Page 5 - CUFI Update - Autumn 2016

CUFI UK’S PETITION TO UNESCO
In October CUFI UK launched a petition on change.org calling upon UNESCO to recognise the Judeo-Christian roots of Jerusalem’s holy sites.
We did this in response to a UNESCO resolution that e ectively denied the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount and Western Wall. This move not only impacts both Jews and Christians, but has empowered Palestinian leaders in their incitement towards Israel.
To find out more about this campaign and others, please visit www.cufi.org.uk/action
We call upon UNESCO
to recognise the Judeo-Christian roots of Jerusalem’s Holy Sites
On 13th October 2016, UNESCO members passed a resolution that focused on some of the Holy Sites of Jerusalem.
As a result, UNESCO will only refer to the Temple Mount complex by Islamic names (Al-Aqsa Mosque and Haram al-Sharif) and no longer use other names in Hebrew and English (Har HaBayit or Temple Mount).
The resolution e ectively divorces the history of the Jewish people from their most holy sites. The Temple Mount has been a holy place to the Jewish people for more than 3,000 years and to deny this fact is an insult to both Jews and Christians.
Whenever ISIS (Daesh) destroys an historic site
in an attempt to eradicate its history, the world rightfully condemns. Why therefore has UNESCO, a body created to protect cultural heritage, allowed an action to take place that denies the heritage of Judaism and Christianity?
The vote goes against UNESCO’s mission statement of “bringing peace to the minds of men and women”.
Instead of documenting history, this vote attempts to erase the facts of history.
Instead of promoting cultural and religious understanding, this vote divides cultures and restricts religious freedoms.
Instead of bringing about peace in the region, this vote does nothing towards furthering peace and only brings greater division.
Historical fact cannot be erased by a vote. And no religion’s history should be denied because of political or religious motivations.
We, the undersigned, demand that you reinstate the Hebrew and English names for the Temple Mount and Western Wall and recognise once again the significant history of Judaism and Christianity to their most holy sites.
The Judeo-Christian roots of the Temple Mount will NOT be erased by a vote at UNESCO.