Bad conscience leads to return of Israeli artifact Jun 3, 2009
It was the Ummayyads who built the golden-capped Dome of the Rock, one of the most recognizable sites in Jerusalem, marking the spot where Muslim tradition says Muhammad ascended to heaven. Click for related content. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Jerusalem diary Jun 2, 2009
Al-Quds University states, that "the Al-Aqsa compound (ie the Haram al-Sharif - site of al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Dome of the Rock, the third holiest site in Islam) cannot possibly be in the same place as the first or second temple". The first tour I went on was organised by al-Quds University's Centre for Jerusalem Studies. (BBC News -- Africa)
Divided & Conquered Jun 1, 2009
The day is cool, the sun is bright, the hills are shimmering, the Dome of the Rock glistens below us. It is a scene of extraordinary beauty. (The American Conservative)
Loyal to whom? Jun 1, 2009
In offices adorned with photos of the iconic Dome of the Rock mosque in Jerusalem, sits Abdelhakeem Mufeed, editor of the movement's newspaper. Abdelhakeem Mufeed says his loyalty is "to Palestine, not Israel". (BBC News -- Africa)
In Jerusalem, an uptick in demolition orders of Arab homes May 20, 2009
Its proposed location, in the shadow of holy sites such as the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall, make the project potentially explosive and suggest a renewed effort to prevent the establishment of an official Palestinian sector in Islam's third-holiest city. One of the partners in the $100 million development plan is a private group named Elad, which focuses on buying Palestinian property in East Jerusalem and moving settlers into Arab neighborhoods. (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
Pope leaves Mideast with appeal for peace May 17, 2009
He took off his shoes to enter the Dome of the Rock, where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, and quietly prayed at the site of Jesus' birth. But there were reminders of Mideast strife at every step, and in the end Benedict's trip was as much political as it was spiritual. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Pope wraps up Holy Land pilgrimage May 15, 2009
He became the first pope to enter the Dome of the Rock on Al-Haram Al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary), also known as the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which is Islam's third holiest spot. The site, which the Jews call Temple Mount, is the holiest in Judaism. (India Times, India)
Pope visits Jerusalem's holiest sites May 15, 2009
Visits Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine, before meeting city's top Muslim leader. In Islam Dome of the Rock is where Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven ... After visiting the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine, the pontiff prayed at the Old City's Western Wall. (CNN -- World)
It's quiz time! May 15, 2009
He failed to remove his red leather shoes at the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. A Vatican spokesman contradicted the Pope's own admission that he had once been a member of the Hitler Youth. (BBC News)
Pope prays at crucifixion church May 15, 2009
Monday Arrives in Israel, meets President Shimon Peres Tuesday Visits the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall ... Earlier this week, he became the first pope to visit the Dome of the Rock, the Islamic mosque built on the site known to Jews as the Temple Mount. (BBC News -- Europe)
Holy See to the Holy Land May 15, 2009
Islamic clerics escorted the pope to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (shown above), to Bethlehem and to Nazareth. But others expressed disappointment that he did not apologise for a lecture given in 2006 which included a damning quotation about Muslims. (The Economist)
The two-state solution and the reluctant Israeli PM May 15, 2009
On the second day of his Holy Land tour, the pope visited the Dome of the Rock, where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Israel, as part of a week-long trip to the Middle East. (Globe and Mail)
Pope to celebrate Nazareth mass May 14, 2009
POPE IN THE MIDDLE EAST Monday Arrives in Israel, meets President Shimon Peres Tuesday Visits the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall. Celebrates Holy Mass in Josaphat Valley Wednesday Visits Bethlehem, visits refugees, meets Mahmoud Abbas Thursday Mass in Nazareth, talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, meets Franciscans Friday Meets Orthodox Christian leaders, departs. (BBC News)
Pope criticized for his silence on Holocaust May 14, 2009
On Tuesday, for example, he visited both the Western Wall, where he followed Jewish tradition and placed a written prayer in the stones of Judaism's holiest place, and the Dome of the Rock, sacred to Muslims as the place from which the prophet Mohammed embarked on a miraculous journey to heaven. But Benedict has run into a thicket of emotional expectations that he has left unsatisfied, particularly with his comments Monday at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. (San Francisco Chronicle)
As pope tours Jerusalem, Vatican on defense May 13, 2009
Pope Benedict XVI visited the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem on Tuesday ... On Tuesday, the pope delivered messages of peace while visiting the holiest Muslim and Jewish sites in Jerusalem the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall ... The pope visited the Dome of the Rock, where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, and the adjacent Western Wall, revered by Jews as a remnant of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. (USA Today -- News)
Pope meets with Abbas May 13, 2009
