By Alyssa A. Lappen
FrontPageMagazine.com | December 21, 2005
On Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005, I attended an emergency conference at the United Nations’ New York Headquarters to discuss “Protection of Religious Sites and Prevention of the Use of Violence to Incite Terrorism/Violence.” It was called by the Ethics Initiatives Consortium (EIC) and the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP).
EIC co-chairs Prof. Amir al Islam and Shoshana Bekerman wrote in their invitation that they hoped “to prevent future tragedies such as the desecration of the Gush Katif synagogues.” Unfortunately, the conference suggested that the United Nations will do nothing to stop murder or desecration of holy sites in the name of religion–for it seems that no one is willing to confront Muslim denial that fanatics use Islam to incite religious hatred and destruction–much less stop the fanatics.
After reading a statement by Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld, director of the American Center for Democracy, I listened with dismay to the other presenters–and the responses.
Dr. Ehrenfeld listed many contemporary and historical crimes committed by Muslim states against non-Muslims and their holy sites. She noted: “According to the Dictionary of Islam: conquered by jihad, subjugated people are given three choices: 1) convert, 2) pay a head tax, or 3) die.” She quoted the thirteenth century jurist, Ibn Taymiya, often cited by Osama bin Laden, who wrote that spoils of war “received the name of fay since Allah had taken them away from the infidels in order to restore (afa’a, radda) them to the Muslims…. [The] infidels forfeit their persons and their belongings which they do not use in Allah’s service to the faithful believers who serve Allah and unto whom Allah restitutes what is theirs….” [1]
She added that only when infidels surrendered–and only if a clause specifically allowed–could they preserve religious buildings, but modifications and improvements were prohibited. Furthermore, 11th Century jurist Abu Al-Hasan Al Mawardi wrote that non-Muslim dhimmis “are not allowed to erect new synagogues or churches in the territory of Islam and any built are to be demolished without compensation.” [2]
Dr. Ehrenfeld’s statement provoked a rebuke from Amir al-Islam (also WCRP Secretary General and a history professor at Medgar Evers College). All religious traditions have committed “atrocities,” he said, hoping to blunt Dr. Ehrenfeld’s focus on documented Islamic tradition. He cited the crusades and the Spanish inquisition, for example, and added suggested that we not recall the past but look forward to future reconciliation. Continue reading “Another Useless U.N. Conference”
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