PrintFebruary 13, 2007
About that Moslem holy site
Covering the latest Muslim-inspired clashes in Jerusalem, the MSM, relying on their skimpy religious/historical knowledge plus Muslim propaganda, have ranked the importance of the area's sites to the respective religions. Much of this is wrong so here are some corrections courtesy of Mary Yourish.
About the Western Wall (often incorrectly referred to as the Wailing Wall) from which Jews were barred from visiting under Jordanian rule 1948-1967 as a holy site: Jews "don't worship a wall" and the important area is
The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism. The Western Wall is what remains of the retaining wall around the Temple complex.
Yourish commends the AP for finally understanding a bit right of the area's importance historically to Jews.
The compound is Judaism's holiest site, venerated as the location of two biblical temples, and Jews gather to pray near one of its outer retaining walls, known as the Western Wall.
The two Biblical temples were destroyed on the same day by the Romans hundreds of years apart; Jews still commemorate that destruction annually with a day of prayers and fasting.
Muslims built their alAsqa mosque on top of Jewish ruins on the Temple Mount, further destroying Jewish objects and deliberately removing any indications of Jewish habitation; a practice which continues to the present.
As a result the long Jewish connection to the whole site is brushed aside.
By repeatedly ignoring or minimizing the importance of the Temple Mount, (which is Judaism's holiest site) while emphasizing-generally in the lede (sic) of your article-that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is "Islam's third-holiest shrine," you do seem to be slanting your articles toward the Muslim identity of the site, and away from its far-longer history (3,500 years) as a Jewish holy site.
In Israel, Muslims, Christians and others have freedom to believe and pray as they wish; what a shame the Muslims are disturbed by this.
