Middle Eastern Myths "The Myth of Moslem Tolerance" By Dr. Richard Booker Another of the "big lies" is that that Jews who lived under Moslem Arab rule before the birth of Israel had harmonious relations with the Arabs and were treated with dignity and tolerance. The implication is that if Israel would submit to Arab rule, the fighting would stop and Moslems, Jews, and Christians in the Middle East would live happily ever after. Yasser Arafat has said, "We are not against Jews. On the contrary, we are all Semites and we have been living with each other in peace and fraternity. Muslims, Jews and Christians, for many centuries." But what are the facts? Prior to the time of Mohammed, Jews and Arabs did live in relative peace with one another. However, when the Jews rejected Mohammed as a prophet, he turned against them with a vengeance as seen in his violent actions against the Jews. His negative attitude is found in the many hostile comments against Jews in the Koran. The caliph who succeeded Mohammed was Omar. He produced a document called the Omar Charter in which he codified the conditions Jews were to live by under Islamic Arab rule. Here are some of the conditions of peace and fraternity the Jews enjoyed. Christians lived under similar restrictions. Jews were forbidden to touch the Koran. Jews were required to wear distinctive clothing. Jews were required to wear a yellow piece of cloth as a badge (blue for Christians). Jews were not allowed to perform their religious practices in public. Jews were not allowed to own a horse which was a sign of a nobleman. Jews were required to bury their dead without grieving in public. Jews were required to pay special taxes. Jews were not allowed to defend themselves against a Moslem. Jews were not allowed to testify against a Moslem. Jews were forbidden to build new synagogues. The houses and tombs of Jews were not allowed to be higher than those of the Moslems. The graves of Jews had to be level so that anyone could walk over them. Throughout the centuries, Jews and Christians living under Islamic rule suffered great persecution and humiliation, the intensity of which was determined by the character of the particular Moslem ruler. Even under
relevantly tolerant rule, Jews struggled to survive and lived in constant fear for their lives. So much for brotherly peace and tranquility. In more modern times, when Jordan illegally occupied East Jerusalem from 19481967, all Jewish residents were expelled and barred from the Western Wall. The Jewish quarter, including all fifty-eight synagogues, was destroyed or desecrated. Approximately seventy-five percent of the tombstones on the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives were dismantled and used to serve army latrines. This was done under the rule of King Hussein, the most moderate of the Arab rulers. There is not doubt that an Islamic Palestinian state would turn synagogues and churches into mosques and expel Jews and Christians or force them into a life of fear and humiliation. Does the Christian world really want Arafat to control the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the empty tomb and Manger Square? Does the Jewish world really want Arafat to control the Temple Mount, the Mount of Olives and the Old City? Do Jews and Christians in Israel and in America really want to live under Islamic rule?
About Dr. Richard Booker Richard Booker, MBA, Ph.D., is an ordained Christian minister, President of Sounds of the Trumpet, Inc., and the Founder/Director of the Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies. He is the author of thirty books which are used by churches and Bible schools around the world. He has also developed many seminars and Bible college level courses and writes regularly for Christian magazines. Dr. Booker has traveled extensively for over thirty years teaching in churches and at conferences on various aspects of the Christian life as well as Israel and the Hebraic roots of Christianity. Dr. Booker and his wife, Peggy, lead yearly tour groups to Israel where, for eighteen years, Dr. Booker was a speaker at the International Christian Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem attended by over 5,000 believers from 100 nations. Dr. Booker’s teachings are designed to help believers better understand the Bible and their covenant God. He has a God-given ability to communicate the Scriptures in clear, easy-to-understand language with practical application for everyday Christians that brings life out of the Bible and into people’s hearts. Dr. Booker and Peggy founded the Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies (IHCS) in 1997 as a ministry to educate Christians in the Hebraic culture and background of the Bible, build relationships between Christians and Jews, and give comfort and support to the people of Israel. Their tireless work on behalf of Christians and Jews has been recognized around the world as well as being represented at the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus. Dr. Booker has a daily television program which can be seen on the internet at www.godslearningchannel.com and around the world via satellite. He has produced over 350 programs. Dr. Booker is a spiritual father to many believers around the world.
Visit Dr. Richard Booker online: www.drrichardbooker.com or www.rbooker.com Sounds of the Trumpet, Inc. Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies 4747 Research Forest Dr., # 180-330 (For Mail & Packages ONLY) The Woodlands TX 77381