A recent United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report on Arab contributions to science has declared Moses ben Maimon (also known as Maimonides or Rambam), generally considered the greatest of medieval Jewish philosophers and theologians (and incidentally, among the most prominent physicians of his day) to have been a Muslim named Moussa ben Maimoun.
For those who are skeptical, or who note that Maimonides, who lived under Muslim rule, was also called by that Arabic name, Elder of Ziyon has tracked down the original document in French. I double-checked his translation with a friend from France and with Google Translate, but then also realized that changing the “_fr” to “_en” in the URL would probably get me to the English version of the file, which it did. The English version contains the following passage:
“From AD 1100–1350 – during the first half of the European Middle Ages (AD 1100–1543) – the names of a few European scientists appear in scientific literature alongside a string of Muslim scientists, whose numbers include Ibn-Rushd, Musa Bin Memoun, Tusi and Ibn-Nafis.”
This is not the first time that UNESCO has changed history to replace Jews with Muslims. They have been prolific in Islamicizing sites long considered to have religious and historical importance to the Jewish people. Last year, Rachel’s Tomb, traditionally considered the burial place of the Jewish matriarch Rachel, was declared by UNESCO to be a Muslim historical site called “Mosque of Bilal Ibn-Rabach,” and the Cave of the Patriarchs, where most of the other Jewish patriarchs and matriarchs and a number of important later figures are said to be buried, to be an Islamic holy site called the “Al-Haram Al-Ibrahami” (“The Mosque of Abraham”).
The West has made no effort to prevent this rewriting of history, in part because these holy sites are located in areas currently controlled by the Palestinians, and neither Obama nor the Europeans have any interest in defending Jewish historical claims to those sites. In Judaism, the greatest curse one can utter is Yemach Shemo (“May his name be blotted out”). The worst thing that can happen to a person or a people is to be not only annihilated but forgotten, not only disempowered, but so thoroughly defeated as to have no legacy, no lasting impact on the world. To be as dust to the ages.
Erasing Jewish history and contributions – whether its holy sites or its heroes – is not only an attempt at delegitimizing the Jewish claim to their historical homeland, but an act of great violence, and one that must not continue.
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Comments
These are the people who read Orwell’s ‘1984’ as an instruction manual, not a warning.
Just wait until you learn about Einstein’s real background.
LukeHandCool (who likens faith in the U.N. to an adult version of riding “It’s a Small World” at Disneyland. All the pretty flags elicit a childish sense of hope … just like all the pretty dancing and singing dolls representing kids from all the world’s countries … except, in the case of the U.N., the doll representing Israel is … Chucky !!!
Bible history scholar (and Jewish lawyer) Gary Greenberg has some different takes on a lot of this, which would substantially discredit Muslim reconstruction of Jewish traditions. http://www.bibleandhistory.com/
Maimonidea who was born in Cordoba, educated in Morocco and died in Egypt was both Jewish and an Arab. He was an Arab in the sense that he lived in Arabic lands, studied in Arabic and indeed wrote his medical works, his treatise on logic and the Guide for the Perplexed in Arabic. “Arab” is not synonymous with “Muslim” and indeed there are Christian and Jewish Arabs. Since Maimonides made his scientific contributions in Arabic, I don’t see any problem with including him in a book on Arabic contributions to science.
The UN is not talking about Arab noteworthies, but Muslim noteworthies. There is a big difference.
This rewriting of history has been made possible by Israel, by the Jews themselves. Had Israel not ceded territory it won by force of arms in defending itself, the tomb of Abraham would not now be in a Muslim area. Israel does nothing while the Muslims destroy archaeological evidence of Jews right there in Israel. Look at the Temple Mount on which the Muslims built their temple to apostasy. They keep right on excavating, and eventually the mosque will fall because the Muslims don’t listen about the excavation and it’s weakening of the walls. After the bloodshed that will follow the collapse of the Islamic toilet on Temple Mount, I would bet and win good money at the Jews will help the Muslims to rebuild their Al Aqsa toilet.
Even though I have a great deal of love for my elder brother Israel, I put the blame in his lap. When he ceases and desists from apologizing for his existence in the land which the God of his forefathers has given to him, when he discovers the courage to claim all of the land that is his, no matter whist the rest of the world says, then the Muslims will cease and desist from stealing his history.
In the meantime, to the Muslims, carry on. The Jews have a death wish, and I know you are glad to help. Perchance your genocidal efforts (actual and figurative) will help them to awake from their drowsy-natured selves. If they don’t, well, YHWH Elohim promised that he brought them back to the land, and if they don’t heed Him, He will scatter them again. I say this with trepidation because we Christians are also Jews.
While the geniuses at the UN are at it, they can “Islamisize” these greats: My favorite Hittite king, Pithana. Or another favorite, Horus Hetepsekhemwy. And then there is good old Marcus Aemilius Aemilianus Augustus. Oh yeah, what about Abimelech? He was king for a time. And finally, Throckmorton the Great, son of JimBob the Lesser.
[…] and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) should know by now. In a recent report, according to http://www.LegalInsurection.com’s Matthew Knee, the renowned medieval Jewish philosopher, Maimonides, is now, presto! a Muslim. Knee writes: A […]
[…] world. Legal Insurrection’s Mathew Knee writes about UNESCO editing Jews out of history, again: A recent United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report on Arab […]