- Title: Children Of Abraham
- Date: 9th May 2004
- Summary: In the post 9/11 world, entrenched religious belief is often seen as a key factor in a "clash of civilisations" - Christians, Muslims and Jews locked into an age-old struggle. In this thought-provoking three-part series, Mark Dowd, a Catholic who trained to be a Franciscan Friar, embarks on a very personal journey to the Holy Land, Egypt, Turkey, Bosnia and the USA to explore the shared roots and deep enmities of the three faiths, and to discover if there is hope in a shared future. The prophet Abraham is central to the three great monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Yet, despite these shared origins, and the reconciliatory promise to Abraham that "all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed by you," his descendants have often resembled a squabbling, dysfunctional family. Dowd's journey of discovery is an attempt to grapple with the big questions: why, if there is one God, are there three so-called monotheistic faiths? Why do some people abuse religion to demonise their enemies while others build bridges to them? And why have the "children of Abraham" often fallen so short of the legacy of unity that was promised to the prophet? In a time where dogmatic extremism and religious conflict threaten to undermine global stability, the opportunity for unity offered by a man who lived 4,000 years ago could be of incalculable value. Abraham, or Ibrahim in Islam, is an iconic figure in all three religions, "an interfaith superstar" as Dowd describes him. Exploring the Biblical roots of man's multilingual and multi-denominational world, he explains how Abraham's great legacy is monotheism. Visiting Urfa, the place where many Muslims believe Abraham was born, Dowd relates how Abraham's two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, came to represent the division of the great monotheistic faiths. The Jews, and subsequently Christians, followed the stories of Isaac, while the Muslims instead see Ishmael as the more significant figure. Nowhere is this better explained than in the story of Abraham having to sacrifice a son: the Christians and Jews tell the story of his being prepared to sacrifice Isaac, the Muslims believe it is Ishmael who was spared at the last minute by God's mercy, not Isaac. Indeed, their biggest festival, The Hajj, commemorates this event. Whatever the Biblical reasons, the legacy of the divided faiths is a tragic one. Dowd challenges the Apostolic Nuncio to Jerusalem over the Vatican's complicity in the Holocaust, and a recent document ratified by the Pope, describing other religions as being "gravely deficient." He also travels to one of the most hostile and controversial cities in the world, Hebron, where 700 Jewish settlers live in a heavily guarded settlement among 100,000 Palestinians. Nowhere is the murderous legacy of religious division brought into sharper relief. Abraham himself is buried in Hebron, in the Tomb of the Patriarchs, while the Jews and Muslims are wrapped up in dispute above him. As one who represented tolerance and unity, it is an ironic resting place. "So Abraham lies buried here beneath his squabbling descendants," says Dowd, "and if you strain your ear enough, you just might hear the sound of somebody turning in their grave." But if the religions were destined to be so hostile to each other, why, wonders Dowd, did God allow the creation of more than one faith? It is a question that is reinforced by the existence of men such as Baruch Marzel, a Jewish zealot and member of an outlawed extremist group. He justifies his frequently brutal treatment of his Palestinian neighbours, saying: "If someone wants to come and kill me, I'll kill him first." The tragic repercussions of intolerance exist right here in Hebron, and Mark visits the mosque where a crazed settler, Dr Baruch Goldstein, ran amok and killed 29 Muslims before being killed himself. His memorial is regularly visited by those who consider him a hero. It appears that, while the great monotheistic faiths may share many rituals, traditions and prophets, sharing land is all too often still beyond them.
- Description:The three great monotheist religions share a single patriarch - Abraham. This series explores the ties that bind,as well as the rifts that divide them.
- Broadcaster:Channel 4
- Collection: Channel 4
- Genre:Documentary and Factual
- Producer:3Bm Television Ltd.
- Programme Episode:Episode 3
- Transmission Date:09/05/2004
- Rights:Worldwide
- Decade: 2000s