On Tuesday, Benedict became the first Pope to enter the Dome of the Rock on Al-Haram Al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) in Jerusalem, also known as the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which is Islam's third holiest place. The site, which the Jews call Temple Mount, is also the holiest in Judaism and has been a major flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where the latest Palestinian uprising erupted in 2000. (iAfrica.com)
Pope Calls For Palestinian Homeland May 13, 2009
Earlier that day, he had visited the holiest Muslim and Jewish sites in Jerusalem, the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall. The Palestinians hoped that the pontiff's visit would highlight their harsh conditions under Israeli military rule, and Benedict acknowledged their difficulties, but stopped short of naming Israel. (Time.com)
The Pope's Muddled Message for the Middle East May 13, 2009
Pope Benedict XVI walks in front of the Dome of the Rock as he visits the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City Ziv Koren / HO / GPO / AP ... Under a bright morning sky, Benedict took off his red papal slippers and entered the Dome of the Rock, the 7th century Jerusalem shrine built where Muslim tradition says the Prophet Muhammad began his ascent to heaven ... In his encounter at the Dome of the Rock with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Mohammed Hussein, the Pope said common principles... (Time.com)
Nazi row exposes Pope's PR May 13, 2009
At the Dome of the Rock, a sacred site to Muslims, he removed his red leather shoes as a mark of respect. Just below, at the Western Wall, one of the holiest sites for Jews, Benedict followed Jewish tradition by placing a written prayer between the cracks of the 2,000-year-old stones. (BBC News -- Africa)
Cool reception in Holy City May 13, 2009
Ala Masri was frustrated the Pope's visit prevented Muslim prayers at the Dome of the Rock. By Heather Sharp BBC News, Jerusalem. (BBC News -- Africa)
In pictures: Pope in Jerusalem May 13, 2009
He became the first pope to visit the Dome of the Rock, from where Muslims believe Muhammad rose to heaven and which is situated on a site holy to all three monotheistic religions. According to Islamic custom, he removed his shoes to enter the mosque, and said the site reminded Jews, Muslims and Christians of the things they have in common. (BBC News -- Africa)
Pope celebrates Mass in Bethlehem May 13, 2009
POPE IN THE MIDDLE EAST Monday Arrives in Israel, meets President Shimon Peres Tuesday Visits the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall ... He went first to the Dome of the Rock, the first pontiff to do so. (BBC News -- Africa)
'Restrained, almost cold'... May 13, 2009
The pontiff, described by one Israeli newspaper columnist as coming across as "restrained, almost cold", prayed at Judaism's Western Wall and visited Islam's Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem holy sites at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ... At the Dome of the Rock, the pope met the Grand Mufti, the Palestinians' senior Muslim cleric, and recalled the common roots of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. (The Drudge Report)
Pope's lack of specifics on Gaza, Holocaust disappoint Muslims and Jews May 13, 2009
On a Tuesday tour of Jerusalem's holy sites, the pope visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock with the top Palestinian cleric, Grand Mufti Muhammad Ahmad Hussein. Their dialogue was held away from the television cameras, amid extremely tight security. (Christian Science Monitor)
Pope visits Jerusalem holy sites May 12, 2009
He visited the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, becoming the first pontiff to see the site, and then the Western Wall, one of Judaism's holiest places ... POPE IN THE MIDDLE EAST Monday Arrives in Israel, meets President Shimon Peres Tuesday Visits the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall ... The Pope began his day at the Dome of the Rock, located on a site sacred to all three religions in the city. (BBC News -- Europe)
Pope attempts to bridge Catholic-Jewish divide May 12, 2009
The Pope may well need some of those mercies himself Tuesday as he meets with Islamic leaders at the Dome of the Rock and Jewish leaders at the Western Wall, followed by a mass for the Catholic faithful just outside the Old City, not far from a number of Arab homes that Israeli authorities have ordered demolished. (). (Globe and Mail)
Pope Arrives in Israel, Decries Anti-Semitism May 12, 2009
"It is right and fitting that during my stay in Israel I will have the opportunity to honor the memory of the 6 million Jewish victims of the Shoah (Holocaust), and to pray that humanity will never again witness a crime of such magnitude. Tomorrow the Pope will tour Old City sites, including the Dome of the Rock. He will end the day with a mass in Jerusalem's Kidron Valley at the foot of the Mount of Olives. His visit follows months of preparation regarding security, infrastructure and... (Newsmax)
Pope urges "sincere dialogue" of reconciliation at Jerusalem holy site May 12, 2009
The pope visited the Dome of the Rock, where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, and the adjacent Western Wall, the last remnant of the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. On the second day of his Holy Land visit, Benedict removed his shoes as a sign of respect before entering the mosque. (KOLD.com, AZ)
Pope visits Jerusalem's holy sites, says mass May 12, 2009
The German-born pope visited the Western Wall, a remnant of the Roman-era Temple complex that is Judaism's holiest place, after meeting the Grand Mufti, Palestinians' senior Muslim cleric, at the Dome of the Rock which dominates the Old City. With the mufti, he recalled the common roots of all three monotheistic religions in the story of Abraham and Jerusalem. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Holy Land visit a minefield for Pope May 11, 2009
