#waqf

Its somewhat of an old news but still very relevant.

An excerpt from, Gold monetisation: An ingenious way of looting temple jewels by the DMK government by The Organiser:

"Gold ornaments offered by the devotees to nine major temples, including Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple, Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple in Madurai, Subrahmanya Swamy temple in Tiruchendur and and Mariamman temple in Samayapuram, were converted into gold bars. The department has deposited gold bars weighing over 497 kg so far.

The temple properties, both movable and immovable, antique jewellery, and rare and invaluable idols, have been the targets of politicians, the international idol smuggling mafia and some corrupt HR and CE officials. Lakhs of acres of temple lands are being grabbed, alienated, and given to other religious people. Idols are being stolen and smuggled for a hefty sum. Rare and antique value ancient temple jewellery was reportedly replaced with duplicate ones. There is a strong cry to retrieve the temples from the government control and leave it to function independently like the Waqf board and Christian churches. But both the DMK and AIADMK are not in favour of it for reasons better known to them."

A week ago, a woman visited Islam's holiest spot, the Kabaa in Mecca, and unfurled a Palestinian flag while smiling for a camera. 

Saudi security quickly came to tell her to put the flag away, which she did. 

That was the entire incident. But video of it caused an uproar on social media,where people claimed she was "arrested" (she wasn't.) and that she had every right to display the flag.

Haaretz reports that Saudi officials have responded:

Speaking with Al-Ekhbariya TV, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais stressed that the holy site is a place of worship where only religious slogans and chants should be heard. Al-Sudais, one of the nine imams of the Grand Mosque, said that visitors come to the site to pray and worship, not to express political views. He urged worshippers not to let their emotions distract them from their prayers, suggesting that they pray to God (Allah) for salvation over their concerns rather than expressing demands at the holy site.

This is a policy. Whether one agrees or not, the Saudis have a policy for their holy sites and are trying to enforce it.

Compare this to what regularly happens on the Temple Mount with the full permission of the Waqf:

But they do prohibit the Israeli flag from being shown.

Meaning the only consistent policy shown by the Waqf is antisemitism. 

But, I can show you a water fountain that says Muslims only. I can tell you that there is one place Jews are not allowed to pray in Israel – the Temple Mount –the Al Aksa Mosque which sits ON TOP of two Jewish Temples. Jews and Christians are not allowed to pray there. But Muslims can pray everywhere. Perhaps that is the apartheid to which these BDS and SAIA people are referring.

I can show you signs in Israel that state no Jews allowed – on roads. Interestingly, while Arabs can travel freely throughout Judea and Samaria, Jews are limited in which roads they can travel.

Under Israeli law, it’s illegal for Jews to enter any territories labeled as Area A, or under full Palestinian Authority security and administrative control. Large red signs warning Israeli citizens not to enter these areas have dotted the entrances to Palestinian Authority-controlled towns and villages.

There are two sets of laws on the Temple Mount: one for Muslims and one for Jews. There are laws that deny Jews freedom of worship and freedom of movement on the Temple Mount and they are enforced by the Israeli Police.

While Muslims can ascend to the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem, any time they please, Jews cannot. Jews are permitted to ascend to the Temple Mount only during the specified times.

In order to enter, both men and women need to be dressed modestly. At the entrance Jews must pass through metal detectors and submit to being searched for sacred Jewish objects. Israeli police lecture Jews not to pray, not to be seen doing anything that could be construed as praying, not to rip clothing or show any other signs of mourning for the lost Jewish Temple. Jews are also prohibited from praying, conducting any religious rituals including the exchange of wedding vows, or circumcision ceremonies. Yehuda Glick, former member of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, was arrested on the Temple Mount for “walking in an unauthorized zone.”

If you value freedom of religion, then you must not support the riots happening in Jerusalem about the security measures on the Temple Mount or Haram Ash Sharif. If you find yourself supporting or repeating the narrative of Israel being an oppressive, apartheid state, it's time to reexamine the facts. If you have been unaware, or unconcerned, it's time to look at the facts, because very soon, Islam is coming to a neighborhood near you.

