Closures of Holy Sites in Jerusalem During the 2026 Iran War

The war involving Israel, the United States, and Iran in early 2026 has affected far more than just military targets. One of the most striking consequences has been the closure of Jerusalem’s major holy sites, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Western Wall. What makes this situation especially significant is the timing: Ramadan, Easter, and Passover all fall around the same period, meaning that under normal circumstances, large numbers of worshipers from three different religions would be gathering in the city. Instead, these spaces have been shut down, showing how deeply the war has disrupted everyday religious life.

Israeli authorities have explained these closures as necessary security measures. Police statements emphasized that all holy sites were closed “in accordance with national emergency guidelines” and that the goal was to “safeguard public safety and human life.” These decisions were also linked to instructions from the Home Front Command, which coordinates civilian safety during wartime. In other words, the official position is that the closures are not about restricting religion, but about preventing harm during a dangerous and unpredictable situation.

The First Anniversary of the Tragic War in the Middle East (October 7, 2023)

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

As we all remember, on October 7th 2023 Hamas gunmen entered the Jewish Kibbutz and the cities of southern Israel and spread death, abuse and rape at a Festival where young people danced for peace! That day 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 were kidnapped.

From that day, a horrible war began in the Middle East between Israelis, Hamas and Hezbollah of Lebanon; other countries, such as Iran and Yemen, also got involved in it. In a central newspaper article on October 7, 2024, one year after the start of the war, the results of this horrible war were written.

"Since this day last year (October 7, 2023) 1.9 million Palestinians, 1 million Lebanese and 60 thousand Israelis have been displaced. Hamas has launched 12,000 rockets at Israel and Hezbollah 8,000. Iran 500 missiles and drones. Israel has already spent 67 billion dollars on the conflict and the economy of Gaza has shrunk by 86%" (TA NEA, p. 2, Monday 10/7/2024).

A Tomb Venerated by Muslims for Generations in Turkey Is Actually the Tomb of the Ancient Greek Boxer Diagoras

It has long been known that Muslims in Turkey were taught to not acknowledge the Greek and Roman history of Turkey, claiming that their ancestors have lived there for thousands of years, of which they are direct descendants. Archaeology however easily disproves this theory, and below we have one example how mistakes like this when uncovered become a source of shock to locals.

In 2018 an Islamic holy site once believed to be the tomb of a Muslim holy figure was actually built for a famous Ancient Greek boxer.

Local worshippers had "sacrificed goats and chickens" at the Turkish tomb for decades – but now fear that their prayers were in vain.

The 2,400-year-old tomb was revered by local people in the Marmaris district of Turgut, but archaeologists recently confirmed that the tomb actually belonged to a boxer called Diagoras of Rhodes.

Mysticism (2 of 3)

...continued from part one.

Buddhist Mysticism

Since mysticism is the immediate, intuitive relationship with the Absolute, it would be possible to claim, insisting on this strict definition, that there is no such thing as Buddhist mysticism, because, in the classic forms of this religion, there is no acceptance of the existence of the Absolute. Unlike the prophetic religions, whose message is defined by the word, Buddhism, as a religion of silence, rejects all ways of naming the Absolute, while, in depth, it allows it to seem that it accepts an ineffable Absolute, which it identifies with emptiness. Promoting the idea of “anatman”-“anatta” (non-self), sets as an ideal the achievement of “nirvana”. But even if it denies a real, positive Absolute, it accepts an absolute goal.

Overcoming Both Fear and Fearlessness

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

The terrorist attacks in Paris, in the heart of Europe, created very deep pain for all of us and we commonly condemn the criminal acts, while we have prayed for the victims of these actions. One cannot transfer a covert war amid civilian people, when they have made it a standard program to be carefree from every evil. Whatever arguments they use to support such outrage cannot eliminate the brutality of the event.

However, the aim of this article is not to stress the nonnegotiable good of freedom and respect for others, but to comment on aspects of the subject which can be specifically summarized in the words fear and fearlessness, and how to overcome them.

Pew Study Shows Atheism is Dying While Islam Projected to Dominate by the Turn of the Century

We often hear from atheists how religion is dying out as mankind comes to see the clear light of reason.

Atheist “intellectuals” speak disparagingly about religion and predict that mankind is on the cusp of a new age in which religion will simply disappear as science, technology and reason are in the ascendant.

The Ascension of Christ in Islam

By Gordon Nickel

In Islamic teaching, Jesus ascended to heaven – but not after his death and resurrection as is reported in the Gospel. Rather, most Muslims believe that Jesus ascended without dying.

The Quranic prompt for this teaching is S 4:157–58: “ … they did not slay him, neither crucified him … Rather, God raised him up (rafa'ahu) to him … ” Muslim exegetes have traditionally explained these verses to mean that God raised Jesus alive and projected Jesus’ “likeness” onto another person, whom the Jews then crucified.

The Disputation Between Saint Cyril the Philosopher and the Muslims

In chapter six of the Life of Constantine-Cyril, the author speaks of an invitation being sent by the Arabs to Constantinople to hold a religious disputation, with particular reference to the Holy Trinity and belief in one God. The emperor thereupon is said to have convoked the Senate in order to deliberate as to what should be done. He asked Constantine, known in the text as the Philosopher, at that time only twenty-four years old, to go to the Arabs, probably in Samarra near Baghdad which was the residence of the Caliph, and to take part in the religious discussion. The year this reportedly took place was in 851.

Life of Constantine

(Ch. 6)

Afterward the Hagarites, who were called Saracens, blasphemed the single Deity of the Holy Trinity, saying: “How is it, O Christians, that you, while holding that God is one, further divide Him into three, saying He is Father, Son, and Spirit? If you can explain clearly, send us men who can speak of this and convince us.”