Comments on: WATCH: Hamas, far-right Jews prepare their children for holy war

By: Doreen Said

Doreen Said — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 08:58:37 +0000

All I have to say is that these videos are scary. It worries me to see these disturbing videos.

By: AYLA

AYLA — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:51:22 +0000

in the Facebook comment section, Roee Rottenberg (of 972) said he hoped someone would make a 3rd video as a response to them both. In mine, there would be all kinds of children connected to this land (sorry if it’s a bit Benaton (sp?)), and they would build all kinds of shrines / temples / churches / ice cream parlors, and then the tide would come and wash them away, and they’d be left on the beach as the tide came in and out with a blank slate of a beach, and the words: our children are ready. A bit cheesy? perhaps. but I’d like to see it. Not out of disrespect for anyone’s connections to holy sites nor the importance of their preservation, but to speak to something deeper and higher — The Divine to which we all ostensibly pray in / at those sites — through which everything is connected and love(d). What video would you like to see? Does it serve all the children?

By: Handala

Handala — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 09:35:26 +0000

Amir.Bk – thanks for the clarification regarding Abraham’s position in Judaism. As for the rest, i use to share your view until i read a more progressive and inclusive interpretation.

Whenever “muslimeen” is mentioned in the Quran there’s a reference to Allah alone (without Muhamed) so the second part of the shahada is not conditional to be a Muslim but applies to Mo2mineen (i.e. the followers/believers in Muhammed’s message) whereas the first part is sufficient to be Muslim.

I encourage you to check out http://www.shahrour.org

By: AMIR.BK

AMIR.BK — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 06:38:04 +0000

Handala: Abraham is not considered a prophet in Judaism rather one of the patriarchs, in anyway it is not true that Islam considers Jews and Christians to be ‘proper muslims’ as neither follow the second half of the shahada (…and Muhammad is His messanger) and most Christians are also guilty of Shirk (“God begat no sons” and “God is one”) so, in short, while it is true that Islam views the Mosque as the third temple (given that the first temple is referred to in the Quran as Solomon’s Mosque this shouldn’t really be surprising) however that doesn’t really say anything as Islam and Judaism do not really share compatible historic narratives and Christianity does not concern itself with the temple mount.
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Adam: From where I’m standing it looks like the ‘extremist fundamentalists’ in Israel are not so extremist and their opinions are considered somewhat mainstream these days, more-over, they are very influential politically. In the case of the video and ‘a response’ I do think they cannot be equivocated as one calls for destruction while the other for preservation, tearing down the mosque is a catalyst for war, letting it be has no such consequence.

By: Palestinian

Palestinian — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 20:03:06 +0000

Handala , ana ma ba7ib 2l istihbal

By: Richard Witty

Richard Witty — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 19:41:44 +0000

Thanks for the post Lisa.

Children do not deserve to suffer, neither suffering the assault of gunfire, bombs, rockets, angry words.

They do not deserve to suffer the suppression of their compassion that inevitably comes with any indoctrination.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:36:40 +0000

Like wildlife marking their territory. The religious fanatics make the wars….let them fight it and leaave the rest of us out of it. We can get Sarah Palin and Romney to lead the Western Christian wackos.

By: Handala

Handala — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 16:49:03 +0000

What if the Aqsa Mosque is the 3rd temple? Abraham and Moses are as much prophets of Islam as they are Jewish ones…in fact the Quran says they are Muslim.

All Christians and Jews are Muslims as well, anyone who believe in God and a Day of Judgement is Muslim as per the definition in the Quran.

By: Adam

Adam — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 16:08:44 +0000

“Yes it is peculiar that Lisa equivocates the videos, especially since one is a response to the other and an intentional parody. The Messianic Jewish video calls for the destruction of the mosque, the response video is more of a warning and a reminder that the mosque is sufficiently holy for certain people. There difference is vast, those who wish to wage a holy war should not be surprised that their would be enemies are preparing their defenses.”

Well, considering how extreme the discourse can be on both sides of the Israel/Palestine divide, I welcome a small dose of balance. The two videos are mirror images of each other. I don’t think it matters that the second one was made in response to the first: both show how both sides are driven by religious fundamentalisms. I think it’s disingenuous to claim that the Muslim fundamentalists among the Palestinian population aren’t any less committed to waging a holy war than fundamentalist Jews.

By: AYLA

AYLA — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:13:23 +0000

the Gaza response is beautiful and brilliant. As for the rebuilding of the 3rd temple video–if only it weren’t literally about rebuilding the temple (let alone over one of the holiest Muslim sites), and about something more figurative. In my circles, rabbis and congregates talk on Tisha Ba’av not about the destruction of the temple or any other jewish plights, but about what we need to do to rebuild what is broken in ourselves. I wouldn’t mind if everyone were preparing themselves to be worthy of a Messiah. I just learned that according the to Qu’aran, the Messiah who will come is Jesus, and anyone of any religion who follows him will enter Heaven. It seems from my friend who taught me this that this happens whether we’re prepared or not, which is a shame. Meanwhile, although the bad news is that hundreds of muslims had to line up at the Qalandia checkpoint to pray in Jerusalem last friday, the good news is that Israel actually kept some Jews from praying in certain places in the Old City on Tisha Ba’av in order to make tension less likely while there were so many muslims in the city for Ramadan. I wish we would highlight the grace more often; it does exist, and we need the hope. The children are ready.