October 31, 2006

Ruth Matar: Freedom of religion for whom?

Folks, I don't like to publish long posts because I know that people, myself included, enjoy reading short sound bytes which get to the point so that they could move on quickly to their other favorite blogs, video games, and families. But this time I am going to publish something and, yes, it is lengthy but it is important to read.

What is the following all about? Jews who backstab Jews, and in this particular case, it's about the Jews of Machsom Watch, a radical organization of leftist Israeli women.

Here's a must-read letter from Ruth Matar (Women in Green), Jerusalem:
Dear Friends,

My blood is literally boiling!

On the front page of today’s Jerusalem Post there is a huge ad by MACHSOM WATCH, a radical organization of some leftist Israeli women (including Dana Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister’s daughter), but with a large contingent of imported radicals from abroad. The Hebrew word ‘machsom’ refers to ‘checkpoint’. These women have made it their life’s mission to “watch” all checkpoints in Israel, so as to interfere with the work of the Israeli soldiers, whose duty it is to guard against Arab terrorists entering from the territories. They continually incite the Arabs against our soldiers, and even try to bodily prevent them from doing their duty. Tragically, some soldiers have lost their lives as a result of the activities of the Machsom Watch organization.

The ad of Machsom Watch is chock full of falsehoods. Is it possible that these people honestly believe their own fabrications in this ad? What is their motive in presenting the Israeli people as violently intolerant of other peoples’ religion?

I want you to be able to judge for yourself. I am, therefore, including the entire ad.
-------------------------------------
FREEDOM OF RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE FOR ALL

“The State of Israel will guarantee freedom of religion…will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions…will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”

Declaration of Independence

Muslims are observing the month of Ramadan. Upon the conclusion of the fast, next week, they will celebrate their holy festival, Id el-Fitr.

The State of Israel PREVENTS tens of thousands of Palestinians from reaching their holy sites to pray.

The State of Israel FORBIDS Muslim men under the age of 45 from praying at the el-Aksa Mosque, one of the three holiest sites in Islam.

The army prevents the passage of crowds of observant Muslims, pushing them back behind checkpoints and fences - by threats, shouts, shoving and tear gas.

Let the Palestinians pray at the holy sites in Jerusalem.

RESPECT THE FREEDOM OF OBSERVANCE FOR ALL

MACHSOMWATCH
Women Against the Occupation and for Human Rights
www.machsomwatch.org 054-5300385
machsomwatch@hotmail.com
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Dear friends, I know that you are too sophisticated to be taken in by this leftist-inspired propaganda. Unfortunately, it is the Muslims who prevent others, such as Jews and Christians, from reaching their holy sites to pray.

Here are only a few of the true facts:

*The Tomb of our forefather Joseph was assaulted by a turbulent mob of Arabs on October 7, 2000. They completely demolished the millennial-old holy site in a matter of hours. They hacked, chopped, smashed and destroyed one of the most hallowed sites belonging to the Jewish People. The Arabs set alight holy books and other sacred religious objects. Two Israeli soldiers were murdered in this pogrom.

*On many occasions hundreds of Arabs, after prayers at the el-Aksa Mosque on the Temple Mount, hurled stones and blocks onto Jewish worshippers praying at the Western Wall below.

*The ancient synagogue in Jericho, Shalom al Israel, was vandalized and almost completely destroyed. Israelis now have to obtain a permit from the Arabs to visit what’s left of it. This ancient synagogue was built during the time of the Second Temple.

*Worshippers have to go in bulletproof buses to the tomb of Mother Rachel near Bethlehem to avoid being stoned. The tomb itself is now protected by a security wall.

*Immediately after the Jews were expelled from Gush Katif, the Arabs desecrated all the synagogues and victoriously danced on the rooftops of the religious institutions before burning them down.

*The Arabs attempted to build a mosque in front of an existing Christian church in Nazereth, this was meant to obstruct the entrance to this historical church.

Finally, the composers of the Machsom Watch advertisement asks us to “respect the freedom of religious observance for all”. The advertisement ends with an impassioned plea to let the Palestinians pray at the holy sites in Jerusalem.

What hypocrisy! It is the Jews and the Christians who are prevented by the Arabs from praying at their holiest sites!

