Jerusalem Revisited

In September of 2000, I ventured far from home and anything or anyone familiar and went to Jerusalem, Israel to live for 4 months to attend Jerusalem University College. It was one of my favorite times in my life. No words can capture just how amazing it was. During my stay there I wrote many emails home and even had an update newsletter I called "The Adventures". I just recently came across these emails in a very large notebook and thought I would start posting them on my site.
I loved my time there, I love reading over these and thought you guys would get some enjoyment out of them too.

I may add some notes to the emails to bring more clarity, I will put them in parentheses, ( )

9/3/00 - "The Beginning: Email # 1"

Dearest Friends,

I have been in this timeless land for three days now! And it is absolutely awesome. I have decided to write a weekly update to all my friends and let you read about my adventures. I will write more personal emails to you too, just as long as you send me emails! : )
I flew from Atlanta on Tuesday and had an hour layover in London and arrived in Tel Aviv about 14 hours after I left Atlanta. I had to get a sherut taxi to Jerusalem. (A mini-van that holds 6-8 people)
I was on board with 6 orthodox Jews all around my age and under. The guy next to me was from Atlanta and the rest seemed to be from Boston and Manhatten. They come over to Israel to study for the year. At one point in the drive I thought I was in a Seinfield episode due to the absurdity of the line I heard: the guy next to me was talking to the kid in the front in this jibberish I hardly believed was another language and then all of a sudden in perfect English he says to the other guy, "Your Yiddish is impeccable, where did you learn it?" The other kid answered, "Manhatten", and they promptly continued to the conversation in Yiddish. It just struck me as very funny. First that line, "Your Yiddish is impeccable", second that they would stop and speak impeccable English to make the comments and third; that I always joked about knowing Yiddish because to me it is some obscure sounding foreign language I thought I would never hear.

About an hour later, after being completely ignored for being the only gentile in the van, I got dropped off about a mile away from my campus because my driver didnt want to take me all the way over to the school due to traffic. So I lugged my gear along a street running parralell to the Old City wall. I finally figured out where I was and how to get to the school but as soon as I plopped myself down on a chair in the lounge all these students where taking off for the Old City and I was told that all the undergrad men and about half the undergrad women were living just inside the Old City walls at the New Imperial Hotel across from the Citadel of David. The school had rented out the hotel for the semester. So I am actually living within the Old City of Jerusalem in the Christian Quarter right next to Jaffa Gate. (Jaffa Gate is the Red Spot on the left)

But there are no Protestant Christians, they are all Orthodox Arab Christians or Muslims. I visited the Temple Mount and the Western Wailing Wall and the Dome of the Rock was in the background. Ultra-Orthodox Jews were crowded near the wall bobbing their heads up and down while they prayed.


The next day I went to Tel Aviv with four guys from the school. We took a bus that only cost 18 shekels, $4.50. We basically walked around all day, went to a four story mall and swam in the Mediterranean Sea. The Tel Aviv beaches are full of people and the water is like hot bath water, so it wasnt refreshing from the hot sun.
On Friday, registration started and because I live in the Old City I have to walk out of Jaffa Gate and walk down a hill and then up Mount Zion to JUC, (The College) its about a 10-15 minute walk. I have already done more walking than I had the whole rest of this year. Friday we went on the New City walking tour and walked down Ben Yehuda Street, it is the place to hang out on the weekends. That night, I walked deep into the Old City by myself. I felt like I entered back in time by a thousand years. The "streets" are more like covered sidewalks and the streets are narrow, crooked and maze like and laid with worn out stones. I made a couple right turns and ended up in fron is the Church of the Holy Selupchre. The Church that was built over the site where Jesus was crucified and buried. {Archeologists are 95% sure this is the site}

There are seven different churches that share the church and not one is protestant. The Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic and Ethiopian churches all lay claims on the church and all operate separate services and have their own chapels either in or on the church. Throughout history there has been disputes over certain issues concerning the church, such as who gets to restore the church, thus it is really dilapidated Another arguing point is who gets to open the church each morning. Thus they have allowed the same Muslim family unlock the doors for the last 300 years. I saw the Greeks perform and a service with liturgy, chants and swinging incense burners. I was there late at night so I avoided the crowds and was able to go into the tomb of Jesus all by myself and I knelt and prayed there for about 5 minutes. The tomb is a chapel built over the site inside the church. It was beyond description to be there, I will be going to this church a lot while I am here.


Well, I hate to say goodbye but I am in an internet cafe that closes in four minutes, more details are coming soon. My classes start tomorrow. They are as follows: Physical Settings of the Bible, (Where we learn about the Bible on Biblical sites!), History of Egypt and its relation to Canaan, Palestinian Politics and Culture, Archeology of Palestine, Rabbinical Thought and Literature, and Modern Middle East. I will definately write again soon.

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Those were the words from my first mass email to my friends and family. I think I will update my story once or twice a week.

The Da Vinci Code Discussed.

Tomorrow the Da Vinci Code is coming to theaters. Despite sub-par reviews from the Cannes festival and the USA today (2 out 4 stars) millions will flock world-wide to see this movie. Millions in America have kept this book at the top of the best seller list for over 3 years. TV Networks are publicizing the movie whereas some Christians are up in arms. What's all the buzz, excitement and fuss about?

I do believe as a Christian we have an obligation to be in tune with the trends of our culture to better engage and interact with culture to fulfill the great commission to spread the Gospel. (Acts 17:16-34) A simple out of sight, out of mind attitude is not what God calls us to.

If you haven't read the book and you want to be an an informed Christian on a topic that permeates our society today then please read the below article I have linked from By Faith Magazine. I have read several Christian articles discussing the Da Vinci Code and I believe this is the best one. Warning: It does discuss the book/movie and the claims and conclusions it makes.

