Launch of "God's Holy Mountain" Project: "The One God in Judaism, Islam and Christianity” - A Day of Dialogue, Study and Vision:

In honor of the launching of God's Holy Mountain Project, the IEA held a day of day of dialogue, study and vision on "The One God in Judaism, Islam and Christianity" at Mishkenot Sha’ananim Konrad Adenauer Conference Centre in Jerusalem.

God's Holy Mountain is an independent study project under the auspices of the IEA that aims to dispel the widespread negative notions surrounding the Temple Mount and replace them with a new and positive religious vision. In keeping with the IEA's most basic beliefs the Project asserts not only that religion shouldn't be source for contention, but that it can and must be a source for solving conflicts. Religion has the power to turn the place that is currently thought of as the source center of the conflict into a true Mountain of God – a place where people can worship the One Moral and Just God according to their different religions in their respective shrines in peaceful proximity. (For more details on the event see below; for information about the project go to Project Website).

A short time before the launching event, Rabbi Yosef Azran Chief Rabbi of Rishon Le’Zion and Kiryat Mal'achi and former Shas Knesset member, Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, Head of the Religion and Ethics Desk, Mishkenot Sha’ananim and Head of Petah Tikva Hesder Yeshiva, Sheikh Abed Alsalam Manasra, Head of the Salam Qadiri Sufi Order, Fr. Dr. David M. Neuhaus, S.J., Patriarchal Vicar for the Hebrew Speaking Catholic Communities in Israel and Sheikh Abdullah Nimar Darwish, Founder of the Islamic Movement in Israel – all got together to a panel discussion the verse "On that Day God will be One and His Name One" (Zechariah 14:9); moderated by Yair Sheleg, Senior Researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute. For a description of the panel see below; an online video of the panel is available [Hebrew].

The day concluded with an interfaith encounter on "The Temple Mount (Al Haram Al Sharif) in Judaism, Islam and Christianity" at Chatham House Rule. See below how you can joint the conversation.

Panel Discussion: “On that day God will be One” (Zech. 14:9); an Interfaith Perspective

Many of the ninety or so attendants came in traditional garb: Jewish skull caps, colorful dresses and scarves, red and white Islamic cleric hats, Jewish ultra-orthodox black suits, white Druze head coverings, and priestly collars could all be seen in the audience. Religious persona and interfaith activists came from all over Israel, and one Catholic priest, Father Alex Stan even announced that he had made a special trip from Romania in order to attend the launching event.

The panel opened with a letter from the Chief Rabbi of Haifa and member of Chief Rabbinate Council, She'ar Yashuv Cohen, encouraging discussion of the project and calling for Muslims, Christians and Jews to unite in prayer for "peace and the belief in the One God to come forth from God's Mountain in Jerusalem."

The central issue the panel sought to grapple with the question of whether people of different faiths have to recognize each other for practical reasons alone, but that ultimately, "On that day" – in other words in a perfect world – all human beings would have to recognized the truth; leaving no room for any religion but the true one? Or alternately, would the shared monotheistic belief in God in itself be the expression of His oneness and His single name on "that day", while different religions would continue to coexist?

Panel participants stressed that there are indeed basic issues they could not agree upon -- thus Jewish and Muslims conception of Godly unity versus Christian conception of trinity -- however all present were adamant about the positive nature of religious diversity not only in the present, but for eternity. Thus Sheikh Manasra, emphasized that at the End of Days a prophet will judge the world justly; not according to Jewish, Christian or Muslim values, but according to wholesome perfection. This is the true meaning of the word Islam". Rabbi Azran quoted the 10th century Jewish rabbi and philosopher, Sa'adiah Ga'on, who said "the Ishmaelite [i.e. Muslim] belief in God's unity is most perfect." "In other words," Rabbi Azran continued, "the well known Arabic proclamation 'Allahu Akbar' is not a murderous cry, but rather the true expression of the unity of God." Rabbi Azran pointed out that according to Jewish law, Islam is not idolatrous religion, and so a Jew can pray in a mosque, as he himself had done several times. Fr. Dr. Neuhaus also agreed that "it seems likely we won't all be the same at the End of Days -- and personally that makes me very happy, because if we were all clones of one another, the world would be a pretty boring place." Sheikh Nimar-Darwish chose to comment on the project directly – in his opinion there can be no change of the status quo in Jerusalem, "however if this [i.e. building the Temple] is the will of the messiah, I will bring the stones on my shoulders!" The sheikh also mentioned that he and rabbi Michael Melchior are working on a "religious road map for peace and security" that they will release to the public as soon as they are done.

Launching Event: God's Holy Mountain Study Project

There could scarcely have been a better introduction to the launching event, than the openness with which these religious Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders approached the possibility that even an ideal world the various religions would exist side by side.

