WINSTON MID EAST ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY September 19, 1999 Email: gwinston@interaccess.com Please disseminate & re-post. If you publish, send us a copy. Please see our Websites at http://www.gamla.org.il & http://freeman.io.com TO BABYLON OR DISNEYLAND?by Emanuel A. Winston, a Middle East analyst & commentatorIt is interesting to follow the evolution of a pagan culture into the Muslim faith which developed in conflict with its Hebrew origins through the centuries and see it land in American now to challenge an American icon, Disney. So-called Arab Islamic interests object to Disney World offering a display of Jerusalem, the sole capital of Israel, as an exhibit at their Epcot Center. But first a brief explanation as to why these organizations are in conflict over Jerusalem at this time, which they now claim as their own. Also, the question arises as to whether the Amendment of the Constitution mandating freedom of speech, is to be amended by threats of boycotts and violence. Are we about to enter a period where exhibits, films, books on subjects dealing with Arabs and Jews or any other subjects must be submitted for censorship review to a committee of Arab-American organization for screening and approval? Finally, when does a message of hate turn into a hate crime. But, first the reader should have a brief view into why the ancient past is playing a role in modern day conflicts. Scholars and history buffs will understand that the history of Jerusalem is substantially more complex and lengthy. ISLAM - THE JEWS - JERUSALEM The roots of Islam began in the 7th century through an epiphany (a vision) claimed by Mohammed who himself was deeply influenced in his early life among the Jewish tribes of Mecca. Here he saw the religion of the Jews, in daily practice worshiping the one G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, fathers of the Jews. At this time pagans on the Arabian Peninsula did not believe in one G-d. Prior to the purported vision of Mohammed, from the time of Ishmael about 2350 years before, the desert tribes remained pagan and were polytheistic. Ishmael was Abraham’s first son through Hagar, the Egyptian handmaiden of Abraham’s wife, Sara who was not able to bear children until the later part of her life. According to G-d’s will as spoken to Abraham, Ishmael and his mother were ejected from the tribe of Abraham, allowing Isaac, son of Sarah and Abraham, to maintain the lineage of the Jewish people. G-d promised that Ishmael would himself become father of a great nation. However, the desert tribes who descended from Ishmael remained pagan, worshiping various village gods until Mohammed. Mohammed’s vision of the new one god he called Allah was offered to the Jewish tribes as a superior way of life with many benefits. One side benefit was a relaxation of the strict Kosher laws, allowing the Jews to eat camel meat (a non-Kosher delicacy not often available since camels were the valued animals of transportation and milk). The Jews were bound by the unalterable laws of Torah and the Covenant laid down by the G-d of Abraham. As in the past, when offered new gods and less demanding laws of worship, they would not accept another G-d...in any form. So, the Jews with their one G-d of Abraham descended from Isaac, remained separated from the descendants of Ishmael and Mohammed’s god called Allah. Islam and Christianity both viewed the unwillingness of the Jews to adopt a new religion as a challenge which cast a shadow on their new, adopted religion. Regrettably, none could understand that G-d commanded the Jews to live according to His laws as an example to the world but they had no mandate to convert others to their worship. Strangely, although thousands of years had passed since Ishmael left Abraham, the idea of one G-d had not yet taken root among the Arabs until Mohammed converted the pagan desert tribes to worship the one god he called Allah. Logically, Mohammed could have accepted the one G-d of Abraham who is chronicled in the Koran as their forefather. But, adopting an ancient religion is not the same as having your own with a separate priesthood, the power of a new religion and evolving rituals. Mohammed tried to convince the Hebrew tribes that, based on his vision, he was selected by Allah to be the last of their prophets in line with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses - even temporarily directing his quibla (direction of worship) toward the venerable City of Jerusalem as a lure to the Jewish tribes. Mohammed clearly understood and recognized that Jerusalem was the capital of the Jews with its Holy of Holies where it was believed that the one G-d of Abraham had his concentrated presence. When the Jews continued to decline Mohammed’s leadership and the offer of Allah as the one true god, Mohammed turned his quibla toward Mecca which became Islam’s Holy of Holies around the revered Ka’aba stone monolith. Soon thereafter, he gathered an army of zealous believers and drove the Jewish tribes out of Mecca and the Arabian peninsula. Successful wars, driven by religious zeal always draws new believers and so Islam spread across the Middle East and into Spain by the sword, to be stopped finally in France where Christianity began to roll back the Muslim conquest. Jerusalem was never mentioned at all in Mohammed’s Koran nor did he ever recommend or direct that Muslims pray toward or even visit Jerusalem as they do Mecca in the mandated pilgrimage for any Muslim of the true faith. A visit to Mecca was honored as a haj and the pilgrim to Mecca was allowed to put the honorific title of Haj before his name. A Muslim’s visit to Jerusalem was called a ziara or merely a visit on the way to somewhere else. (Presently, but only since 1967 there is a major effort, using such Islamic scholars as Dr. Abdel-Haleem E’weis to prove that Jerusalem had an important role in the lives of Muslims even using Mohammed’s brief but unsuccessful lure to the Jews of praying toward Jerusalem as a historical