Michael Dennis Rohan
Encyclopedia
Denis Michael Rohan (born 1 July 1941) was an Australia
n citizen who gained worldwide infamy on 21 August 1969, when he attempted to set fire to the Al-Aqsa
mosque
, located atop the Temple Mount
in Jerusalem. Rohan was arrested for the arson attack on 23 August 1969. He was tried, found to be insane, and hospitalized in a mental institution. On 14 May 1974, he was later deported from Israel
"on humanitarian grounds, for further psychiatric treatment near his family". He was subsequently transferred to the Callan Park Hospital in Australia. In 1995, he was reported to have died under psychiatric care.
to rebuild the Temple
on the Temple Mount in accordance with the Book of Zechariah
, thereby hasten the second coming of Jesus Christ
.
Rohan was a subscriber of The Plain Truth
magazine published by the Worldwide Church of God
's founder Herbert W. Armstrong
and stated that he had begun his attempt after reading an editorial by Armstrong in the June 1967 edition. The Daily Telegraph
newspaper in London
pictured Rohan on its front page with a copy of The Plain Truth magazine sticking out from his outside jacket pocket.
On 26 September 1969, Armstrong, in a letter to financial contributors to his The World Tomorrow
program, distanced himself from Rohan:
In the wake of this incident Herbert W. Armstrong decided to drop the building of a physical temple from his eschatological outlines. At the time he was trying to establish a relationship with the Israeli government, which after the Six Day War had voided Armstrong's earlier contract with Jordanian government about broadcasting his The World Tomorrow
radio program on Jordanian transmitters.
Prior to the Rohan incident, in 1968 Armstrong, via his Church’s sponsored Ambassador College, had become involved with the Israeli government in archaeological digs in the area of the Temple Mount.
nate adopted a mostly conservative stance toward the capture by Israel of the Temple Mount in 1967, in response to questions of whether to rebuild the Temple and reinstitute the sacrificial service to whether to allow Jews to ascend the Temple Mount to pray:
Cohen further footnoted these remarks with comments from an interview:
and claimed that Rohan was "Jewish".
by twenty-four Muslim
countries in response to the Al Aqsa arson attempt. Mohammad El Farra of Jordan
stated:
The Arab Press further reported that:
After several meetings by the Security Council to discuss the complaint, it adopted on 15 September 1969, Resolution 271
(1969):
Adopted at the 1512th meeting by 11 votes to none, with 4 abstentions (Colombia
, Finland
, Paraguay
, and the United States of America.)
The Palestinian newspaper, La Presse Palestinienne, reported the following:
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n citizen who gained worldwide infamy on 21 August 1969, when he attempted to set fire to the Al-Aqsa
Al-Aqsa Mosque
Al-Aqsa Mosque also known as al-Aqsa, is the third holiest site in Sunni Islam and is located in the Old City of Jerusalem...
mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, located atop the Temple Mount
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as , and in Arabic as the Haram Ash-Sharif , is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years...
in Jerusalem. Rohan was arrested for the arson attack on 23 August 1969. He was tried, found to be insane, and hospitalized in a mental institution. On 14 May 1974, he was later deported from Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
"on humanitarian grounds, for further psychiatric treatment near his family". He was subsequently transferred to the Callan Park Hospital in Australia. In 1995, he was reported to have died under psychiatric care.
Motives
Rohan, a Christian, stated that he considered himself "the Lord's emissary" and that he tried to destroy the al-Aqsa Mosque acting upon divine instructions to enable the Jews of IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
to rebuild the Temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
on the Temple Mount in accordance with the Book of Zechariah
Book of Zechariah
The Book of Zechariah is the penultimate book of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew and Christian Bible, attributed to the prophet Zechariah.-Historical context:...
, thereby hasten the second coming of Jesus Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
.
Rohan was a subscriber of The Plain Truth
The Plain Truth
The Plain Truth is a U.S.-based magazine founded by Herbert W. Armstrong, who also founded the Radio Church of God , Ambassador College, and The World Tomorrow radio and television programs. Herbert W...
magazine published by the Worldwide Church of God
Worldwide Church of God
Grace Communion International , formerly the Worldwide Church of God , is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Glendora, California, United States. Since April 3, 2009, it has used the new name Grace Communion International in the US...
's founder Herbert W. Armstrong
Herbert W. Armstrong
Herbert W. Armstrong founded the Worldwide Church of God in the late 1930s, as well as Ambassador College in 1946, and was an early pioneer of radio and tele-evangelism, originally taking to the airwaves in the 1930s from Eugene, Oregon...
and stated that he had begun his attempt after reading an editorial by Armstrong in the June 1967 edition. The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
newspaper in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
pictured Rohan on its front page with a copy of The Plain Truth magazine sticking out from his outside jacket pocket.
On 26 September 1969, Armstrong, in a letter to financial contributors to his The World Tomorrow
The World Tomorrow
The World Tomorrow is a now-defunct radio and television half-hour program which had been sponsored by the Radio Church of God which ran from 1934 to 1994...
program, distanced himself from Rohan:
In the wake of this incident Herbert W. Armstrong decided to drop the building of a physical temple from his eschatological outlines. At the time he was trying to establish a relationship with the Israeli government, which after the Six Day War had voided Armstrong's earlier contract with Jordanian government about broadcasting his The World Tomorrow
The World Tomorrow
The World Tomorrow is a now-defunct radio and television half-hour program which had been sponsored by the Radio Church of God which ran from 1934 to 1994...
radio program on Jordanian transmitters.
Prior to the Rohan incident, in 1968 Armstrong, via his Church’s sponsored Ambassador College, had become involved with the Israeli government in archaeological digs in the area of the Temple Mount.
