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From: gordon@cs.tamu.edu (Dan Gordon)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: The incident of Mout Temple
Message-ID: <1990Nov28.164018.29733@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Date: 28 Nov 90 16:40:18 GMT
References: <1990Nov22.011550.24697@wpi.WPI.EDU>
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In article <1990Nov22.011550.24697@wpi.WPI.EDU> mughal@iago.caltech.edu writes:
>
>I met with Dr. Mahmoud Azhaar, a Muslim scholar from Ghaza
>strip last Friday. In reply to the question mentioning
>the Muslim killing near Al-quds, he said something as
>following:
>
>The extremist Jews of Yaroshalam, saw the current Gulf
>crisis, [with all the Shaikhdoms worrying about their
>own seats] to lay the foundation stone of the Third
>Temple of King David. 20,000 to 30,000 Jews went to the
>location to lay the foundation stone. The Muslims there
>tried to deter them from Al-Aqsa, by throwing stones.
>In return 21 Muslims were murdered, unarmed.

Some corrections are in order:

1. The 20,000-30,000 Jews were celebrating the feast of Tabernacles
(an ancient holiday, commanded in the Torah). These celebrations are 
held everywhere, and not just in Jerusalem. Furthermore, they are
held every year (and have been so for thousands of years) and have
nothing to do with the Gulf crisis.

2. Most of the Jews celebrating are extremely orthodox, and these are
NOT ALLOWED to go up to the Temple Mount for *religious* reasons.

3. The group that wanted to place the foundation stone consists of some
100 people, who are regarded by all Israelis, religious and non-religious,
as slightly loony. They are not sanctioned by any religious establishment,
because, as I wrote, the religious viewpoint is that Jews should not go
up to the Temple Mount. This group is called the "Temple Mount Faithful"
and they are led by one Gershon Solomon.

4. The "Faithful" have been attempting to do the same thing for several
years. Every year, they are forbidden to go up, they appeal to the Israeli
supreme court, and they lose. The police then inform them and everybody
concerned - in particular, the Muslim custodians of the El Aqsa Mosque - 
that the court ruling will be upheld. This year, it was no different, and 
it had nothing to do with the Gulf crisis.

5. As can be seen from the above, there is no connection between the tens
of thousands of worshippers and the "Faithful."

Nobody has to take my word on any of the above. You can read all this 
background material in any of the serious newspapers that covered the
incident. What I find particularly disturbing is that a Muslim scholar
from Gaza, who obviously knows the above facts (since he is close to the
area) should try to present such a distorted version. Most readers of
this newsgroup can independently verify these facts, but what about
hundreds of thousands of Muslims who have no access to alternate 
independent sources of information? Is this distortion meant to incite
them?

The Koran calls on its followers to speak the truth, and that God will
judge all men. Perhaps I should end on this note.