proof of this connection.) (2) The history of Jerusalem is replete with conquerors taking the City, building churches and mosques on top of the ancient remnant of the Jewish Holy Temple and the Holy of Holies. The Temple was first destroyed on Tisha B’Av in 586 B.C.E. by the Babylonians, rebuilt and again destroyed by the Romans on Tisha B’Av in 70 C.E. All conquerors captured the bricks and stones but, could not hold the spirit which is what they really wanted as proof that their gods were superior. Now, once again, Muslims come to the Holy City, not as peaceful supplicants but to demand G-d’s attention, the keys to the gates and sovereignty over the Jewish Eternal Capital. Until the Jews had the City, the Arabs from Mohammed until 1967 did not want it. Even when captured by the Kurd Saladin, they selected Ramla over Jerusalem as their capital. Jerusalem was literally despised because its very stones were the pavement of Jewish history and essence and the memory of Mohammed’s rejection by the Jews. Although there are Christian and Muslim shrines, churches and mosques which are all freely open now for any faith, nevertheless, the atmosphere in Jerusalem is pre-eminently Jewish. After the death of Mohammed, Caliph El Malik built the Mosque called the Dome of the Rock on top of the Temple of Solomon, and the rock on which Abraham was prepared to make the sacrifice of the Akedah. Malik’s plan was to become the new religious leader of Mohammed’s followers. The new mosque was intended to re-direct their loyalty to him and a different focus of worship than Mecca. He did not succeed and Jerusalem continued to be of no interest for the followers of Mohammed and Islam. Since 1948 the Arab nations have tried different tactics to dissolve and displace the ancient Jewish claim to the land of Israel with Jerusalem as its sole capital. When six wars failed to eliminate the Jewish State of Israel, they attempted to delegitimate the ancient claim of the Jews by revising history. The West knew the lie was historically transparent but, for consideration of oil, trade and profitable markets, they accepted the fiction and played to the vaunted Arab ego and religious-driven pathology which mandates that Islam is the only true religion and all else must fall before its might. So, what does all this have to do with Disney World? Presently, a vigorous and well-funded campaign is underway, driven by Arab-American/Islamic organizations transplanted from the Middle East to America to take Jerusalem out of Jewish hands. They know that Jerusalem is the heart and soul of the Jewish people. Therefore, their religiously driven drive to remove Jerusalem from the Jews politically, began energetically in 1967 when Israel reunited the Holy City. This is a purely political strategy adopted by the Muslims organizations who now demand that American Corporations submit to Islamic thoughts, goals and aspirations. As a bullying tactic, this has proven successful - so far. One organization, American Muslims for Jerusalem, is acting as the militant unifier for other Arab organizations now sprouting up in numerous American cities. Using our American freedom of speech and the rights to organize not available to them in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Gulf oil states, etc., they carry their war with Israel into America. Here they are free to graft on their hate message, their call for Jihad (Holy War) against the Jews without fear - because America is an open and vulnerable society. We are just beginning to understand that hate crimes first begin with a hate message. Recently, 50 such organizations under the NAAA (National Association of Arab Americans) have demanded that the Arab World protest and boycott Disney as their "potent weapon" in confronting Israel, as illustrated by the case concerning the threatened boycott of Burger King for opening a store in Ma’ ale Adumim, Israel. (1) Currently, having successfully attacked Burger King, Sprint, and Adidas with threatened boycotts, the Muslims now feel empowered to bully the Disney Corporation which plans to exhibit Jerusalem as a featured attraction in their Millennium Epcot Center in Disney World, Orlando, Florida. Almost all Arab countries are still in a state of war with Israel (including Egypt) - if gathering catastrophic weapons of mass destruction and teaching their children to hate Jews is any indicator. Having laid down a claim to the land of Israel and all of Jerusalem, they cannot allow the millions of Americans and other foreign tourists who would see the exhibit to be reminded of the well-known history of the Jewish capital from the time of King David 3000 years ago. Instead, the Arabs demand that Jerusalem be shown as a city minimally divided between Muslims and Jews, until they can complete their planned conquest of the City as they daily proclaim in the mosques across the Arab world. They vow to discard Jerusalem’s history to replace it with a revised history as dictated by the fanaticism of radical Islamic clerics, believing that their promised religious domination of the world is now close at hand. The use of a political "Peace Process" is simply a continuation of a war by another more devious name and method. Unfortunately the West, as always greedy for cash flow in the Arab markets, has inflated Arab expectations to such a degree that a re-play in the near future of the Muslim-Christian wars as during the wars of the Crusaders, is highly probable following their occupation of Jerusalem. Also, as before, both first direct their attack against the Jews through the conquest of Jerusalem as a preliminary event on their way to contest with each other for G-d’s Covenant. Only this time they will not be fighting with swords and spears. This time Islamic warriors, praying to die in glorious battle against the infidel on their way to a Muslim Paradise, will be using NBC, Nuclear, Biological and/or Chemical arrows - all sold to them by the Greedy West. Yes, the open cities of America and amusement parks