Israeli Chief Rabbinate response
According to the Jewish Political Studies Review, author Yoel Cohen recorded that the official Israeli Chief RabbiChief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
nate adopted a mostly conservative stance toward the capture by Israel of the Temple Mount in 1967, in response to questions of whether to rebuild the Temple and reinstitute the sacrificial service to whether to allow Jews to ascend the Temple Mount to pray:
Cohen further footnoted these remarks with comments from an interview:
Arab/Muslim reactions
The Arab press accused the government of IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and claimed that Rohan was "Jewish".
U.N. resolution
On 28 August 1969 a complaint was submitted to the United Nations Security CouncilUnited Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
by twenty-four Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
countries in response to the Al Aqsa arson attempt. Mohammad El Farra of Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
stated:
The Arab Press further reported that:
After several meetings by the Security Council to discuss the complaint, it adopted on 15 September 1969, Resolution 271
United Nations Security Council Resolution 271
United Nations Security Council Resolution 271, a resolution adopted on September 15, 1969, in response to an arson attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem by Denis Michael Rohan, the Council grieved at the extensive damage caused by the arson...
(1969):
Adopted at the 1512th meeting by 11 votes to none, with 4 abstentions (Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, and the United States of America.)
Response by and on behalf of Yassir Arafat
Yassir Arafat later developed a regular television interview speech in which he would refer back to this act of attempted arson, while avoiding mention of Rohan by name.The Palestinian newspaper, La Presse Palestinienne, reported the following:
External links
- From Daniel Pipes' Weblog (21 August 2004): Jordan's Al-Aqsa Conspiracy Theory
- Ambassador Report article (page 16) on Armstrong's response
- Rohan and the road to the apocalypse - Audio and transcript of a Background Briefing program broadcast on ABC Radio NationalRadio NationalABC Radio National is an Australia-wide non-commercial radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Radio National broadcasts national programming in areas that include news and current affairs, the arts, social issues, science, drama and comedy...
about Rohan (23 August 2009) - Official Israeli Policy toward the Temple Mount
| Other pages related to Michael Dennis Rohan and Al Asqa arson |
|---|
| Herbert W. Armstrong Herbert W. Armstrong Herbert W. Armstrong founded the Worldwide Church of God in the late 1930s, as well as Ambassador College in 1946, and was an early pioneer of radio and tele-evangelism, originally taking to the airwaves in the 1930s from Eugene, Oregon... profile | Radio Church of God history prior to reform Worldwide Church of God Worldwide Church of God Grace Communion International , formerly the Worldwide Church of God , is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Glendora, California, United States. Since April 3, 2009, it has used the new name Grace Communion International in the US... current history of the church | Lost Ten Tribes links to related theories | 1975 in Prophecy! 1975 in Prophecy! 1975 in Prophecy! is a digest-sized booklet warning of an upcoming nuclear war and subsequent enslavement of mankind, leading to the return of Jesus Christ as a benign dictator. It was written by Herbert W. Armstrong and illustrated by Basil Wolverton of Mad magazine fame, published in 1956 by the... theory of two time cycles | The World Tomorrow The World Tomorrow The World Tomorrow is a now-defunct radio and television half-hour program which had been sponsored by the Radio Church of God which ran from 1934 to 1994... radio and television broadcasts | The Plain Truth The Plain Truth The Plain Truth is a U.S.-based magazine founded by Herbert W. Armstrong, who also founded the Radio Church of God , Ambassador College, and The World Tomorrow radio and television programs. Herbert W... magazine history | Ambassador College Ambassador College Ambassador College was a four-year, liberal arts college run by the Worldwide Church of God. The college was established in 1947 in Pasadena, California by radio evangelist Herbert W. Armstrong, leader of what was then the Radio Church of God, later renamed the Worldwide Church of God... and Ambassador University | Big Sandy Big Sandy There are six communities in the United States named Big Sandy*Big Sandy, Montana in Chouteau County*Big Sandy, Nebraska in Thayer County, Nebraska*Big Sandy, Tennessee in Benton County*Big Sandy, Texas in Upshur County... history of Texas campus location | Bricket Wood Bricket Wood Bricket Wood is a village in the county of Hertfordshire, England, approximately 4½ miles from St Albans. It is part of the parish of St Stephen. Its railway station is served by a London Midland service that runs between St Albans Abbey and Watford Junction stations.Close to the village stands... history of UK campus location | Ambassador Auditorium Ambassador Auditorium Ambassador Auditorium is located on the historic Ambassador College campus in Pasadena, California, USA. It was built under the guidance of Herbert W... history | Garner Ted Armstrong Garner Ted Armstrong Garner Ted Armstrong was an American evangelist and the son of Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God, at the time a Sabbatarian organization that taught strict observance of seventh-day Sabbath, holy days typically associated with the Jewish faith, and other observances... profile | Stanley Rader Stanley Rader Stanley R. Rader , was an attorney, accountant, author and, later in life, one of the Evangelists of the Worldwide Church of God, then a Sabbatarian organization, which was founded by Herbert W. Armstrong. -Biography:... profile | Basil Wolverton Basil Wolverton Basil Wolverton was an American cartoonist, illustrator, comic book writer-artist and professed "Producer of Preposterous Pictures of Peculiar People who Prowl this Perplexing Planet", whose many publishers included Marvel Comics and Mad.His unique, humorously grotesque drawings have elicited a... profile | Art Gilmore Art Gilmore Arthur Wells "Art" Gilmore was an American voice actor and announcer whose voice has been heard in radio and television programs, movies, trailers, advertising promotions and documentary films.-Biography:... profile | Bobby Fischer Bobby Fischer Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author... religious affiliation |