Belief

Western media and politicians cannot see religious belief as a reality. They cannot understand the battle as being beyond politics and economics. They do not understand and cannot conceive that many Muslims view Jewish prophecy as literally real, and possibly a threat to Islamic dominance.

A case in point is the history of one of the gates of the walled city of Jerusalem; the "Golden Gate." For many centuries Jewish and Christian sages have taught that the long awaited Messiah will enter Jerusalem through that gate. Apparently to prevent the entry into Jerusalem by the prophesied "King of the Jews", the Muslims walled-up the gate in 810. When Christian Crusaders took the city they reopened the gate (in 1102). When Saladin conquered Crusader Jerusalem in 1187 he had the gate walled-up again. Later, the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt it, together with the city walls, but it was again walled-up by Muslims in 1541, and it has stayed that way until today. Safely protecting Islam from the Messiah ?