Haram was site of god Mars

“In biblical times the Haram was not a sacred place. Instead it was the place that Orthodox Jews considered defiled and the most despised place in the world. Within these walls were found no remnants of any of the earlier temples but rather an image of Mars, the Roman god of war”. George Wesley Buchanan In August, 2011, professor George Wesley Buchanan wrote this extraordinary piece, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Pages 16, 64: Misunderstandings About Jerusalem's Temple Mount Misunderstandings About Jerusalem’s Temple Mount While it has not been widely published, it assuredly has been known for more than 40 years that the 45-acre, well-fortified place that has been mistakenly called the “Temple Mount” was really the Roman fortress—the Antonia—that Herod built. The Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque are contained within these walls. The area is called the Haram Al-Sharif in Arabic. The discovery that this area had once been the great Roman fortress came as a shock to the scholarly community, which had believed for many years that this ancient fortress was the place where the temple had been. This news was preceded by another shock, when the English archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon discovered in 1962 that the entire City of David in the past had been only that little rock ridge on the western bank of the Kidron Valley. Less than 10 years later the historian Benjamin Mazar learned that the Haram had undoubtedly been the Roman fortress. In biblical times the Haram was not a sacred place. Instead it was the place that Orthodox Jews considered defiled and the most despised place in the world. Within these walls were found no remnants of any of the earlier temples but rather an image of Mars, the Roman god of war. The 1st century Jewish Roman historian Titus Flavius Josephus said the Romans always kept a whole legion of soldiers (5,000-6,000) there, and that there were stones in its walls that were 30 feet long, 15 feet thick, and 71/2 feet high. While excavating the area, Mazar found these very stones there in the Haram—not in the temple. He and the local Muslims also discovered there three inscriptions, honoring the Roman leaders in the war of A.D. 66-72—Vespasian, Titus, and Silva—and Hadrian in the war of A.D. 132-135 [sic], for their success in defeating the Jews in the wars. Mackey’s comment: But see my proposed identifications and time location of Hadrian: Time to consider Hadrian, that ‘mirror-image’ of Antiochus Epiphanes, as also the census emperor Augustus (3) Time to consider Hadrian, that 'mirror-image' of Antiochus Epiphanes, as also the census emperor Augustus George Wesley Buchanan continues: Appropriate inscriptions for a Roman fortress, but impossible for a temple that had been destroyed in A.D. 70—65 years before the inscriptions had been made. Mazar shared these insights freely with other participants in the excavation, such as … Ernest Martin. Mazar also knew at once that the temple instead was stationed 600 feet farther south and 200 feet lower in altitude, on Mount Ophel, where the Spring of Siloam poured tons of water under the threshold of the temple every minute (Ezek 47:1), after which the water was distributed wherever it was needed. This marvelous little City of David was unique in having running water 3,000 years ago. Aristeas, Tacitus and 1 Enoch tell of the inexhaustible spring water system that was indescribably well developed, gushing tons of water into the temple area for sacrifices. Hezekiah's tunnel directed water under Mount Ophel to the Pool of Siloam. Herod’s fortress, on the other hand, was unequipped for sacrifices, because it had only 37 cisterns to provide water in the Haram. After two violent wars with Rome, the City of David was so completely destroyed that it could not be recognized as a city. … people forgot what a marvelous little city this had once been. They simply guessed where strategic locations in the City of David must have been in the Upper City. Of course, this was a normal mistake. Now, 50 years after Kenyon's discovery, scholars like Leen Ritmeyer, Eilat Mazar and Hershel Shanks have recently written books as if no one knew that the Haram was the Roman Fortress and that Solomon's, Zechariah's … temples all were located near the Spring of Siloam. Tourists are still mistakenly told that the Haram is the Temple Mount, that David’s citadel is near the Jaffa Gate, and that Mount Zion and