Here are the facts: 1. The state of Israel recaptured Eastern Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount / Haram Ash Sharif from occupying Jordanian forces in the Six-Day War in 1967. 2. Probably in a bid to make peace with the Arab countries, Israel's General Moshe Dayan handed administration of Temple Mount back to the Muslim Arabs, to the Jordanian Muslim Waqf (who have managed the site since the 1180s after the 2nd Muslim Conquest of the site). 3. The Western Wall area, directly beneath the Temple Mount, and administered by Israeli Security, requires everyone regardless of religion to pass through metal detectors. 4. Up until last week, the Temple Mount's security, run by the Muslim Waqf, only required non-Muslims to pass through their security and metal detectors. 5. Not only did non-Muslims have to pass through the security, they were subject to a strict dress code, not permitted to bring backpacks, religious items (bibles, talmuds), religious jewelry (crosses, star of david, etc), and not permitted to enter the Dome of the rock building itself. Lastly, and most egregiously, non-Muslims are not permitted to pray on the site. The Temple Mount is the 3rd holiest site of Islam, the holiest site in Judaism, and a holy site to many Christians, but if any non-Muslims utter any prayer, they are promptly arrested and escorted out. 6. The Waqf guards frequently harass non-Muslim visitors about dress code and/or prayer. (When I was there 2 weeks ago, a couple of their guys made a scene at two women in our group about covering their shoulders and their midriff, which were already completely covered with no visible skin. But our women complied anyway, and borrowed some scarves from other ladies in our group and covered up the areas. The point is, they made a point of giving us a hard time.) 7. This is how "security" at the Temple Mount has operated for years up to last week, and I have personally seen and experienced this.

8. One week ago, on Friday July 14, at the Lion's Gate directly north and very close to the Temple Mount, three Israeli Arab (Palestinian) Young men, ages 19-29 opened fire and shot two Israeli Druze-Arab Policemen, ages 22 & 30. The attackers were using automatic machine pistols. The attackers fled to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount, where they were shot and killed by Pursuing Israeli Police, but not before one of the attackers lied down feigning death, and attempted to stab an Israeli officer coming to check on him. The two Israeli Druze Police officers fired upon in the initial ambush died of the injuries the same day. 9. Druze people are ethnically Arab, and believe a monotheistic religion with many elements borrowed from Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. 10. After the incident, Israeli security closed down the Temple Mount to secure the area and find any hidden weapons. This closed Al-Aqsa Mosque from having its normal Friday prayer service; a large service in which many thousands attend.

11. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Temple Mount reopened on Sunday, July 16, but with increased security measures; metal detectors installed at the entrances to the Temple Mount.

12. Similar metal detector security measures are in use in the Western Wall, Mecca, Medina, the Vatican, and other holy sites, for the same reason: to stop terrorism. 13. The Muslim Waqf called for a boycott of the Temple Mount site over the new security measures. And many Muslims have boycotted the Temple Mount. There are reports that Muslims at the Temple Mount entrances stop other Muslims from entering the Temple Mount for the boycott. 14. In addition to the boycott, Muslims have begun protesting the security measures, the protests have turned violent, resulting in many Palestinians and a few police hurt by the violent clashes. 15. On Tuesday 7/17, after the initial clashes, The Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, and his political party, Fatah, called for a "Day of Rage" against the new security measures. the "Day of Rage" term can be linked with the "Arab Spring" events of 2011-2012 which started the Egyptian protests and Syrian Civil War. 16. Terrorist group Hamas has now called for an escalating Intifada against Israel. 17. Saudi Arabia and Turkey have begun to make statements about the security measures. 18. The situation now, is that the clashes have escalated into full-blown riots. We have ancient Jewish cemeteries vandalized and set ablaze. and a call to storm the Temple Mount Friday (today).

If you look at these facts, you can conclude that freedom of religion, security from terrorism, and the respect to the Jewish people and democratic state of Israel are not in the priorities of the Muslim Waqf, The Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah, or Hamas. The status quo they want to return to is oppression of the freedom of religion on the Temple Mount / Haram Ash Sharif, Muslim supremacy, and freedom of terrorism. I find it very telling that protesting against Israeli security measures is more important to the Waqf than praying at the third holiest site in Islam, hence the boycott. Especially since there is no profit lost to Israel or anybody with this boycott, seems kind of pointless.

Having said all of this, I want to state that I do not hate Palestinians or Arabs. I serve Muslim Palestinians and Muslim Egyptians in the restaurant I work at, they tease me about my Arabic, which is very rusty from lack of practice. I attended a Palestinian Arab church just 2 weeks ago and prayed with them. I believe God has a great purpose and destiny for Arabs and Palestinians, especially in the land of Israel/Palestine. But this great destiny exists in the context of peace, prayer, suffering, and especially the absence of Islam. Islamic Supersessionism has done so much damage to this land and it is ready to do more. Islam cannot exist in Israel in peace, because Islam has demonstrably proven it never chooses peace. Although most Muslims in the world are peaceable, pleasant, and do not cause trouble, (and I've had the pleasure of knowing a few), Islamic fundamentalism makes for events like these, and encourages it. Wherever it has gone, Islam has conquered, raped, and killed. Islam is not a religion of peace.

The solution is only Jesus.