are vulnerable to threats, ranging from boycotts, bombs, bullets and germ warfare. The Muslims often say: "First the Saturday people; then the Sunday people." If the Muslims beat the Jews, then they will battle the Christians for world supremacy. They call Israel"The Little Satan"; America is called "The Great Satan". Is this then how we must live our lives in America, in fear because our society is threatened by those demanding we toe the line of any radical organization who demands we follow their orders?. I don’t think so. As for Jerusalem, sadly one can see that Israel’s secular leaders have no belief in themselves or their ancient Jewish heritage. (Of course, this is not true for religiously observant Jews.) There should have been no discussions or compromises when Disney was challenged and showed signs of bowing to Arab demands. The Jerusalem exhibit should have been pulled out once it became clear that the Disney Corporation had actually obeyed the diktats that Jerusalem was not to be identified by its correct designation as the capital of Israel. Regrettably, Jewish leaders now in power, both in Israel and America, are already showing the familiar signs of the weak and disheartened, ready to lead their people once again into a humiliating exile. If the Israeli people will not rise up and depose weak leaders who seem to have more in common with a dedicated enemy than their own people, then once again, the nation must start its trek to Babylon, perhaps to wait another thousand years to return...if ever! The Disney Corporation is merely one small battle to be lost or won but is highly indicative of a much larger war. RADICAL ISLAMIC FANATICISM THREATENS AMERICA The matter of the growing presence of militant Islamic organizations in America is of far greater concern to the American people. Using attacks on American corporations to practice and consolidate their skills and accustoming American corporations to bow down to radical Islamic-driven demands through well motivated Arab-American organizations is a far more serious matter. Frequent visitors to the White House of Arab militant fund raisers under the sponsorship of the Clintons have only increased their expectations and demands for obedience. When the Islamic militant, the blind Sheik Omar Ahmed Rahman organized and planned the destruction of the World Trade Center with other targets to follow including the United Nations, the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels and the FBI building, we had a sneak preview of what Islamic militants based in America had in mind. They call their much hated enemy, America, "The Great Satan" and Israel, "The little Satan". This has not stopped the recent penetration of the U.S. Capitol building with Muslim prayer services to be held where the separation between Church and State is an American tradition and law. While many of these organizations have a legitimate base, hostile Islamists use them for cover, enjoying the freedom afforded them by our open American society. Experts on counter-terrorism understand this threat but are bound by American laws not to pre-empt what is a growing threat to our open and vulnerable society. Bullying Burger King, Disney and Sprint, among others, to submit to the judgement of Arab-American organizations using the criteria of religious fundamentalism sets a dangerous precedent. For example, one can see that Spielberg’s film Schindler’s List would have been under attack, given Arab denial of the Holocaust under the new aggressive Arab/American organizations. Would then all new films and books relating to Jews and Arabs come under a self-proclaimed censorship board of Arab organizations before release? We Americans are familiar with the use of militant extremists who use religion to silence anyone not in agreement with their brand of thought. In fact, America was founded by those escaping the religious coercion rampant in Europe and now, once again, this ugly practice is making its way into our free and open society. Journalists and writers have been threatened because, as in the case of Salmon Rushdie, they wrote about subjects that Islamic militants found irritating. Terrorizing the media is a growing problem in moving the nations and something that America journalists should be writing about. This is an issue that should be brought before Congress and the legislature of every State in America. Labor Unions should address this threat. American corporations threatened by Arab boycotts in the past should deal with this new form of blackmail now. This naked threat is an outrage and the American people had better confront this scandal now before our nation is infected with the hatreds endemic in the Middle East. We have seen the effects of Arab boycotts on Israel and American Corporations which needed Congressional law to curb their economic aggression targeting American industry. The laws now on the books regarding Middle East Arabs boycotting of American businesses did not contemplate Arab Americans representing foreign nations, bringing their boycotts into American cities. These laws should be amended because now this virus has seeded itself into America’s heartland. Will corporations and institutions who refuse to submit to these Arab diktats first be threatened with boycotts and then followed by terrorist bombings if they do not obey? Will journalists be threatened and taken hostage or even killed as they were in Lebanon when they reported on PLO terrorism? This is a serious danger and something that legitimate Arab-American organizations should tackle before they find themselves completely taken over by the militant radicals whom moderate Muslims claim misrepresent Islam. ### 1, "NAAA Urges Arab League to Take Firm Stand on Disney Calls for Arab-American Inspection of Israeli Exhibit at Epcot" NAAA Press Release on Disney Sept. 10, 1999 2. "The Status of Jerusalem in Islam" by Dr. Abdel-Haleem E’weis, Professor of Islamic History and Culture |
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