After consistently attempting to convince Arab readers that Jews, Judaism and the Jewish tradition are the harbingers of all evil, a new article in the Kuwaiti newspaper Khaleej Times reverses the trend - purporting to show that it is Jewish distortions of Judaism - not Judaism itself - that are the source of evil in the Middle East.
Titling the article, ?Israeli bid to distort texts of religious books exposed?, Muawia E. Ibrahim reports about an Arab historian who ?has exposed attempts by Israeli right-wing organizations to distort texts of Torah and other religious books in order to justify Israel's occupation of Palestinian and other Arab territories and to erase the Arab identity of territories under its control.? The historian, Dr Mohammed Khalifa Hassan, Director of the Center for Oriental Studies at Cairo University, delivered his lecture, entitled "Israeli political thought and its relationship with the Jewish legends", at the Zayed Centre for Coordination and Follow-Up (ZCCF).
The newspaper reported that Dr. Hassan told the gathering that ?Jews inside and outside Israel use rumor tactics about the occurrence of miracles and other religious phenomena for the sake of achieving political ends, especially during the periods of oppression and legends to explain Torah texts.? He cited, as an example of ?distortions in Torah,? the text related to the birth of the Red Heifer. According to the Egyptian historian, the Red Heifer commandments detailed in the Torah are ?aimed at the destruction [of] al-Aqsa mosque and rebuilding of the third Temple in its place. According to their legend, the birth of the red cow, which they claim has already taken place in the village of Kafr Hisidim [sic] near Jerusalem, is hailed as a sign of the arrival of the Messiah....? Other examples of Torah ?distortions? according to the Egyptian lecturer are: ?the legend about the purity of the Israeli Jewish blood, the legend of the promised land, the Divine Promises and the belief of Messiah's return to David's House to re-establish the kingdom and gathering of Jews, etc....? Khaleej Times reported, ?They exploit such superstitious and mythical interpretations to serve their political and religious objectives, Dr Hassan said.? According to the Kuwaiti newspaper, ?Dr. Hassan concluded his lecture by saying that such religious legends provided great support to the Israeli military establishment that perpetrates heinous atrocities against innocent Palestinians and Arabs in general.?
In his lecture, Dr Hassan also related to the Israeli context of the religious Jewish phenomenon, addressing ?the inter-penetration of Israeli extremism with the Jewish religious fundamentalism, the religious extremism and the religious Zionism in general. All these religious trends follow the policy of violence and targets mainly the Arabs and Palestinians as well other political and religious currents inside Israel.? The Egyptian lecturer saw the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin as ?a turning point in the history of Israel and a strong indicator of the growing strength of the extremist religious right and its aggressiveness and hostility,? Khaleej Times reported.
Titling the article, ?Israeli bid to distort texts of religious books exposed?, Muawia E. Ibrahim reports about an Arab historian who ?has exposed attempts by Israeli right-wing organizations to distort texts of Torah and other religious books in order to justify Israel's occupation of Palestinian and other Arab territories and to erase the Arab identity of territories under its control.? The historian, Dr Mohammed Khalifa Hassan, Director of the Center for Oriental Studies at Cairo University, delivered his lecture, entitled "Israeli political thought and its relationship with the Jewish legends", at the Zayed Centre for Coordination and Follow-Up (ZCCF).
The newspaper reported that Dr. Hassan told the gathering that ?Jews inside and outside Israel use rumor tactics about the occurrence of miracles and other religious phenomena for the sake of achieving political ends, especially during the periods of oppression and legends to explain Torah texts.? He cited, as an example of ?distortions in Torah,? the text related to the birth of the Red Heifer. According to the Egyptian historian, the Red Heifer commandments detailed in the Torah are ?aimed at the destruction [of] al-Aqsa mosque and rebuilding of the third Temple in its place. According to their legend, the birth of the red cow, which they claim has already taken place in the village of Kafr Hisidim [sic] near Jerusalem, is hailed as a sign of the arrival of the Messiah....? Other examples of Torah ?distortions? according to the Egyptian lecturer are: ?the legend about the purity of the Israeli Jewish blood, the legend of the promised land, the Divine Promises and the belief of Messiah's return to David's House to re-establish the kingdom and gathering of Jews, etc....? Khaleej Times reported, ?They exploit such superstitious and mythical interpretations to serve their political and religious objectives, Dr Hassan said.? According to the Kuwaiti newspaper, ?Dr. Hassan concluded his lecture by saying that such religious legends provided great support to the Israeli military establishment that perpetrates heinous atrocities against innocent Palestinians and Arabs in general.?
In his lecture, Dr Hassan also related to the Israeli context of the religious Jewish phenomenon, addressing ?the inter-penetration of Israeli extremism with the Jewish religious fundamentalism, the religious extremism and the religious Zionism in general. All these religious trends follow the policy of violence and targets mainly the Arabs and Palestinians as well other political and religious currents inside Israel.? The Egyptian lecturer saw the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin as ?a turning point in the history of Israel and a strong indicator of the growing strength of the extremist religious right and its aggressiveness and hostility,? Khaleej Times reported.