the place where the Last Supper was held are all in the Upper City. Israel’s antiquities authority has been digging a tunnel from under homes in the Arab East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan to the Western Wall Plaza. According to a recent “60 Minutes” interview, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat wants to create King’s Garden, a Bible-themed tourist park “adjacent to the City of David,” which requires demolishing 22 Arab homes in Silwan. The purpose of archeology is to provide archeological insights, of course, but excavations between the City of David and the old Roman fortress (the Haram) also have an anti-Arab political agenda. It is not likely that a fourth [sic?] temple will ever be constructed, either in the City of David or in the Haram. Israel already has diverted the water formerly used for sacrifices away from the former temple area and is making the City of David into a park. Orthodox Jews would oppose having a temple in Herod’s hated fortress. Jews had no interest in the Haram until after the Crusades, when they misunderstood that it was the Temple Mount. If the temple were ever built, it would have to be placed somewhere in the Upper City or a suburb of Jerusalem—not in its former site or in the old Roman Fortress. Because innocent Evangelical Christians in America, under the guidance of Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and John Hagee, have not been informed of these facts, they have thought there was some biblical or religious reason why it was necessary to destroy Islam’s third most sacred building in the world, together with the al-Aqsa mosque. It is my hope that, once Christians learn of this mistake, they will stop following Mars and Phineas (Num 25; Ps 106:30-31) and work as zealously for peace, following the teachings of Abraham, the 8th century prophets (Mica 6:8), Jesus, and Paul, as they once worked to promote war in the Middle East. This would make a tremendous difference to Jerusalem—and to the world. ________________________________________ George Wesley Buchanan has been a United Methodist minister since 1944 and a professor at a theological seminary since 1960, emeritus since he retired in 1991.

Communist China still, after 36 years, trying to erase Tiananmen Square massacre

“The preemptive crackdown on Tiananmen Massacre commemorations is a stark reminder of China's ongoing repression of dissent and its continued violations of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly”. Human Rights Watch We read at: China Urged to Address Tiananmen 36 Years Later | Mirage News China Urged to Address Tiananmen 36 Years Later 03 Jun 2025 5:42 pm AEST Human Rights Watch Thirty-six years after the killing of countless peaceful pro-democracy protesters in Beijing, the Chinese government still seeks to erase the memory of the June 1989 Tiananmen Massacre, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should cease censorship of the crackdown, allow commemorations, provide compensation to the victims' families, and hold accountable officials responsible for abuses. As in previous years, as the June 4 anniversary approaches, authorities across China are making a preemptive crackdown on commemorations, notably those by members of the Tiananmen Mothers, a group of relatives of Tiananmen Massacre victims. One prominent member, Zhang Xianling (张先玲), 87, told Radio Free Asia that even though she could barely "walk 200 meters without a wheelchair," the authorities continue to subject her and others to strict surveillance and restrictions on her movement. "The Chinese government has never owned up to the Tiananmen Massacre, much less provided redress for victims and their families," said Yalkun Uluyol, China researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Beijing's enforced amnesia has deepened authoritarian rule in China, yet it has not extinguished demands for the truth, democracy, and respect for human rights." The preemptive crackdown on Tiananmen Massacre commemorations is a stark reminder of China's ongoing repression of dissent and its continued violations of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The Tiananmen Massacre was precipitated by the peaceful gathering of students, workers, and others in Beijing's Tiananmen Square and other Chinese cities in April 1989, calling for free expression, democratic reform, and an end to corruption. The government responded to the intensifying demonstrations in late May 1989 by declaring