Muslims have no real claim on Jerusalem

Submitted by Prashant (United States), Jun 2, 2022 at 10:19

Dear Dr Pipes, I find the Islamic tendency to make mosques near or on top of other culture's and religion's sacred places extremely repulsive. What makes this Islamic tendency even worse is that Islamic usurpations of other people's properties, in almost all cases, followed cruel and deceptive wars. Muslims put their first foot in Jerusalem after a siege that was initiated by Muhammad himself while he was still alive.

I, personally, see no righteous claim for Muslims in such usurpations. We are free to design the principles of our own hearts and minds. For me, Muslims have no claim on anything until they go back and come back as humble monks.

Some will ask me why I do not say a similar thing about the Christian claim on Christian monuments in Europe? I am not 100% sure. But, it is perhaps because religion and politics are not so deeply intertwined in Christianity as they are intertwined in Islam. And, because I see more signs of love, charity, flexibility, and freedom in Christian societies than in Islam.

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