NO Entry

The Islamic folks have forbidden access to the Dome on the Temple Mount to non-Muslims. Too bad. It sits on the site of the original Jewish Temple, and the site that would have been inside the Temple known as the "Holy of Holies". Would have been nice to see. Or just to respectfully visit the inside of the current shrine.

But, I suppose just like Christians forbid entry to the churches and shrines in Jerusalem to all Musl ---- oh wait, I forgot, that's not the case. But, I digress.....

I went up and asked if I could go in.

The Doorkeeper looked at me as if I was ignoring the blatantly obvious. (He must communicate with the nun from a few blogs ago.) "No", he said, apparently quickly sizing me up as no Muslim.

I could have told him I really enjoyed the music of Cat Stevens. Instead, I said I would just like to see the shrine. He looked at me again, and said "No. Muslims only."

I was really hoping to see inside, and said it seemed unfair. With maybe just slightly more ire, he looked straight at me and half-spat out the words, "George Bush." Of all things to say, huh? That was an answer? To what question? Now, OK, I did get the drift of where he was coming from, but looked at him and said, "He's not president anymore.....so can I go in?"

He said something in Arabic, and while I wasn't sure what it was, I guessed it wasn't an invitation to go inside. While there is part of me that would have loved to keep the verbal dialogue going with Mr. DoorKeeper, I'm just smart enough to know this was most definitely not the time or location or era to do this. I do get it. To a point.

So, I went on my way. Asked a Japanese tourist to take a picture of me, unclean infidel, I am. At least he wasn't afraid of touching my camera, so maybe there's hope.

(For any Muslim readers of this blog, of which there are likely none, I do have a little more knowledge and understanding and sensitivity than comes across.....to a point. In the meantime, I am happy that Moshe Dayan and the Israelis decided to allow Muslims to retain the Temple Mount/Haram es Sharif after the 1967 war, and if that should once again change, as it has time and time again over the centuries, I'll be the first one standing up arguing that Muslims should absolutely have equal visiting privileges as well.)