martial law. On June 3-4, People's Liberation Army soldiers fired upon and killed numerous protesters and bystanders in Beijing. The government's ban on commemorations has extended from mainland China to Hong Kong since mid-2020, when it imposed the draconian National Security Law over the city. Authorities first banned the annual Tiananmen Massacre vigil on Covid-19 grounds in 2020 and 2021, and in 2021 also forced the vigil organizer, the Hong Kong Alliance, and its June 4 Museum to close. The authorities accused the Hong Kong Alliance and its three former leaders - Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho, and Chow Hang-tung - of "inciting subversion" under the National Security Law, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The three have been in pretrial detention for more than three years; their trial is scheduled for November 2025. Chow and four other former Hong Kong Alliance members were also convicted of failing to comply with a national security police information request; their three- to four-and-a-half-month sentences were quashed in March 2025. Some people in Hong Kong have persisted in their attempts to commemorate the Tiananmen Massacre near Victoria Park, where the annual vigil was held. Police have arrested dozens. On June 4, 2024, police warned a man whose phone flashlight was on while he sat alone on a park bench that this may constitute "sedition" under the National Security Law. Police arrested four people on ambiguous grounds that day; one was sentenced in December to ten weeks in prison for "assaulting police officers." Censorship and self-censorship about the Tiananmen Massacre have become commonplace in Hong Kong. In November 2024, Hong Kong authorities changed the label of a lamppost, FA8964, as it contained an accidental reference to the date of the crackdown. In December 2024, Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific apologized for including content in its inflight entertainment system that featured a scene from the Tiananmen Massacre. While the Chinese government enforces silence inside mainland China and Hong Kong, many have continued the legacy of the 1989 pro-democracy protesters. Most prominently, in 2022, a lone protester named Peng Lifa (彭立发) unfurled protest banners on a busy Beijing bridge, inspiring others and sparking the White Paper protests a few months later. Peng has been compared to the symbol of defiance, the "Tank Man" of the Tiananmen Massacre, who was famously captured on film blocking a column of tanks the morning after the crackdown. Outside of China and Hong Kong, diaspora groups and anonymous social media accounts around the world have in recent years held public discussions, exhibitions, gatherings, and published essays to commemorate the crackdown. This year, 77 events in 40 cities in 10 countries have been planned. Following the Tiananmen Massacre, the Chinese government carried out a nationwide crackdown and arrested thousands of people on "counterrevolution" and other criminal charges, including arson and disrupting social order. The government has never accepted responsibility for the massacre or held any officials legally accountable for the killings. It did not investigate the events or release data on those who were killed, injured, forcibly disappeared, or imprisoned. Tiananmen Mothers documented the details of 202 people who were killed during the suppression of the movement in Beijing and other cities. The government has continued to ignore international and domestic calls for justice for the Tiananmen Massacre. Sanctions that the US government imposed in response to the massacre have over the years been weakened or evaded. The lack of meaningful international sanctions following the massacre and ensuing crackdown partly explains Beijing's brazen human rights violations in the ensuing decades, including crimes against humanity targeting Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang and the erasure of basic freedoms in Hong Kong, Human Rights Watch said. …. See also video: https://youtu.be/tRnW1Xs7asM Tiananmen Square Massacre Tiananmen Square, in the heart of the Chinese capital Beijing, has been a place of enormous significance in modern Chinese history. For seven weeks in the spring and early summer of 1989, it was the focus of unparalleled protests by students and workers against the political and economic system, leading to a brutal government crackdown and international condemnation of the communist regime. ….