In this regard, I want you to carefully read a shocking article about a well-known Christian leader who was arrested and expelled from the Temple Mount for praying.
* * *
Christian leader expelled from Mount for praying
Islamic intolerance and incitement permitted on Israel’s holiest site
jnewswire.com, October 14 , 2003

Israeli police escorted one of the top leaders of the Jerusalem-headquartered international Christian Zionist movement off the Temple Mount Tuesday, [October 14, 2003] on the grounds that he had been silently praying in the area.

While Christians and Jews are forbidden from praying on the hill the Bible designates as a site holy to the God of Israel, Muslims are free to worship and preach incitement against Israel from the four mosques straddling the Mount.

Accosted while silently praying

Jan Willem van der Hoeven, founder of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem and currently director of the International Christian Zionist Center, said he had been walking alone and “speaking to the Lord in his heart,” when a policeman demanded to know whether he was praying.

“I could have lied and said no,” Van der Hoeven told Jerusalem Newswire, “but of course I did not want to and so said yes.”

According to several eyewitnesses, three policemen had then handcuffed and escorted Van der Hoeven to the police station at the nearby Western Wall Plaza.

Police log prayer

Van der Hoeven said when he arrived at the police station the officer in charge asked what he had been praying. He replied that he had been praying for the Messiah to come and bring peace to Israel and to the world.

“The police noted my prayer down in their official report,” Van der Hoeven said.

He had been allowed to leave a short while later.

Putting their feet down

The incident took place after Van Der Hoeven led a group of about 40 visiting Christian Zionists onto the Temple Mount, a highlight of their weeklong celebration of the biblical Feast of Tabernacles.

Before ascending the hill, which the Bible describes as the place of Messiah’s future throne, Van der Hoeven had advised the pilgrims to separate into small groups and walk quietly around inside the walled compound, praying silently.

Reminding them of past instances of intolerance shown by the Muslim authorities on the Mount towards Jews and Christians, he urged the group to be “as wise as serpents and harmless as doves,” quoting the words of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament.

“Every place where your feet tread, pray that it will be given back to Israel,” he added.

On the Mount

Before climbing the ramp to the compound, the pilgrims were instructed to leave all Bibles, Israeli flags and any other apparently provocative items at the security checkpoint.

The group entered at the so-called Mughrabi Gate, before spreading out and walking in twos and threes around the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock and the Golden Gate.

Apart from Van der Hoeven’s expulsion, the group reported no other incidents and departed the area after about an hour.

Unbridled Islamic incitement

While Christian and Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount is not tolerated by the Islamic Authorities, Muslim clerics are free to foment hatred of the Jewish people and the State of Israel in weekly sermons in the mosques on the hill.

The Palestinian Authority-appointed Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Ikrema Sabri, whose offices are situated inside the compound, has issued rulings upholding the longstanding practice banning the worship of any god other than Allah, the ancient Arabian moon god.

“It is forbidden for Muslims to permit non-Muslims to supervise, conduct services or pray in any part of the mosques or underneath them," he has said.

Sabri regularly stokes up rage against Israel and the United States while conducting Muslim Friday prayers for the thousands of Arabs freely permitted by Israel to attend the services.

Speaking in the Al Aqsa Mosque, Sabri has been recorded saying: “Oh Allah, destroy America! For she is ruled by Zionist Jews!! Allah shall take revenge on behalf of his prophet against the colonialist settlers who are sons of monkeys and pigs!! Forgive us, Mohammad, for the acts of these sons of monkeys and pigs, who sought to harm your sanctity!!”

Earlier this year, the official PA Radio broadcast live sermons from the Al Aqsa Mosque in which Sabri denounced the "criminal United States" and "rancorous Britain."

Sabri has appealed to Muslims everywhere “to stand as one rank, stop the aggression, and cleanse their territories of US military occupation…

“O Allah, make the plots of the aggressors backfire on them. O Allah, annihilate them to the last man. O Allah, protect Al-Aqsa Mosque from every evil. O Allah, protect Iraq and its people.”

While Sabri’s instatement as Mufti was in violation of the Oslo Accords, Israel has chosen not to make an issue of it.

* * *

Dear friends, I think it is very important that you distribute this particular Letter from Jerusalem as widely as possible to everyone you can think of, specifically including your government representatives.

All of us are responsible to disseminate the true facts, so that truth prevails over these printed deception of the Radical Left.

With Blessings and Love for Israel,

Ruth Matar
Women For Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
mailto:michael@womeningreen.org
http://www.womeningreen.org

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