What The Pope Heard on the Temple Mount

A translation from the Arabic of the words spoken to the Pope at his reception by Muslims during his visit to the Temple Mount on May 26, 2014.

The first speaker is Sheikh Abdul Azim Salhab, president of the Council of the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem and the second is the Mufti of Jerusalem and preacher of the Al Aqsa Mosque, Mohammed Hussein.

the Mufti of Jerusalem Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, left, and 

at right, Abdul Azeem Salhab, Head of the Waqef supreme court

Credit: AP

Welcome to the gates of Jerusalem, City of Peace...a peace which has been removed by the Israeli occupation.

...Our goal is to fight the Israeli occupation of oppression, and we must do to be removed from our land. It is the occupation that wants to wipe our presence - both Muslims, both Christians - and obscure the identity through the severe oppressive measures of cutting off Jerusalem from its Palestinian attempt to Judaize it and hurt its people , and to take control of the holy places contrary to all divine laws and international conventions...the preventing the arrival of believers at places of worship is a violation of freedom of worship and the fight against faith.

There are ferocious attack against the holy places...and attempts to change the status-quo which are dangerous and constitute aggression against the Muslim nation...also a violation of the Hashemite Kingdom under the auspices of the holy places in Jerusalem. This can trigger a religious war in the region and the world. Israeli government bear those consequences of this policy.

Hence we turn to Your Excellency - saw your call for peace - will work to stop the attacks and acts of oppression those that harm the residents of Jerusalem, Muslims, and Christians. We urge you to prevent damage to holy places and to stem the attacks on the al - Aqsa Mosque.

and Muhammad Hussein

...This blessed mosque and all contained therein are subjected to aggression and invasions of extremist settlers, under the auspices of the Israeli occupation authorities, who seek to Judaize the mosque and share - both in terms of time [ = at certain hours of the day] in terms of the areas [ = at certain specified places].

..We want freedom and an end to the occupation, and that the Palestinian people will fill their legitimate rights , self-determination and an independent state with its capital in Jerusalem...

(thanks to YE)


Besides everything else, note the lack of Jews in their words.

Jews have no rights, history or future in Jerusalem.

From a news report:

Pope Francis was given a tour of the Asqa compound by Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, who gave Francis a letter speaking about the suffering of the Palestinians and the mistreatment of holy sites in Jerusalem.

Sheikh Hussein also talked about the destructive effects of Israel's separation wall on the Palestinians, concluding by calling for an end to the occupation and peace and security for all....

"May we work together for justice and peace," Francis said after being shown around the Al-Aqsa compound, which is also considered sacred by Jews because it was the site where their two famed Jerusalem temples once stood...

P.S.

This is a headline in the Pal. media:

'Thousands' of Israeli Jews to march on Aqsa compound

That, of course, was not true as they simply marched to the Kotel/Western Wall.

Oh, sorry.  Al-Buraq belongs to Al-Aqsa.


P.P.S.

And what did the Pope say?

“We are experiencing a fraternal dialogue and exchange which are able to restore us and offer us new strength to confront the common challenges before us,” the Pope told Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem on May 26...The Pontiff took the opportunity to reflect on the figure of Abraham, “who lived as a pilgrim in these lands,” and serves as an important figure to the three major religions.

“Muslims, Christians and Jews see in him, albeit in different ways, a father in faith and a great example to be imitated. He became a pilgrim, leaving his own people and his own house in order to embark on that spiritual adventure to which God called him,” he said...Pope Francis noted that Abraham’s attitude should be an example for every person.

...Pope Francis stressed, “Dear friends, from this holy place I make a heartfelt plea to all people and to all communities who look to Abraham: may we respect and love one another as brothers and sisters!”  “May we learn to understand the sufferings of others! May no one abuse the name of God through violence! May we work together for justice and peace!”

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Pope to Mufti: "No Violence!"

When the Pope visited the Temple Mount --- by the way, Jordan's King Abdallah's cousin and occasional royal regent, Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, was there

representing the status of the Hashemites as the patrons of the holy shrines in Jerusalem --- he spoke with the anti-Semitic Mufti.

I had envisioned this exchange:

but it seems he has been quoted

Francis deviated from his prepared remarks to refer not just to his “dear friends” but “dear brothers.” “May we respect and love one another as brothers and sisters!” he said. “May we learn to understand the suffering of others! May no one abuse the name of God through violence!”

