Hypothetical: Radiation contamination of Temple Mount

[arcadia]

HYPOTHETICALLY, if the Temple Mount area were somehow to be irradiated and contaminated in such a way that it could not be walked upon for the next 2,000 years, would it help or hurt the process of securing peace in the Middle East? Is the right to be able to own or to exclusively access this tiny strip of ground and its structures really important enough to a lot of people to sacrifice lives for? Or are various religious and political leaders merely pretending that it is?

I am remembering a contemporary news report that ultimately the Camp David peace talks broke down over both sides unwillingness to negotiate over this issue. Would anyone who can't go to the wailing wall be less jewish? Or less muslim if they couldn't actually visit and see allah's departure point?

It's funny how "faith" claims to depend so much upon tangible things like churches, icons, or other bricks and mortar, isn't it?

 

[Keith&Co.]

I think the hardcore would just insist that the Truly Faithful would suffer no harm if they were sincere.

I remember in the 80's, a bunch of Catholics that didn't want to change communion practices, because AIDS was clearly a punishment against gays, and 'there's no way God would let me get AIDS from communion!"

 

[Jayjay]

They'd find some other nearby plot of land to argue over.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

It wouldn't matter. It's not a fight over the Temple Mount, but over what religion should control the land.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Ya, the Temple Mount is a symbol of the conflict, not something central to the conflict.

 

[bilby]

So that's agreed then. Now, where do we obtain a dirty bomb, and how do we deliver it?

 

[fromderinside]

Oooh. A place to try religious eugenics. Ah.

 

[Rhea]

Oooh. A place to try religious eugenics. Ah.

No, that's the beauty of the idea. You don't have to actually harm any of the people. If one could contaminate the site, say at night, it just prevents anyone being able to fight over later access.

 

[fromderinside]

Oooh. A place to try religious eugenics. Ah.

No, that's the beauty of the idea. You don't have to actually harm any of the people. If one could contaminate the site, say at night, it just prevents anyone being able to fight over later access.

Yes, that's the beauty of the idea. You actually intentionally harm people to produce a master race for the master religion.

They'll fight anyway. That's how believing humans are.

 

[Unbeatable]

Oooh. A place to try religious eugenics. Ah.

No, that's the beauty of the idea. You don't have to actually harm any of the people. If one could contaminate the site, say at night, it just prevents anyone being able to fight over later access.

But the people are the problem.

 

[NobleSavage]

I don't guess there is a radiation that is mostly harmless, but makes people sterile?

 

[fast]

Oooh. A place to try religious eugenics. Ah.

No, that's the beauty of the idea. You don't have to actually harm any of the people. If one could contaminate the site, say at night, it just prevents anyone being able to fight over later access.

If I know that you will go to an intentionally contaminated religious site regardless of risk to life, then even if I inform you of what was done and the risk for going, then it's not just on you but on those who contaminated the site, since those contaminating the site know ahead of time that not even being informed of risk exculpates their responsibility to refrain from contaminating the site. It's akin to a boobytrap with clear warning signs that they know won't be taken heed to. It might make the victim stupid, but a victim nevertheless.

 

[bilby]

I don't guess there is a radiation that is mostly harmless, but makes people sterile?

Only in Star Trek.

In the ST universe, radiation comes in every letter of the Greek alphabet, and has exactly the properties required by the script - no more, no less.

I am sure Scotty could re-configure the deflector dish to emit a beam of upsilon radiation, sterilising every human in Jerusalem from Earth orbit. It would violate the Prime Directive, but Kirk always considered that more of a guideline than an actual rule.

 

[Bronzeage]

I don't guess there is a radiation that is mostly harmless, but makes people sterile?

Only in Star Trek.

In the ST universe, radiation comes in every letter of the Greek alphabet, and has exactly the properties required by the script - no more, no less.

I am sure Scotty could re-configure the deflector dish to emit a beam of upsilon radiation, sterilising every human in Jerusalem from Earth orbit. It would violate the Prime Directive, but Kirk always considered that more of a guideline than an actual rule.

The Temple Mound maybe contaminated with an unknown form of radiation which makes people hostile and territorial.

 

[Keith&Co.]

Could we TELL people that the Mount has been contaminated with dick-shrinking, fertility-destroying radiation (Then, of course, vehemently deny it, in every form of media, so everyone will believe the rumor)?**

then the fight will be over who has to take it....

**Or maybe just go straight to denial. "President Obama denies that the US has attempted to dust the area with sterility-causing radiation in an attempt to defuse fighting over the site. Further, the US Pentagon has issued a statement saying it is impossible to target radiation exposure directly towards fertility without causing a host of other problems, and that we don't have a project to develop such radiation."

 

[bilby]

Could we TELL people that the Mount has been contaminated with dick-shrinking, fertility-destroying radiation (Then, of course, vehemently deny it, in every form of media, so everyone will believe the rumor)?**

then the fight will be over who has to take it....

**Or maybe just go straight to denial. "President Obama denies that the US has attempted to dust the area with sterility-causing radiation in an attempt to defuse fighting over the site. Further, the US Pentagon has issued a statement saying it is impossible to target radiation exposure directly towards fertility without causing a host of other problems, and that we don't have a project to develop such radiation."

A US Defense Department spokesman has advised reporters that allegations that 283 US Marines who volunteered for a test program are still infertile despite the best efforts of doctors at Walter Reed Hospital, are completely without basis.