Da Vinci Code Article.

Navy Corpsman’s Good Works Live On

A very touching story from Afghanistan. A story you won't hear from the media.

JALALABAD, Afghanistan, April 4, 2006 — When U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class John Fralish was killed Feb. 6 during a firefight with insurgents in Laghman Province, in eastern Afghanistan, it was by no means the end of his remarkable story – or his legacy.

"That whole village mourned John’s death along with us. All those who served with John are deeply affected by his loss. To see Afghan villagers also affected is a true testament to the character and type of person John was."


Continue Story Here.

Gadhafi: Islam taking over Europe

Islam will take over Europe without violent force within a few decades, said Libyan Leader Moammar Gadhafi in a speech aired on the Arab satellite network Al Jazeera.

"We have 50 million Muslims in Europe," Gadhafi said. "There are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe – without swords, without guns, without conquests. The 50 million Muslims of Europe will turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades."

Continue Story Here.

Life in Saudia Arabia

I have run across this interesting blog. A Pakistani by birth, who was schooled in Saudi Arabia and now lives in Canada.
He apparently grew up Muslim. In the link below he reveals what life was like as a student in Saudi Arabia.

An Inside look at what its like to be a school student in Saudi Arabia

More Questions about Islam: Patrick Sookdheo Speaks.

The Following is an excerpt taken from Reality Magazine's online archive.

The below site will open a new page to the whole article.

Sookhdeo's Interveiw



Patrick, you talk of a major change in the way the Western world has come to perceive Islam since the events of September 11th. What has changed?

In order for an anti-terrorist coalition to be mounted, and also to cope with the fears that are now present within Western societies, Western government, together with the church and the media, have now agreed a policy of redeeming Islam - that is: to argue that Islam is essentially peaceful and tolerant.

And you would say that is not the case?

I would argue that all religions have a dark side to them. Christianity has had a sordid past. We have had to come to terms with that past. In the past we have killed people in the name of religion - we now recognise that that is wrong: that our New Testament enjoins upon us the need for compassion and love and that there can be no violence in religion.

Islam has one part of it dealing with violence, just as Christianity and other religions have. The dilemma is that they refuse to accept that in the past and currently Islam has done horrific things, and that what has been done in the name of Islam was not just an aberration, but rather, central to the religion itself. Therefore, when Western leaders, together with the media and the church, have said that Islam is essentially tolerance and peace, that is only one side of the truth.

Is there no part of the Qur'an which modifies these violent texts in the way that we would say our New Testament modifies the Old Testament?

In fact the reverse is true. Suppose in our Bible the New Testament came first and the Old Testament came later, that would be the position in the Qur'an. All the peaceful passages that are enjoined on Muslims occur in the chapters written at Mecca. They are tolerant toward Jews and Christians. But when Muhammad gets to Medina and sets up his city/religious state, the tone towards other groups changes rapidly. The statements about slaying the pagans and killing the Jews and others occur there.

Now in Islamic interpretation, all passages that are revealed later take precedence over those revealed earlier. This is known as the 'law of abrogation'. It means therefore that those passages that enjoin violence are actually the ones which are now acceptable.

What caused this change?

One needs to realise that at Mecca Muhammad is a despised prophet, he needs the help of all communities. But when he gets to Medina, he is now in the position of being a ruler, a legislator, a general. He has to further the Islamic community. For those who did not accept the new community - such as the Jews and Christians - it became highly dangerous, to the point of death.

George W Bush and Tony Blair have declared war on the terrorists. In what way is Islam linked to the terrorist attacks?

I think both Mr Bush and Mr Blair have made a major mistake - perhaps it's not a mistake, maybe it is more the need for a PR exercise - and that is to separate out Bin Laden from the rest of Islam. The argument runs that Bin Laden and those who committed the awful crimes at the World Trade Centre are not authentic Muslims. Rather they are extremists.

Initially they were defined as Islamic extremists, but as time has gone by, Bush and Blair and others are arguing that they are not even Islamic, because Islam does not countenance the murder of innocent women and children (which is not true by the way). But having separated out the radicals as being Islamic extremists, they have now removed the term 'Islamic', so Bin Laden and his crew are now seen to be extremists outside of the Islamic pale.

That is highly questionable. I would argue that the nature of violence exists within Islam. Bin Laden and his people come out of an Islamic tradition - they see themselves as authentically Muslim - where Jihad is a cardinal principle to fight the unbelievers. Furthermore, they have had tremendous backing from Muslim governments and Muslims worldwide - in particular the Saudis - and the Wahhabi tradition dominates in the minds of both Bin Laden and the Taliban. Furthermore I would argue that many in the Muslim world - perhaps the majority - regard Bin Laden as their hero, and certainly they do not regard him as a non-Muslim.

So I think the West has made a strategic mistake in the way it has sought to redefine Islam. Furthermore the West may say "we are not at war with Islam", but the Muslim world regard themselves as at war with the West, and see the West as being at war with them.

Why does the Muslim world see itself as being at war with the West?

They see a history of violence: their interpretation of the crusades (which I do not accept); their interpretation of colonialism - which again, comes from their own perspective; their understanding of globalisation - which they see as neo-colonialism; what they see as the West's support for Israel against their own people the Palestinians.

They see Western interests supporting what they say are autocratic Islamic dictators; there is the issue of India and Kashmir; there is a multiplicity of issues. But they see themselves at the receiving end of Western interests - and that the West has declared war on them in terms of ideas, in terms of the penetration and the secularisation of their culture, as well as the support of dictators who suppress Islamic people.

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