Visit the tomb of Father Thomas and mourn
An apostolic missionary to Damascus, preaching and displaying his solicitude
Slaughtered by the Jews, only parts of his remains were found
Dated February 5th, here lie the remains of his bones
1840
The tombstone of the grave containing the alleged remains of Father Thomas of Sardinia, an Apostolic Capuchin Missionary. The relic is located in the Latin Chruch of Bab Sharki (the Eastern Gate). Damascus was still a fiefdom of Muhammad Ali -Egypt's formidable Pasha- in February 1840 when father Thomas and his servant mysteriously disappeared without a trace. In a matter of weeks, rumors spread throughout the city as the Christians of Damascus suspected the Jews of the city of abducting and murdering the victims for the purpose of using their blood to bake their matzo. The matter was brought to the attention of Governor Shariff Pasha, Muhammad Ali's lieutenant, who arrested the city's leading rabbis and put them to torture until some of them admitted to committing the crime and much more. Rabbi Abu al-Afia was subjected to "falaqa' (caning) in the presence of his spouse and child until the lacerated flesh of his feet uncovered the underlying bones. Traumatized and humiliated, abu al-Afia "converted" to Islam and adopted the name of Muhammad Afandi. Lest we blame this sorry episode on the barbarity of the benighted Orientals, the "investigation" was conducted by none other than the consul of "civilized" France, Ratti-Menton. Perhaps Mustaf Tlas' silly book "the Matzo of Zion" relied on such high quality "evidence" but there exists no shortage of "pundits" who persist in believing this nonsense even now.
An apostolic missionary to Damascus, preaching and displaying his solicitude
Slaughtered by the Jews, only parts of his remains were found
Dated February 5th, here lie the remains of his bones
1840
The tombstone of the grave containing the alleged remains of Father Thomas of Sardinia, an Apostolic Capuchin Missionary. The relic is located in the Latin Chruch of Bab Sharki (the Eastern Gate). Damascus was still a fiefdom of Muhammad Ali -Egypt's formidable Pasha- in February 1840 when father Thomas and his servant mysteriously disappeared without a trace. In a matter of weeks, rumors spread throughout the city as the Christians of Damascus suspected the Jews of the city of abducting and murdering the victims for the purpose of using their blood to bake their matzo. The matter was brought to the attention of Governor Shariff Pasha, Muhammad Ali's lieutenant, who arrested the city's leading rabbis and put them to torture until some of them admitted to committing the crime and much more. Rabbi Abu al-Afia was subjected to "falaqa' (caning) in the presence of his spouse and child until the lacerated flesh of his feet uncovered the underlying bones. Traumatized and humiliated, abu al-Afia "converted" to Islam and adopted the name of Muhammad Afandi. Lest we blame this sorry episode on the barbarity of the benighted Orientals, the "investigation" was conducted by none other than the consul of "civilized" France, Ratti-Menton. Perhaps Mustaf Tlas' silly book "the Matzo of Zion" relied on such high quality "evidence" but there exists no shortage of "pundits" who persist in believing this nonsense even now.
ReplyDeleteزر تربة الأب توما الكبوشي و اندب مقامه
مرسل رسولي لشام يعظ و يبدي اهتمامه
قد ذبحوه يهودا و لم نجده بتمامه
في خامس أسباط أرخ هذه بقايا عظامه
سنة 1840
شاهدة القبر الذي يحتوي البقايا المزعومة للأب توما الكبوشي في كنيسة اللاتين في باب شرقي. كانت دمشق لا تزال تحت سلطة محمد علي والي مصر عام 1840 عندما إختفى الأب توما، أحد الرهبان الكبوشيين، مع تابعه. سرت الأقاويل بعدها عبر المدينة سريان النار في الهشيم و إتهم مسيحيو دمشق يهودها بقتل المفقودين و إستعمال دمهم لخبز الفطير و إشتكوا عليهم لوالي المدينة شريف باشا و الذي إعتقل حاخامات اليهود و أخضعهم للتعذيب حتى إعترف بعضهم بالجريمة و إلى درجة أن الحاخام أبو العافية أشهر إسلامه و إتخذ إسم محمد أفندي بعد أن تسلخ جلد و لحم قدميه لتكشف العظام تحت الفلقة و بحضور قرينته و طفله. حتى لا نعتب فقط على "الشرقيين الهمج" يجدر التنويه أن هذا "التحقيق" على طريقة "المساعد جميل و الرائد هشام" جرى تحت الإشراف المباشر لقنصل فرنسا راتيمنتون. عل كتاب مصطفى طلاس السخيف "فطير صهيون" مبني على "مستندات" و "أدلة دامغة" من هذا النوع