Middle Eastern Myths�"The Myth of Moslem Tolerance"�

By Dr. Richard Booker�

Another of the "big lies" is that that Jews who lived under Moslem Arab rule before�the birth of Israel had harmonious relations with the Arabs and were treated with�dignity and tolerance. The implication is that if Israel would submit to Arab rule, the�fighting would stop and Moslems, Jews, and Christians in the Middle East would live�happily ever after. Yasser Arafat has said, "We are not against Jews. On the contrary,�we are all Semites and we have been living with each other in peace and fraternity.�Muslims, Jews and Christians, for many centuries." But what are the facts?�

Prior to the time of Mohammed, Jews and Arabs did live in relative peace with one�another. However, when the Jews rejected Mohammed as a prophet, he turned�against them with a vengeance as seen in his violent actions against the Jews. His�negative attitude is found in the many hostile comments against Jews in the Koran.�

The caliph who succeeded Mohammed was Omar. He produced a document called the�Omar Charter in which he codified the conditions Jews were to live by under Islamic�Arab rule. Here are some of the conditions of peace and fraternity the Jews enjoyed.�Christians lived under similar restrictions.�

Jews were forbidden to touch the Koran.�Jews were required to wear distinctive clothing.�Jews were required to wear a yellow piece of cloth as a badge (blue for�Christians).�Jews were not allowed to perform their religious practices in public.�Jews were not allowed to own a horse which was a sign of a nobleman.�Jews were required to bury their dead without grieving in public.�Jews were required to pay special taxes.�Jews were not allowed to defend themselves against a Moslem.�Jews were not allowed to testify against a Moslem.�Jews were forbidden to build new synagogues.�The houses and tombs of Jews were not allowed to be higher than those of�the Moslems.�The graves of Jews had to be level so that anyone could walk over them.�Throughout the centuries, Jews and Christians living under Islamic rule�suffered great persecution and humiliation, the intensity of which was�determined by the character of the particular Moslem ruler. Even under�

relevantly tolerant rule, Jews struggled to survive and lived in constant fear�for their lives. So much for brotherly peace and tranquility.�

In more modern times, when Jordan illegally occupied East Jerusalem from 1948-�1967, all Jewish residents were expelled and barred from the Western Wall. The�Jewish quarter, including all fifty-eight synagogues, was destroyed or desecrated.�Approximately seventy-five percent of the tombstones on the Jewish cemetery on the�Mount of Olives were dismantled and used to serve army latrines. This was done under�the rule of King Hussein, the most moderate of the Arab rulers.�

There is not doubt that an Islamic Palestinian state would turn synagogues and�churches into mosques and expel Jews and Christians or force them into a life of fear�and humiliation. Does the Christian world really want Arafat to control the Church of�the Holy Sepulcher, the empty tomb and Manger Square? Does the Jewish world really�want Arafat to control the Temple Mount, the Mount of Olives and the Old City? Do�Jews and Christians in Israel and in America really want to live under Islamic rule?�

Visit Dr. Richard Booker online:�www.drrichardbooker.com or www.rbooker.com�

Sounds of the Trumpet, Inc.�Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies�

4747 Research Forest Dr., # 180-330 (For Mail & Packages ONLY)�The Woodlands TX 77381�

Richard Booker, MBA, Ph.D., is an ordained Christian minister, President of Sounds of the�Trumpet, Inc., and the Founder/Director of the Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies.�

He is the author of thirty books which are used by churches and Bible schools around the�world. He has also developed many seminars and Bible college level courses and writes reg-�ularly for Christian magazines.�

Dr. Booker has traveled extensively for over thirty years teaching in churches and at confer-�ences on various aspects of the Christian life as well as Israel and the Hebraic roots of Chris-�

tianity.�

Dr. Booker and his wife, Peggy, lead yearly tour groups to Israel where, for eighteen years, Dr. Booker was a�speaker at the International Christian Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem attended by over�5,000 believers from 100 nations.�

Dr. Booker’s teachings are designed to help believers better understand the Bible and their covenant God. He�has a God-given ability to communicate the Scriptures in clear, easy-to-understand language with practical ap-�plication for everyday Christians that brings life out of the Bible and into people’s hearts.�

Dr. Booker and Peggy founded the Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies (IHCS) in 1997 as a ministry to edu-�cate Christians in the Hebraic culture and background of the Bible, build relationships between Christians and�Jews, and give comfort and support to the people of Israel.�

Their tireless work on behalf of Christians and Jews has been recognized around the world as well as being rep-�resented at the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus.�Dr. Booker has a daily television program which can be seen on the internet at www.godslearningchannel.com�and around the world via satellite. He has produced over 350 programs.�

 Dr. Booker is a spiritual father to many believers around the world.�

About Dr. Richard Booker