Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1937-04-22
Mosque of Omar
Is Inspiring Place
Continued from Page ~

Continued from rage ~
through the city of Jerusalem and
Immediately set out to convince him
that was interested in Unitarianism.
I confess to you that I know very
little about Unitarianism but l am
certain that the Arab Dragaman or
guide knew less than I did. BY con-
stantly trying to argue that Unfair
ianism is the only practical religion,
it had a tendency to create a smoke
screen and he did not in the least
suspect that I was one of Gods
chosen people,"
experienced no difficulties in the
entrance of the Mosque of Omar to
convince them that was a non-Jew
and that I had been recommended
to him by a very influential resident
of the new city of Jerusalem.
Enter With Covered Shoes.
Upon my payment of twenty
piasters which is equivalent to dol
lar, was allowed to enter. How
ever, before entering the main en-
trance another fee of 1Oc or two
piasters had to be paid, the fee was
for the use of two small canvas bags
that covered my shoes. The bags
had draw strings in them and my
shoes were completely covered. Ac-
cording to Moslem religion no one
is allowed to enter the place of wor-
ship or Mosque with their shoes on
and they do have a good reason for
this belief. First of all there are no
pews in Mosque and secondly the
floors are covered with the most
gorgeous handmade oriental rugs
obtainable and if they permitted the
wearing of shoes these rugs would
soon wear out. The rugs represent
vast fortunes and are the best speci-
mems of handmade oriental rugs in
the world.
Mosque of Omar and Wall.
An English tourist who had only
recently arrived from his native land,
wrote home to his family deScrip-
ton of the scenes and life within the
old city or the city with the wall
surrounding it. An abstract taken
from his description will serve as
the opening of my talk to you, l
quote: "a narrow street, with funny
little shops on each side and some
times arches across the street with
houses built on them-SometimeS
gardens up in the air and goats feed
ing on the tops of houses. There
are all sorts of people on the streets,
blacks, browns, whites, yellow and
chocolate colors. There are be-
douins out of the desert with their
jackasses, Arabs of the towns in the
tare bushes, Greek popes in their fun
ny high hats, policemen in hats that
look like fezzes, white FriarS in sun
helmets and white clothes and black
friars in black clothes without boots or
hats, Galician Jews in their long pur-
pie and scarlet velvet robes, fur caps
and side curls, Jewish boys in funny
felt hats and side curls and Yeminite
Jews who look like Arabs but have
side curls and there are many other
queer people. There are camels,
donkeys, lots of horses, mules, goats
and sheep, both black and white"
History of the Mosque.
The Mosque of Omar, marking the
site where Masons, Christians, Jews
and Moslems is indeed respected as
an extremely holy place. 1t marks
the site where countless battles
have been fought and where human
blood has flowed like small streams.
1t marks the site where Masonic
philosophy was born; where Masonic
intact. 1t marks the site of the
holy of hottest place of the Hebrews
It marks the site where Mosaic laws
were practiced and interpreted to
the advantage and for the benefit
of mankind. 1t marks the site
where the Torah, the Mosaic law or
the law of the Jews, was constantly
referred to and adhered to its full
lest extent 1t marks the site where
the present day Hebrew prays that
the temple be restored as of old
The Mosque area, the great open
platform is part natural and part
artificial and on this stands the two
great ulOSQueS OIL FdleStlne ana LIlere
are several smaller ones. The sec
ond hottest site of the Moslems in
clude the site of the Temple of
the Jews" known to the world as
the exact site of King Solomon's
Temple. This is disputed by no one
and represents the most authentic
historical site in entire Jerusalem
and Palestine. The only question
arises as to the exact part of the
platform on which the temple was
originally erected. Here the temples
of King Solomon and Herod stood
and it was here that the last three
were destroyed. The last destruction
by Titus soldiers in the year 70 A.
D. Christian tradition has it that this
was a fulfllment of Christ's words,
quote, Behold your house is left
unto you desolate" and "there shall
not remain one stone upon another"
On the site of King Solomon's tenn
pie Hadrian erected his temple of
PaqinizOu &c fhav ho1iovod or nm,