Posted on 04/24/2008 1:15:18 PM PDT by Bokababe
This article has all sorts of excellent points, and this is certainly one of the best!
However, he says that Jews must come forward to combat Islam. Actually, Islam is a syncretist heresy (Jewish, Christian and pagan), so any one of them could probably attack it! But he doesn't address the issue of dhimmified Jews.
One of the reasons Jews were so unpopular in Spain at a certain point is that they sided with, funded and actively supported the Muslims.
Part of this was because the Germanic Arian (heretical) Visigothic invaders, who did not accept the Trinity, were anti-Semitic, whereas the Hispano-Roman Christians were not.
However, part of it was probably the fact that paying the tax was easier for them than for Christians, who were poorer and in the majority, and part of it was a misguided idea about how you could survive. Even Maimonides was briefly a Muslim, and in fact was denounced to the Inquistion by several French rabbis for his heretical beliefs.
I have always thought of these Jews as the secular Jewish pro-islamic leftists of their time, just going along to get along, and I think this is a problem that is with us today.
BTW, Jews had no state support at that time. There was no longer any kingdom, and even the Roman Empire had collapsed, so they probably figured the only way to survive was to make alliances. But their ally was not necessarily the best choice.
“Jews had no state support at that time”
I have often tried to learn why the Jews did not return and take Judea back after Rome fell and Byzantium whethered in the wind. Any thoughts as that piece of history ?
For 200+ years they could have done so but didn’t - why??
A recent FR posting suggested that a Constitutional amendment be advocated to purge America of Islam.
This article would be the first steps (organized resistence) in that direction and needs to happen ASAP.
Judea had been occupied for some time by the fall of the Temple, and a lot of its native structures had collapsed. Jews dispersed throughout the Roman Empire (including a large number who went to Northern Spain, where they were tapestry makers). And then, of course, the Roman Empire collapsed under the barbarian assaults, but this was preceded by the gradual weakening of Rome’s more distant colonies.
Hence, there really wasn’t much of anything for them to go back to, and in addition, they were dispersed and hadn’t left with a leadership that saw that as a possibility.
I'd be curious to know which 200 years you suppose they could have returned?
You may remember, when Muslims defeated the Eastern Roman Empire Byzantines, and took over Palestine, the reason was Byzantines became militarily exhausted by a long war with Persia.
Prior to that time, as far as I know, the Byzantines remained a powerful and vital force in the region.
I couldn't say how pro or anti-Jew Byzantines may have been. For certain, they would not allow an independent Jewish state in Palestine.
“I’d be curious to know which 200 years you suppose they could have returned?”
The time I am curious about is from 350/400-600AD.
The Romans were gone/diminished by then and Byzantium (my distinction from ‘Romans’) was not such an oppressive overseer that the Jews could not have reestablished.
Albeit, probably not fully independent but a presence non-the-less (akin to Judea under the Persians circa 450BC).
Whatever organization the Jews had before 75AD/135AD would have been still functional hence my Q as to why they were not motivated to reestablish in Judea at the soonest opportunity.
Byzantium did not engage the Muslims fully until after about 690AD (and that continued for 100+ years thru fall of Damascus, then from 3rd Crusade thru the final assault on Constantinople-1453AD) as the Mussies intentionally avoided the contact except in the closer Arabian peninsula/Persian area.
Most Christians dont know how Greek Christian Anatolia became Turkish Islamic Turkey.
Unfortunately many Greeks themselves would rather “do business” with the enemy Islam than confront their own past.
Most Greek Americans don’t have clue.
But I am hopeful that the conditions for change are ripe.
When Byzantium fell in 1453 it was from exhaustion of fighting Islam virtually alone with no help apart from some crusades. Persia had not before fallen to the Islamic Arabs.
But even the crusaders were of little help. The fourth crusade literally kneecapped Byzantium..never the same after that fiasco. Nothing like a Christian fighting another Christian to bring a smile on a Caliph’s face.
Bump for later reading.
Link not good FARS. Sorry
The Jews had little motivation to take back Jerusalem because the Khazars, a barbarian tribe in southern Russia, had just converted to Judaism, so a Jewish state existed already. You might also want to look up information on David Alroy, a 12th-century Khazar who tried leading a Jewish crusade from Iraq to the Holy Land, only to be assassinated when it got started.
Thanks for the ping!
How about this one? This link should work.
http://noiri.blogspot.com/2007/02/proposed-constitutional-amendment.html
Thanks for the heads up
That’s good, thank you FARS.
Thanks FARS.
In the battle of ideas, this is a powerful weapon.
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