Confucius says … well whatever Communist China wants him to

“Concerns have also mounted regarding the institutes’ alleged involvement in intellectual property theft, surveillance of Chinese and Hong Kong students, espionage, and the suppression of academic freedoms”. Dominika Urhová We read at: The Demise of Confucius Institutes: Retreating or Rebranding? – chinaobservers The Demise of Confucius Institutes: Retreating or Rebranding? Dominika Urhová September 5, 2024 Education and student exchanges have long been central to the West’s engagement with China, with hundreds of thousands of Chinese students studying in Western institutions each year. In parallel, China has actively sought to engage overseas institutions and students through initiatives like Confucius Institutes (CIs). However, as tensions between the United States and China have intensified in recent years, suspicion toward academic collaboration with Beijing, particularly concerning the CIs, has grown. In response, China has initiated a rebranding exercise to mitigate rising concerns while shifting its focus to more receptive regions, including, to a certain extent, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Western Balkans. Confucius Institutes function as nonprofit public institutions and are a flagship of China’s cultural soft power. The institutes are usually found at universities or colleges, nonprofit organizations, and occasionally at K-12 schools (i.e. the educational system that includes kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools). The CIs are a collaborative initiative between a host institution, a Chinese organization (mainly universities), and, until recently, the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban). Since their inception, CIs have been operated and funded by Hanban, a branch of China’s Ministry of Education. The number of CIs worldwide has increased rapidly since 2004, with China aiming to set up 1,000 institutes by 2020. Though this goal has not materialized, by 2023, China had established and maintained 496 Confucius Institutes and 757 Confucius Classrooms (CCs) in over 160 countries. However, following a series of scandals in the 2010s, Beijing has faced a global backlash over the alleged use of CIs as tools of Chinese propaganda. In recent years, growing national security concerns and fears of China’s influence campaigns penetrating host societie shave pushed the issue of Confucius Institutes higher up the political agenda. Growing Suspicions As tensions between the United States and China have intensified, CIs have faced growing criticism for their role in shaping the narrative through which China is depicted and perceived abroad. Accusations have surfaced that CIs censor discussions on issues sensitive to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including the Tiananmen Square massacre, the Cultural Revolution, and human rights abuses in China, Tibet, and Taiwan. Concerns have also mounted regarding the institutes’ alleged involvement in intellectual property theft, surveillance of Chinese and Hong Kong students, espionage, and the suppression of academic freedoms. A statement by Li Changchun, a former head of CCP propaganda, who in 2009 described CIs as “an important part of China’s overseas propaganda setup,” has fueled these fears and lent credibility to accusations that CIs are a tool of China’s propaganda apparatus. The Crackdown Begins The United States has led the charge against Confucius Institutes, with the Trump administration adopting a particularly hardline stance. During his tenure, President Trump signed a defense bill prohibiting the Department of Defense from funding Chinese language instruction by CIs or any institution hosting a CI. In 2020, the State Department designated the Washington-based Confucius Institute US Center as a “foreign mission” of China, requiring the center to report its activities and operations to the US government. The Trump administration also pushed for colleges and universities to publicly disclose their financial ties and contracts with CIs, partly in response to a 2019 Senate subcommittee report revealing that nearly 70% of institutions receiving over $250,000 from Hanban had failed to report it to the federal government. Although the Biden administration later withdrew this proposal, Trump’s crackdown resulted in 104 of the 118 CIs in the US being shut down or in the process of closing by 2023. Rebranding for Influence Despite international efforts to close down Confucius Institutes, Beijing has found new ways to maintain its influence over educational institutions.According to a report by the National Association of Scholars (NAS), many of the 104 CIs that reportedly closed in the US have not entirely disappeared. Instead, most have either rebranded their CIs or entered into new agreements with their former Chinese partners, often replicating the original CI model with similar, if not identical, issues. In mid-2020, in response to the growing international backlash and as part of China’s efforts to conceal CIs’ close connection to the government, Hanban rebranded itself as the new Ministry of Education Center for Language Exchange and Cooperation (CLEC). It also established a nongovernmental organization, the Chinese International Education Foundation (CIEF), that now funds and oversees CIs including their replacements. CLEC is supervised by China’s Ministry of Education and receives funding from the Chinese government, thus remaining closely linked to the CCP. The rebranding extended to the CIs themselves. NAS research indicates that many universities replaced their CIs with similar partnerships involving the same Chinese universities, opening new centers operated and staffed by the same personnel and funded by Hanban, now known as CLEC or CIEF. Some universities maintained existing CIs but relocated them to different host organizations, while others continued their partnerships with Chinese counterparts outside of the CI framework. On a geopolitical level, education has traditionally served as a confidence-building measure between China and the United States, helping to manage tensions as their relationship ebbs and flows. A crackdown on educational cooperation, however, signals growing suspicion and escalating tensions. Notably, at the summit between US President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November 2023, education cooperation featured prominently on the list of deliverables. Yet, while much of the experts’ and politicians’ attention has centered on the closure of Confucius Institutes in the West and China’s superficial rebranding efforts, Beijing has increasingly redirected its focus to more receptive regions. This strategic shift includes expanding influence in countries across Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. ….