Reception

The audience was invited to a reception in honor of the event, where they could listen to multicultural harp music played by Gitit Boazson and admire an exquisite representation of the project's vision by painter Oscar (Asher) Frohlich: "One that Day God will be One and His Name One" (Zech. 14:9).

The painting depicts a normal future day on the Temple Mount. Jews, Muslims and Christians, entering through the Gate of Mercy, are waiting for services to begin at the Temple, the Al Aqsa Mosque and the various churches in the area respectively. They greet each other warmly and sometimes stop to talk. Our eyes are focus on one group that gathers around an informal musical interfaith ensemble – harp, kanun, trumpet and violin produce a wonderful mesh of sound; a harmonious variety of East and West. A group of children spontaneously forms a circle and begins to dance by the smiling adults. Not far off, a stream flows from one of the Temple's gates, implying perhaps that the plateau itself has also expanded as foreseen by Ezekiel and a purplish rainbow adorns the sky. The Children know no other reality. The painting gives the clear feeling that if we asked the dancing children how this peaceful reality came about after generations of conflict, they would not have the slightest idea what we were talking about; to them this would simply be a natural reality.

Presentation of "God’s Holy Mountain" by Director Yoav Frankel

In today's reality the Temple Mount is viewed as a symbol of the clash between Judaism and Islam. Perhaps the only thing everyone agrees upon is the unsolvable nature of the Temple Mount problem. Even Supporters of the peace process, try to defer talking about the issue, and it seems as though according to each faith it alone will ultimately survive as the expression of absolute truth, and that the structures on the Temple Mount will reflect its triumph. According to a commonly held Islamic doctrine, any attempt to give expression to other faiths at Al-Haram Al-Sharif, is considered offensive. Even Some Christian Evangelicals believe that Jesus will ultimately appear only after the structures on the Temple Mount are destroyed in a terrible war between Jews and Muslims. Jews, for their part pray daily for the ultimate restoration of the Temple on the very same spot where the Dome of the Rock now stands, implying, according to conventional belief that the latter will someday cease to exist. Seen in this light, could the Temple possibly stand peacefully near the other shrines that exist on the Mountain and its vicinity today?

Years of the project's research into Jewish law and thought have shown the answer to this question – at least from a Jewish perspective – may be in the affirmative. In an article recently published in Tehumin, a leading Jewish law journal in Israel, Project Director Yoav Frankel has shown based on a long line of Jewish sages, that surprisingly a prophet would have the extraordinary authority to declare the Temple must be built at a different site on the Temple Mount. Thus according to Rabbi Moshe Sofer of the 18th century, Jewish Temples have never been built the same way as their predecessors precisely because of this special authority bestowed upon prophets. This is way the First Temple was different from the Tabernacle, the Second Temple different than the first and the Temple described by Ezikeil is radically different that the Second Temple.

A vision of the rebuilt Jewish Temple next to Muslim and Christian shrines, would actually express the original purpose of the Temple Mount as a place that symbolizes the submission of all people to the One Moral God. In his dedication of the First Temple, King Solomon the prayer of strangers, who would come to the Temple from afar and Isaiah the Temple Mount would become a "house of prayer for all peoples". According to the spirit of Isaiah's prophecy and others like it, not only Jews, but people of other religions will come to worship God at the Temple Mount at the End of Days. This vision is also in keeping with the Jewish view of the relationship between the faiths, as expressed by Maimonides:

And all these occurrences of Jesus of Nazareth and this Ishmaelite who came after him [Muhammad] – are only meant to pave the way for the Messiah King, and to mend the entire world so that all worship him together, as it is written: "For then will I turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent." (Zephaniah 3:9)

At the end of the presentation of the project, many question where raised, some of which where reminiscent of what Sheikh Nimar-Darwish said during the panel, "But tell me, where is this messiah that says: 'I have come in the name of God and want to build a synagogue or Temple next to Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock'?!"

Truth be told, if such a prophet arrived in today's reality one wonders whether anyone would listen to him. It would still require a long process of thought, study and dialogue before such an idea could be considered. However, the very thought that orthodox tradition allows Jewish, Muslim and Christian shrines to stand side by side in peaceful proximity may have a tremendous impact on the way the three religions relate to each other: instead of a zero sum game, they may collectively recognize God and His ways.

Before the project was launched, it was presented to dozens of rabbis and other religious leaders. Significantly, not one of the rabbis denied the validity of the halakhic (Jewish-legal) argument presented, and many rabbis and Muslims expressed support for continued study and discussion of the topic. An interfaith encounter that was closed to the media was held at the end of the launching event where many reactions and suggestions were expressed.

What Can You Do?

Feel free to visit our site www.godsholymountain.org and join the conversation. I will be happy to continue updating you and hearing your thoughts (ohr@interfaith-encounter.org). You are welcome to jot down a few of your thoughts and pass on our link to people you think would be interested in hearing about God's Holy Mountain.

Reported by Ohr

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