Arafat with his "Christian infidel"
Why? Because he married a "Christian infidel." From Israel Insider, with thanks to Jerry Gordon:
Sources close to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat confirmed that he has asked his supporters to check the possibility of burying him adjacent to the Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. A Muslim group with strong influence on the Muslim Waqf (religious trust with responsibility for Muslim holy sites) fiercely opposes the move. MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) proposed a Knesset bill that would ban all burial on the site.Leaflets distributed in Jerusalem yesterday by the Muslim Liberation Party, a tiny Muslim faction with a strong presence on the Temple Mount, called for thwarting Arafat's plan, the Jerusalem Post reported.
"We warn this wicked infidel, who married a Christian infidel, against contemplating desecrating the holy Aqsa Mosque," the leaflets said.
Why should the Egyptian Arafat (born and raised in Cairo, Arafat has never lost his distinctively Egyptian accent) want to be buried on Temple Mount, so far from the hundreds of millions of dollars in real estate that he owns in Egypt, especially in Heliopolis? A permanent and posthumous view of the Nile was good enough for the pharoahs; it ought to be good enough for him.
Hugh, or Robert,
can you recommend a good web site dealing with the history behind the 'palestinian question'.
UK news is very wooly over the history of the conflict.
I am fairly certain that shariah allows for a Muslim man to be married to a non-Muslim woman, as long as the children are to be raised Muslim. (Muslim women may not marry non-Muslims.) Which is to say, it might be frowned upon, but it's not "infidelity".
Outside of politics, I can't see why they would opposise the burial.
Troy
The best website dealing with information on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is by far
http://www.palestinefacts.com
but you have to actually look up specific information
Troy: Yes, a muslim man can marry a non-muslim woman, but only one from the dhimmi/People of the Book, which means Jews or Christians. He can not marry non-monotheists, like Hindus or buddhists. And yes, the idea is that the man is "stronger" and the children will be raised as muslims, regardless of the mother.
http://www.faithfreedom.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6844
You see folks, the PLO is really just a front, to take our attention away from Hamas. As for Arafat, he is now seen as weak leader.
As for his wife; although given "permission" to marry woman from the people of "The Book," a "true" Muslim should not want one. As for Mrs. Arafat, she lives in Paris, is not veiled, is not supervised by a male relative, lives by on her own,etc. Thus, she is not a role model for a "good woman." I wouldn't be surprised if they don't call her a whore behind her husband's back. A man that consorts with this "type of woman," whether in marriage, or not can not be buried in such a holy site.
Hamas is conducting violent Jihad while PLO is dancing and prancing and distracting us. Talking with them is a waste of hot air.
peter, try the archieves at:
http://www.cdn-friends-icej.ca/
Plenty of facts on the palestinian question.