BBC bias

I almost forgot, BBC radio were reporting the Pope's visit to Jerusalem and told us that he first visited the Dome of the Rock, described as one of Islam's holiest places, before visiting the Western Wall. As usual the BBC building up Islam's claim on Jerusalem; I am pretty sure that it is true that Jerusalem is not mention at all in the Koran, whereas it appears fairly often in the Old Testament (about 600 times I believe). The Wailing Wall is a remnant of the 2nd temple and is the holiest Jewish relic in the world but that is as nothing to the claims of Islam which only conquered Jerusalem after the Koran was written and destroyed the Jewish Temple.

I thought I would see how the BBC web site was reporting the same story so took a trip here. On the upside this report does at least inform us that:

"He visited the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, becoming the first pontiff to see the site, and then the Western Wall, one of Judaism's holiest places."

I'd have said Judaism's holiest site but I suppose the BBC don't want to have to explain why Israel should give up Judaism's holiest site. The same report later skirts around an important subject by very blandly stating

"The wall is part of the retaining wall of the Temple Mount, dating back to a time when a Jewish temple stood there. "

Maybe a word as to why the 2nd Temple disappeared and what has replaced it might be of interest. However that might be seen as anti-Islamic and almost as bad might also illustrate the fact that Muslims are free to practice their religion in the capital of Israel whilst Jews are not even allowed into Saudi Arabia (the home of Mecca and Medina which are the really holy Islamic sites).