutual desire to avoid having a Turkish boot on their necks.
16. Never trust a middle easterner.
Levent ,   Turkiye   (02.24.07)
Turks saved Arabs and Jews from bloody swords of crusaders. Turkey was always a safety heaven for Jews and Arabs had better rights than the christians like Kurds. But either Arabs and Jews betrayed Turks. Note: We're Turkish firstly, not muslim.
17. #16
Palestinian ,   Haifa   (02.25.07)
And i suppose we (arabs and jews) should thank you for sparing us the fate of the 1 million armenian CHRISTIANS and hundreds of thousands of KURDS that were brutally murdered by the turks in the 20th century alone??
18. #17
Levent ,   Turkiye   (03.24.07)
The victims were the Turks. There are no evidence about killed armenians or kurds. But I can show you a million proof about killed Turks... Btw, you arabs deserve everything. That's why I'm for israel. ;)
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