Israel Matzav

Islamists removing inscription from Ezekiel's tomb in Iraq

In a bid to erase all Jewish connections to Iraq, in which Jews lived for approximately 2000 years, the original Hebrew inscriptions and ornamentation are being removed (or have been removed) from the tomb of Ezekiel (Yechezkel), the prophet who lived during the period of the destruction of the First Jewish Temple (approximately 600 years before the common era) (Hat Tip: Judith W via Twitter).

Four months ago a German-based Iraqi journalist tipped off the Association of Jewish Academics from Iraq in Israel that plans were afoot to build a mosque on the site of the shrine of the Jewish prophet Ezekiel at al-Kifl, this was first reported on the "Point of No Return" news blog. The rumours were investigated by a philo-Semitic Iraqi Shi'a, Dr. Jabbar Jamal al-Din, a lecturer in Jewish Thought at the Kufa University. They were denied by the shrine's director. Now a report by Ur News revives fears that in the absence of Jews on the ground, nothing, not even UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), stands in the way of politically-motivated plans to erase all Jewish traces of this ancient holy site.

Drastic changes taking place currently at the tomb of Ezekiel will change its character and prompt UNESCO to delete it as a protected site on the World Heritage List, similar to what happened to the historic city of Babylon, where old buildings were demolished and new layers of construction added.

Prof. Shmuel Moreh, the Chairman of the Association of Jewish Academics from Iraqi, Israel Prize Laureate in Arabic Literature and emeritus Professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has indicted that the Arabic news stories have tipped him that the Archeological Authority in Iraq has started a campaign to erase the Jewish aspects of the tomb of the prophet Ezekiel and the original inlay Hebrew inscriptions have been destroyed and covered by new Arabic inscriptions and Islamic symbols.

Read the whole thing. It's disgraceful, but unfortunately not all that surprising. Building mosques on sites that are holy to other religion is a Muslim modus operandi going back a long time. Think "Temple Mount."

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:56 AM