“Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa, and he was not of the polytheists” — Qur’an 3:67
While ignorant non-Muslim Westerners burble about the “three great Abrahamic faiths,” in the Islamic tradition the other two “great Abrahamic faiths” have no legitimacy whatsoever: the Biblical prophets were all actually Muslims, and Judaism and Christianity are illegitimate twistings of their original Islamic teachings. Judaism and Christianity are thus completely delegitimized.
This historical appropriation, which is far from the first of its kind, is of a piece with that delegitimization. Not only were Mary (and Jesus) Muslims, but they were “Palestinians.” So now a nationality invented in the 1960s for the purposes of political manipulation is fitted out with some historical heroes. And this is all only fuel for the jihad against those who, in an act of projection astounding in its scope, are then portrayed as the ones actually doing the historical delegitimization and appropriation.
“Fatah proud of womem [sic] fighters, Martyrs, and Virgin Mary,” by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook for Palestinian Media Watch, March 17:
In its official statement in honor of International Women’s Day, the Fatah movement listed a group of “Palestinian” women of whom it is proud: Martyrs, fighters, prisoners and the Virgin Mary.
Turning Virgin Mary and Jesus from Judeans (Jews) into “Palestinians” is a basic part of the Palestinian Authority’s revision of history. The PA leadership has for years been attempting to create a Palestinian-Islamic history in the Land of Israel. This is not an alternative interpretation of modern history; rather, it is an invented history from long before Islam was founded (610 CE) and long before the Romans tried to sever Jewish ties to the Land of Israel/Judea by renaming it “Palestine” in the year 135 CE. Although historically meaningless, turning Jesus and the Virgin Mary into Palestinians is a repeating theme of PA historical revision.
The following is the Fatah Communications and Education Authority statement in honor of International Women’s Day from the official Fatah website:
“If we are proud of the holiness of our land, then we are proud and pride ourselves that the first and most important holy woman among the nations and peoples is from the holy land: The Virgin Mary – the woman of love and peace – is of the nation of Palestine, whose roots are grounded in the depths of history. Our movement takes note of its pride in all the women Shahidas (Martyrs), prisoners, Palestinian fighters, who have become a model of sacrifice and a school that teaches the meaning of giving and of sacrifice.”
http://www.palvoice.com/index.php?id=23043
[Fatah website, March 8, 2010]