According to the Jewish sacred text Talmud, the emergence of the promised Messiah will occur once the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem is demolished and replaced by the Third Temple or Solomonic Temple.
In order to fulfill this prophecy, the Zionists have already completed all necessary preparations. By exploiting this religious issue for political gain, Israel has launched a campaign of ethnic cleansing.
Religious belief—the oldest yet still most influential idea on Earth. Over time, countless ideologies, thoughts, beliefs, revolutions, and philosophies have arisen and disappeared, either buried in history books or forgotten due to irrelevance. Yet religion and its daily practice have endured. While the form of belief may vary based on time, place, and community,the essence remains the same.
Although the Almighty Allah sent religion for the welfare of humanity, it has often been distorted by opportunistic groups to serve their own interests. Religion has long been exploited to justify mass bloodshed—from the ancient past to today. It has become a tool of politics, imperialism, and the arms trade.
Even hardcore secular parties weaponize religion in their manipulative politics. Ideals and values are no longer a concern—what matters is which religious sentiment the majority follows and who can be pitted against whom.
In this context, both India’s Ram Temple in Ayodhya and Israel’s Third Temple plan in Jerusalem share a striking resemblance in narrative, motive, and the state’s position. In India, it’s the Hindutva-driven BJP, and in Israel, the Zionist groups—with one common denominator: Muslims are the scapegoats in both cases.
From Babri Masjid to Ram Temple
The Babri Masjid, located in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, was demolished to build the Ram Temple. Throughout the process, religious emotion and belief were politically weaponized. Disputes between Hindus and Muslims over this site date back to British colonial “divide-and-rule” policies. In 1859, to avoid religious conflict, the British separated prayer areas with a wall.
But in 1949, when an idol of Ram was secretly placed inside the mosque and thousands of Hindus began visiting, tensions flared. The government locked the gates to prevent further escalation.
Fast forward to 1984, when India held general elections. The Indian National Congress won by a large margin, while the BJP secured only two seats. Two events marked this era:
The Shah Bano divorce case, which sparked Muslim outrage over personal law interference.
Initially, the Congress passed laws contradicting Sharia, but later reversed its position under pressure and passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986. This move was seen by many—including the BJP—as pandering to Muslims, which cost Congress support from conservative Hindus.
A district judge then ruled to unlock the mosque and allow Hindu prayers—a decision backed by PM Rajiv Gandhi, the same leader who earlier passed pro-Muslim legislation. However, BJP had already gained a stronghold in Hindu hearts. In the 1989 elections, Congress lost, while BJP rose from 2 seats to 88.
In 1991, the BJP officially pledged to build the Ram Temple in its manifesto. On 6 December 1992, with support from VHP and 150,000 Kar Sevaks, they demolished the Babri Masjid, defying security forces.
This triggered nationwide communal riots, with impacts felt across Pakistan, Bangladesh, and beyond. Thousands died—mostly Muslims—and public property worth ₹90 billion (~$3.6 billion) was destroyed.
Yet, Hindu nationalist sentiments soared, boosting BJP's popularity. Both BJP and Congress are culpable in this misuse of religious belief, but BJP was more aggressive and strategic.
What was once a smoldering religious tension was turned into a volcanic eruption by political parties, destroying interfaith harmony, homes, and lives. The seeds of religious extremism sown here have often manifested as terrorist attacks or communal riots—a serious challenge to any unified, sovereign state.
Al-Aqsa, the Third Temple, and the Netanyahu Government;
Jerusalem is the third holiest city in Islam, after Mecca and Medina. It’s where the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ascended to the heavens during the Isra and Mi'raj, and it's home to the first Qibla, the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The city also holds religious significance for Jews and Christians alike—ruled by Prophets Dawud (David) and Sulaiman (Solomon), and visited by Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus).
Ideally, this sacred city could have been a symbol of interfaith unity, but history and current events suggest otherwise. Leaders and clergy have often exploited Jerusalem’s religious significance for their agendas.
After the Holocaust ended in WWII, the state of Israel was founded based on Zionist ideology. Its politics are steeped in hardline Jewish nationalism. While some Orthodox Jews (Anti-Zionists) oppose occupation and killing, the majority of Israeli Jews support it, being conditioned by both religious and political elites.
Jewish religious leaders have significant influence over the Israeli Knesset (parliament). Though elections are held, it's nearly impossible to hold power without aligning with hardline Jewish nationalism. The more a leader promotes this ideology, the more electable they become. Any deviation triggers movements to remove them from power.
A rare exception was the Oslo Peace Accords, signed by Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin and PLO’s Yasser Arafat. But ultra-nationalist Jews opposed it, and Rabin was assassinated by one such individual, Yigal Amir, during a peace rally in Tel Aviv.
Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the Likud Party, capitalized on this sentiment, becoming PM in 1996 by opposing Oslo. Since then, he has become Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister, wielding religion as a political shield—something Rajiv Gandhi failed to do effectively.
Under Netanyahu, Israel has carried out relentless violence against Palestinians—particularly in the West Bank. His popularity only took a hit after Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack, which killed and kidnapped many. Israelis blamed Netanyahu for security failures, and protests demanding his resignation and early elections erupted outside the Knesset.
A deeper reason behind the 7 October attack was uncovered in a November 4, 2023 investigative report by David Hearst of Middle East Eye. Hamas reportedly had information that during the next Passover festival, a red heifer would be brought from the U.S. and sacrificed—its ashes used for ritual purification of Jewish priests. This would clear the final religious hurdle to rebuilding the Third Temple on Al-Aqsa’s site—something Hamas vowed never to allow.
Talmud-following Jews see this as a divine prerequisite for the Messiah’s return. The three conditions for the Messiah's arrival are:
Jewish gathering in Israel
Establishment of a Jewish state
Rebuilding of Solomon’s Temple (Third Temple)
The first two are fulfilled (though some Orthodox Jews disagree). What remains is the Third Temple. They believe this can only proceed once they are ritually purified via the red heifer.
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Given the religious and political weight this issue carries, Netanyahu’s government is likely to push for its realization. In fact, during the U.S. Embassy opening in Jerusalem, he frequently mentioned the Temple of Solomon in his speech.
Despite international agreements (with the U.S., UN, and EU), extremist Jews frequently storm Al-Aqsa. Israeli police also obstruct Muslim worshippers.
As a Jewish nationalist grounded in religious ideology, Netanyahu will likely not hesitate to flatten Gaza or demolish Al-Aqsa to build the Third Temple if needed. Using religious belief as a political weapon, Jewish ultra-nationalism will either drive him to more brutality or force him out of power.
If he chooses the former—erasing Muslim presence from Al-Aqsa—the consequences for global geopolitics could be catastrophic. This could lead to mass casualties and a war that may not stay confined to just Gaza and Israel.
Though Babri Masjid had no real link to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) or his companions, the Hindu-Muslim tension still hasn’t cooled. In contrast, Al-Aqsa Mosque is Islam’s third holiest site, deeply tied to faith and emotion. If religious belief were used for peace and coexistence, rather than political gain, perhaps today’s Israel-Palestine reality would have looked very different.
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