Now, if he had said "I have been given permission to conduct a Mass at the Cenacle, despite the protests, so why not you allow Jews to pray here on the Temple Mount?", that would have been dandy.

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UPDATE

Pope Francis on Monday called for people of all faiths to have access to often hotly-contested sacred sites in Jerusalem, on the final day of his whirlwind Middle East trip.
Francis, who has made interfaith dialogue a cornerstone of his papacy, said believers must be able to pray freely at sites currently contested by Jews, Muslims, and Christians...Francis made an early-morning tour of the holiest sites in Jerusalem's walled Old City, issuing a call for the three religions to "work together for justice and peace" as he was shown around the Al-Aqsa compound, the third holiest site in Islam which Jews also consider sacred.

and this, too:

During a meeting between the Pope and Israeli President Shimon Peres, the Pope expressed his hope for Jerusalem to truly be the City of Peace, “how good it is when pilgrims and residents can enjoy free access to the Holy Places and can freely take part in the religious celebrations.”

_________________

P.S.  A JPost writer misses the significance of Prince Ghazi.

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Why Is The Pope Flying to Ben-Gurion?

Did you know that before 1964, when the city of Jerusalem was divided with the eastern section of the pre-1948 municipal boundaries under an illegal Jordanian occupation, Mount Zion was under Israel sovereignty.  However, since it was on the border, the way to Mount Zion was a narrow dirt track. In that year, Pope Paul VI visited Jerusalem.  Due to the fact that he was to cross over from east to west but refused to go through the Mandlebaum Gate Crossing --- the story is that he did not want to recogtnize Israeli sovereignty --- that dirt road was widened and paved properly.  Some us veterans still call it the Pope's Road although the official name is Ma'ale HaShalom and it goes alongside the Protestant Mount Zion Cemetery and Catholic cemeteries.

There is also this:

On January 5, 1964, Pope Paul VI made, for the first time in the history of the Papacy, a papal visit in Jerusalem. The Pope said in Megiddo, where he entered Israel, “We are coming as pilgrims, we come to venerate the Holy Places; we come to pray”.
The Pope thanked unspecified “authorities” for arranging his visit and refused to address Zalman Shazar as “Mr. President”, avoiding any mention of that damned word: “Israel”. On his return to the Vatican, Paul sent a thank you note to “Mr. Shazar” in Tel Aviv”, not Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel. To exorcise the Israeli devil, they refuse to name it expressis verbis.
Pope Paul VI spent only eleven hours in Israel. He avoided Israeli-controlled West Jerusalem, refusing to meet there with then Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim. 

The BBC added:

During his short trip to Israel - it lasted only 11 hours - Pope Paul VI never once called Israel by name, and went out of his way to avoid using the word Jews.
In those days, the Vatican saw Israel as a non-country, and its people as a non-nation.
Pope Paul VI even used the occasion to praise his mentor, Pope Pius XII, defending the latter's silence during the Holocaust.

And now, another Pope is coming.

After Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, here's his schedule:

Sunday, May 25, 2014 08:30 – Departure by helicopter from Queen Alia Internal Airport in Amman for Bethlehem09:30 – Arrival ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Bethlehem Courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority10:00 – Meeting with the Palestinian Authority. Discourse of the Holy Father11:00 – Holy Mass in Manger Square in Bethlehem. Homily of the Holy FatherRegina Coeli prayer. Allocution of the Holy Father15:00 – Private visit to the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem15:45 – Farewell from the Palestinian Authority at the helipad of Bethlehem16:00 – Departure by helicopter from the helipad of Bethlehem for Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel16:30 – Arrival ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport. Open coverage; details to be issued separately. Discourse of the Holy Father

Odd.

I am sure that the Bethlehem helipad is probably equivalent to any Jerusalem helipad.  So why go to Ben-Gurion?  To avoid Palestinian terrorists on the roads?

Sure enough, the schedule continues and what do we read?

17:45 – Arrival at the helipad of Jerusalem on Mount Scopus

Now, it could be that Israel presumes its official entrance space is the International Airport.  Or, perhaps, they need more room for the first presence moment of the Pope.  But he is immediately going to Jerusalem in any case. He seems to be at ease with Jews.

Odd.

What gives?

And by the way, what will be with the maneuvers to obtain control over Mount Zion property?

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