Praying For Peace

Most of the discussion that happens on the Israel-Palestine conflict these days confines itself to the controversial (in fact cunning) Belfour Declaration and the events that happened as a result , especially after 1948 , a time when Britain and America were acting like the owners of this planet !

By the way , they still are behaving like that only , putting their feet and fingers anywhere and everywhere !!!

But the earliest accounts after Hazrat Moosa led his followers to safety and the army of Pharaoh was drowned in the Red Sea is absent from the popular discourse 

Daadi Ammi hamaari bachpan meiN Hazrat Moosa (Prophet Moses) aur unn ke bhai Hazrat Haroon (Prophet Aaron) ke struggles ki kahaani sunaya karti thiiN , and I would always be overwhelmed with awe and respect in honour of Prophet Moses ... the food that they used to get from Heaven (The Manna-Salva) ... his magical staff and the miracles associated with it ... his closeness to God so much so that he is referred to as “Moosa Kaliimullah” because he used to converse with God ... And of course ! God’s “Promised Land” to Bani Israel !!!

My ... My ... What a divinely gifted Prophet Hazrat Moosa was !!!

That was childhood, so pure and innocent, that's a time you are learning what is good about the faith / religion you are born into 

But as one grows up, some blessed ones are destined to realise that in politics religion is twisted and then politicised , hand-picking some sentences and words from religious texts to craft a narrative to suit the political agenda that is being worked on continuously to divide people for materialistic , monetary or territorial gains 

Let us never forget that every religious text , even the Qur'an which Muslims believe has not changed from the time it was revealed to Prophet Muhammed , is open to various interpretations , and have been interpreted differently at different times to please political powers and patriarchal forces 

And hence the understanding that the Message contained in these divine books have not changed is the biggest illusion 

Coming back to Prophet Moses ...

After the Ten Plagues , Prophet Moses led the Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea , after which they based themselves at Mount Sinai , where Prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments.

The “Promised Land” that is so much being talked about these days was , as per one information available on Wikipedia , promised to Prophet Abraham even before his sons were born 

But according to subsequent confirmation , God had promised Abraham that there would be a "Promised Land" for the nations to come out of his son , Isaac

So be it , let us believe in the subsequent confirmation

The land of Canaan that the Twelve Spies were to explore was the same Promised Land. 

The Twelve Spies , as recorded in the Book of Numbers , were a group of Israelite chieftains , one from each of the Twelve Tribes , who were dispatched by Moses to scout out the Land of Canaan for 40 days as a future home for the Israelite people , during the time when the Israelites were in the wilderness following their Exodus from Ancient Egypt.

Moses asked for an assessment of the geographic features of the land , the strength and numbers of the population , the agricultural potential and actual performance of the land , civic organization (whether their cities were like camps or strongholds) , and forestry conditions. 

He also asked them to be positive in their outlook and to return with samples of local produce.

Ten of the twelve chieftains came back with negative reports about the land , thus slandering what they believed God had promised them. They did not believe that God could help them , and the people as a whole were persuaded that it was not possible to take the land. 

As a result , the entire nation was made to wander in the desert for 40 years , until almost the entire generation of men had died. 

After 40 years of wandering in the desert , Moses died on Mount Nebo at the age of 120 , within sight of the Promised Land.

Joshua and Caleb were the two chieftains who had brought back a good report and believed that God would help them succeed. 

They were the only men from their generation permitted to go into the "Promised Land" after the time of wandering. 

(Source of info: Wikipedia)

(Waise The Twelve Spies vaguely remind me of the people mentioned in Sureh Kahef in The Holy Qur'an , have been curious forever to know more about them) 

Anyway ... So wasn't the search for "The Promised Land" complete after Joshua and Caleb entered the land of Canaan ?

Their future generations must have lived on that land and made it their home 

So now which other "Promised Land" is being talked about ? Were the present day Americans also on a mission to find some "Promised Land" when they drove away the natives from the land they occupy ???

Quite clearly this occupation under the pretext of "Promised Land" initiated by the British through "Belfour Declaration" is a play of power and politics in the most inhuman manner that is so typical of the colonists 

There is most certainly no love for God or religion involved 

Ilan Pappe , the British Israeli historian has rightly said ...

"Most Zionists don't believe that God exists , but they do believe that He promised them Palestine" !!!

But we do see what people who love God and respect their religion do 

As Christmas draws nearer , a church in Bethlehem , the biblical birthplace of Jesus , is receiving attention for its decision to redesign its Christmas nativity scene to reflect the impact of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Just weeks before Christmas , the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem , located in the West Bank , unveiled a new display of the nativity scene that shows baby Jesus lying in a manger amid rubble. 

The imagery symbolizes the destroyed Palestinian communities in Gaza and the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas , a church official said.

"Church families met last week and built it together. It was a moving experience for our families. During the service on Sunday, some people were in tears," Reverend Doctor Munther Isaac, the church's pastor, told The New Arab. 

