http://www.whitleysworld.com/news012901a.html
01/29/01: MODERN KNIGHT TEMPLAR'S HEART CUT OUT IN ISRAEL
text version
A Scottish tourist who died mysteriously in Israel may have been a member of
the secret organization known as the Knights Templar Israeli journalist Barry
Chamish says that he has evidence that the heart was removed after his death,
as part of an ancient ritual. Israeli officials claim that the removal took
place during a routine autopsy, but could offer no explanation of why it was
not returned to the family with the other remains. A heart that was later
given to them by Israeli health officials could not be verified as being the
heart of Alisdair Rosslyn Sinclair.
Sinclair made an unexplained five-day visit to Israel in April, 1998. He was
arrested as he tried to leave the country and died in police custody.�
At the time of his death, he was a musician living in Amsterdam. Now,
startling new evidence has been uncovered which reveals that the Scottish
guitar maker was a direct descendant of a high-ranking family which helped
found the Order of the Knights Templar, which is part of an international
battle for the control of the holy sites in Jerusalem.
Chamish's investigaton into�Sinclair's death has led him to conclude that the
musician was the victim of his��inherited connection�with the Templars.
�"In my opinion," Chamish says, "he was murdered and his killing was linked
to a
greater conspiracy."
Last week the Israeli Government launched a massive investigation into Abu
Kabir morgue, after allegations that body parts from corpses were illegally
removed and sold on the black market for organ transplants. "But it was
pointless removing Alisdair's heart for medical reasons," claims Chamish.
"For a start, a heart has to be kept alive via a life support system if it
is to be transplanted. Even more damning is the fact that in Israel we do
not carry out heart transplants."
It is believed that Alisdair Sinclair was murdered and his heart removed
because of his bloodline, since he was one of the leading members of the
Knights Templar hierarchy.
"The Knights Templar believe they are the rightful heirs to the Christian
holy sites in Jerusalem and are currently involved in a secret battle to
gain control of them," says Chamish. "Alisdair may have been killed because
he got caught up in this clandestine war. The removal of his heart is part
of the Knights Templar tradition. When Robert the Bruce died he asked that
his heart be cut out and taken from Scotland to be buried in Jerusalem. In
Israel, legend has it that his dying wishes were fulfilled."
Both Alisdair's brother and the Order of the Knights Templar have backed up
some of Chamish's conclusions. James Sinclair, Alisdair's younger brother,
said, "Alisdair knew all about our Knights Templar background. He was proud
of the fact he was named after Rosslyn Chapel, which was built by the
Knights Templar in Scotland. He and I were told about our heritage and
bloodline by our father when we were young boys. And we often visited
Rosslyn Chapel."
Barry Chamish is convinced Alisdair became caught up in a religious feud in
Jerusalem.
Currently, no fewer than six organizations or nations believe they have
first claim to the holy sites in the old part of the Israeli capital. As
well as Israel and the Palestinians, others who believe they are entitled to
the land include the Vatican, the Greek Orthodox Church and the Russian
Orthodox Church.
A spokesman for the modern Knights Templar, John Ritchie, lives two miles
from the village of Temple, the site of the original Templar headquarters in
Scotland. Ritchie, a journalist who works for Reuters, said, "The modern
order has 100 members...We are currently involved in an attempt to remove
control of the holy sites of Jerusalem from the Israeli Government. We
believe they should be administered by the United Nations and are working
with the UN and NATO to achieve that goal."
Chamish revealed that Alisdair Rosslyn Sinclair is a descendant of one of
the original Knights Templar, an order set up by a French relative of the
St. Clair family of Rosslyn.The order, which flourished in the 13th century,
spread across Europe and became wealthier than many nations.
In 1307 the King of France arrested thousands of Templars in an attempt to
destroy the Order and claim its assets. A small number escaped to Scotland
where they were protected by the St. Clair (later Sinclair) family and
continued to flourish. They eventually played a major role in Robert the
Bruce's military triumphs.
"I believe Alisdair was murdered," says Chamish. "He came to Israel because
of his Knights Templar background and became caught up in the current
conflict over Jerusalem.
"The official explanations about his death cannot be believed. He was
stopped trying to leave the country allegedly because he had 9000
Deutschmarks (about $5,000) in a secret compartment of a suitcase. There is
nothing illegal about that. If I were carrying that sum of money I might
want to hide it as well.
"Then he allegedly confessed that the money was paid to him for smuggling
Ecstasy into Israel. But there is no evidence that he had drugs. Why confess
to a crime when there is no evidence?
"Finally, it is alleged he hanged himself with his shoe laces. It sounds
highly unlikely, if not impossible, for a man of his size to do that. I
believe Alisdair was trying to escape from Israel when he was killed. The
Knights Templar are not welcomed by the authorities and other organizations
here.
"I'm still investigating why his heart was taken out. It was a custom in
medieval times to cut out the hearts of knights who died abroad. The hearts
were then taken back to the knights' homeland for burial. Perhaps Alisdair's
heart was cut out as part of that ritual. But whatever the truth, there is
something very evil going on in Israel today and he became caught up in it."
Chamish will appear on Dreamland February 4, 2001.
