Jewish Voice and Opinion February 2015

Page 1

THE JEWISH VOICE AND OPINION Promoting Classical Judaism

February 2015

Vol. 28 • No. 5

Shevat-Adar 5775

Bibi to Address Congress While the Obama Administration Works to Promote His Opponents opponents in particular, are working to have the invitation withdrawn or Mr. Netanyahu forced to decline or reschedule. The pro-Israel camp is trying to convince legislators, especially Democrats fearful of angering President Barack Obama, that it is in the best interests of the US and Israel to hear what Mr. Netanyahu has to say. Mark Langfan, chairman of Americans for a Safe Israel, is encouraging all pro-Israel Americans to call as many Sen-

The turmoil that resulted

from the invitation issued by US House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress on March 3 has prompted the involvement of many Americans on both sides of the aisle. His chief topics will be the problems of Islamist terrorism and Iran’s nuclear capability. A slew of Israel’s enemies in general, and Mr. Netanyahu’s

continued on page 34

Muslim Death by Fire Designed to Demonstrate Hell on Earth Many commentators, ranging from President Barack

Obama to the talking heads on TV news programs, dismissed the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as demonstrating a perversion of Islam when it presented its horrifying 20-minute video of an execution of Jordanian pilot Maaz al-Kassasbeh by burning him alive. But according to an expert in Arabic culture and political discourse, the film displays a method of eliminating enemies

that is well known and documented in early Islamic sources and is based on a deductive legal principle of Sharia law. In fact, he said, the entire film is meant to justify the scene shown near its end: the fiery execution of the Jordanian pilot. “Islamic sources describe how Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin of Mohammed who married his daughter, Fatima, and became the fourth Caliph, burned two heretics to death,” said Dr. Mordechai Kedar, a senior lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University.

Inside the Voice Pro-Israel Films..............................................3 Kol Ami: Should Bibi Speak?.............. 6 The Current Crisis............................... 7 Gap Year Website..............................12 Project SARAH...................................14 Kosher Culinary Travel...........................16 HonestReporting Mission....................17

Gili’s Goodies Purim................................18 Building Bridges....................................... 19 Interesting Reading................................ 20 Just in Time for Purim ............................22 The Log..........................................................24 Mazal Tov.............................................31 New Classes This Month................32

According to Dr. Kedar, there is a dispute among Islamic religious scholars as to whether executing a person by fire is allowed. Some say only Allah is licensed to condemn heretics to the flames, that is to burn in Hell. “The Islamic State—which sees itself as the force that will reestablish the original Islamic State—uses Ali’s precedent of burning enemies, and allows punishment by fire on earth,” said Dr. Kedar. Condemned to Hell Dr. Kedar said that the

continued on page 19

Chesed Ops.................................................33 Gemachs ......................................................33 Ess Gezint: Hungarian Purim...............38 What You Can Do .............................39 Index of Advertisers ........................41 Honor the Professional...................43 Letters to the Editor ........................44


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.