Arab Muslim “Ownership” of History
The Palestinian Director of Cultural Heritage pitched an interesting and insightful little fit yesterday at the Israelis’ announcement that they believe they have discovered the tomb of King Herod.
He says “The explanations accompanying the discovery, and the announcement of the discovery in that impressive way, imply ideological motives, which lack scientific credibility.”
The director warned of political motivations for the claim, saying “it is part of an Israeli settlement campaign in Bethlehem, which includes claiming the archaeological sites and material within them.”
He said “these archaeological areas are an inseparable part of the Palestinian cultural heritage, which can not be divided or transferred. Whether it is Herod or otherwise, it is part of the Palestinian history and culture.”
The insightful part is this: one thing every observer of events in the Middle East must bear in mind is there is a feeling among many Muslim scholars, particularly Arab and Persian scholars, that they own their history in a way that does not allow for non-Muslim scholars to arrive at valid conclusions about the motives or implications of their history. Indeed, not only can an infidel not understand the history of the Muslim, he shouldn’t even be allowed to try an interpret it. And they say we’re cultural snobs….
Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson’s Website, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, The Random Yak, Stuck On Stupid, Cao’s Blog, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, Conservative Cat, The Magical Rose Garden, third world county, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, stikNstein… has no mercy, Blue Star Chronicles, The Pink Flamingo, Planck’s Constant, and Wake Up America, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
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Bio: I am currently a Professor of Security Studies, hold a BS in Management and an MA in National Security Studies, and am pursuing an MA in Systematic and Philosophical Theology. I've written for Navy Times, Proceedings, Armed Forces Journal and a number of blogs. As a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserve, I attained the rank of Commander, deployed five times for four different conflicts and served as a Foreign Area Officer and a Surface Warfare Officer. During my 7 years in the private sector, I worked in the fields of information technology and publishing, and even ran for public office once.