"We are pleased our message has reached the world. This is what Christmas looks like in Palestine this year, the origin of Christmas."

(Report by Richard Lawrence , published Dec 8 , Fox News)

Peace and Sanmati

Throughout its long history , the holy city of Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twice , besieged 23 times , captured and recaptured 44 times , and attacked 52 times. 

It is one of the oldest cities in the world , and is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions ... Judaism , Christianity and Islam. 

Jerusalem is holy to Muslims for a number of reasons  

Islamic tradition holds that Prophet Muhammad led prayers towards Jerusalem and hence it was the first Qibla , until the 16th or 17th month after his migration from Mecca to Medina 

Another part of Jerusalem's significance and holiness to Muslims derives from its strong association with Abraham , David , Solomon and Jesus. 

They are all regarded as Prophets of Islam and their stories are mentioned in the Qur'an

In Islamic tradition , Prophet Muhammad made his Night Journey(The Meraaj) there in 621 , ascending to heaven where he speaks to God , according to the Quran.

As a result, despite having an area of only 0.9 km2 (3⁄8 sq mi) , the Old City is home to many sites of seminal religious importance , among them the Temple Mount with its Western Wall , Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque , and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

During the Canaanite period (14th century BCE) , Jerusalem was named as Urusalim on ancient Egyptian tablets , probably meaning "City of Shalem" after The Canaanite God of dusk.

During the Israelite period , significant construction activity in Jerusalem began in the 10th century BCE (Iron Age II) , and by the 9th century BCE , the city had developed into the religious and administrative centre of the Kingdom of Judah.

In 1538 , the city walls were rebuilt for a last time around Jerusalem under Suleiman the Magnificent , of the Ottoman Empire. 

Today those walls define the Old City , which since the 19th century has been divided into four quarters :

Armenian

Christian

Jewish

Muslim 

The Old City became a World Heritage Site in 1981 , and is on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Today, the status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

All branches of the Israeli government are located in Jerusalem , including the Knesset (Israel's parliament) , the residences of the Prime Minister and President , and the Supreme Court. 

The international community rejects the annexation as illegal and regards East Jerusalem as Palestinian territory occupied by Israel.

(Source of all above info Google / Wikipedia)

As we are beginning the eight day Festival of Lights , Hanukkah , from this evening to 15th Dec , let's pray earnestly for peace and enlightenment 

May God help the oppressed and the underprivileged like He helped His people back then when The Maccabees successfully revolted against Antiochus IV Epiphanes. 

According to the Talmud , the Temple was purified and the wicks of the menorah miraculously burned for eight days , even though there was only enough sacred oil for one day's lighting

(Talmud (/ˈtɑːlmʊd, -məd, ˈtæl-/; Hebrew: תַּלְמוּד‎, romanized: Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (halakha) and Jewish theology.)

Sab ko sanmati deiN Bhagwaan

On the eve of Hanukkah , here's praying for everyone's Happiness , Health , Peace and Prosperity Amen🙏💖💐💐💐

Wishing everyone a blessed Hanukkah

Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving

Eating Thanksgiving leftovers for a fusion brunch , this morning while watching some deliciously enlightening and informative history of what could have been the first Thanksgiving meal , I stumble upon one of countless instances that go unnoticed as we take for granted the quiet cycles of Nature that determine among other things various food chains and the behavioural patterns of the many diverse living beings who co exist with us ...

Served at the first Thanksgiving were corn , beans , and squash. These three vegetables were brought to the table by Native Americans , and they were the three crops that Native Americans taught pilgrims to grow in their new terrain.

Three sisters , as these are called  Corn , Beans and Squash can grow in one field and they actually support the survival of one another 

Maize (Corn) the tallest , supports the Bean creepers that in turn support the Maize to stand firm in winds as it entwines itself to the stalks of Maize plants

And the Squash spreads itself on the soil controlling the growth of weeds , and also capturing sunlight and preserving moisture in the soil.

Agronomist Jane Mount Pleasant writes that the Three Sisters mound system "enhances the soil physical and biochemical environment , minimizes soil erosion , improves soil tilth , manages plant population and spacing , provides for plant nutrients in appropriate quantities and at the time needed , and controls weeds".

These life-supporting plants were supposedly given to the people when all three miraculously sprouted from the body of Sky Woman's daughter, granting the gift of agriculture to the Iroquois nations.

To the Iroquois people , The Three Sisters ... Corn , Beans and Squash ... are the physical and spiritual sustainers of life. 

In the mythology of the Iroquois and Huron of North America , the Woman Who Fell from the Sky is an ancient ancestor. 

Also known as Sky Woman or Ataensic , she plays a central role in the creation of the earth and all living things. 

She is also a figure of fertility who provides the first corn to people.

Isn't it interesting to see how science and mythology team up to add charm , spice and meaning to human existence ...

ay we learn to enjoy our histories , not take the ancient bows and arrows too seriously , live in peace , mutual respect and love , and may God bless us , our loved ones , our ancestors and our future generations 💖🎊🎉💐💐💐