Then, first thing tomorrow, the Pontiff visits one of Islam's holiest sites, the Dome of the Rock, where he meets the Mufti of Jerusalem. As he did in Jordan, the Pope may be expected to offer regret for an incident three years ago when he cited an historic text describing Islam's reputedly violent nature, and to offer expressions of deep respect for Islam. (Globe and Mail)
LETTERS: NCT, May 11, 2009 May 11, 2009
For instance, before 1967, the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa were visited by pious hajjis on the way to Mecca; now, of course, impossible. The Palestinians are being sorely oppressed, controlled and made desperate by their occupiers due in part to these existential fears. (North County Times)
The pope's pilgrimage of healing May 11, 2009
Tomorrow, the pope's itinerary will take him to Islamic shrines, the Dome of the Rock, and al Aqsa Mosque, where Muslims, aware of other papal gaffes, will seek reassurances of their own ... The Dome of the Rock, for example, was built by Muslims in 691 expressly on the place revered by Jews as their mythic foundation stone, the rock of sacrifice on which Abraham was instructed to sacrifice Isaac. (Boston Globe)
Old World, new horizons May 10, 2009
We were soon looking down at the Kotel or Western Wall, the most revered site in Judaism, and the golden dome that rises above the wall known as the Dome of the Rock. This is the heart of Temple Mount, where believers say Abraham almost performed a sacrifice of his son Isaac and Muhammad ascended to heaven. (Boston Globe)
Pope embarks on Mideast fence-mending trip May 9, 2009
Stops include Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem, where he'll visit the Dome of the Rock (Islam's third-holiest site), the Western Wall, and the Yad Vashem memorial to the Holocaust. Since becoming head of the Roman Catholic Church in 2005, the pope has continued the religious outreach initiated by the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, meeting periodically with Jewish leaders and joining last November in a Catholic-Muslim Forum sought by Islamic leaders. (Christian Science Monitor)
Highlights of pope's Holy Land tour May 7, 2009
May 12: Visits the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock key Jewish and Muslim shrines in the walled Old City of Jerusalem. Also in the Old City, Benedict will visit the traditional site of Jesus' last supper with his 12 apostles on the eve of his crucifixion. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
Pope visiting Holy Land as Christians leave May 7, 2009
In Jerusalem, the pope will visit the holiest site where Jews are allowed to pray, the Western Wall in the Old City; the Dome of the Rock, a main Muslim shrine, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion and burial. The pope will celebrate open air Mass in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth. (MSNBC -- International)
Vatican plays down differences before pope's Israel trip May 5, 2009
During his visit, the pope will also head to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, in addition to visits to the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion and burial. He will hold open air masses in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth. (USA Today -- News)
Special sunrise Apr 9, 2009
Shapiro remembered joining 400,000 Jews 28 years ago at the Wailing Wall, watching the sun come up over the gold Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem with his wife and two children. He was 34 years old then, 62 now. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Obama: U.S. Is Not At War With Islam Apr 7, 2009
Come on people, doesn't it seem a little ridiculous that millions worship a rock (the dome of the rock, temple mount, etc. . (CBS News)
Around the world in a single lifetime Mar 30, 2009
Many sites have been religious in nature: The Virgin Mary s home in Ephesus, Turkey; St. Peters Square in Rome; the Blue Mosque in Istanbul; the Dome of the Rock at Temple Mount in Jerusalem. They have been behind the former Iron Curtain and traveled inside the Kremlin Wall, Lenin's Tomb, and the Czars home in St. Petersburg. (Park Hills Daily Journal, MO)
Secular mayor brings business sense to Jerusalem Mar 30, 2009
Behind the iconic image of the Old City dominated by the Western Wall of Herod's Temple and the shimmering golden Dome of the Rock, is a near-bankrupt modern metropolis that is slipping deeper into poverty. Since local taxes are low in contrast to other Israeli metropolitan areas, city services are limited and 56 percent of children and 33 percent of families live in poverty, according to the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Jewishfilm.2009 turns its lens on Christian evangelicals Mar 22, 2009
Or seeing a tour guide in Israel give his take on the significance of the Holy Land: In order for Christ to return and redeem the planet, Israel must remain in Jewish hands and a new temple must be built on the current site of the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic holy site. "There's no place for the mosque. It has to be removed," a woman on the tour elaborates. (Boston Globe)
World Watch: Pope Plans Pilgrimage To Israel Mar 18, 2009
The Pontiff's trip will include visits to the Western Wall and the Islamic Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, Jesus' birthplace in Palestinian-ruled Bethlehem, Nazareth, and the site on the Jordan River where, according to tradition, Jesus was baptized. The Pope will end his visit with a Mass in Galilee. (CBS News)
Pope to skip Holocaust museum, envoy says Mar 11, 2009
NEW: Benedict XVI to be first pontiff to visit the Dome of the Rock ... He will also become the first pontiff to visit the Dome of the Rock, one of the holiest sites in Islam, said the envoy, papal nuncio Antonio Franco ... The pope will also meet Israel's chief rabbis and enter the Dome of the Rock with the chief Muslim cleric in the Holy Land, the grand mufti of Jerusalem. (CNN -- World)
