I'm really enjoying being in Jerusalem, Al-Quds. The green spots I so sorely missed in Syria are plentiful here, but the goal of the day (Friday) was not to find a green spot, but the Friday prayers in the Dome of the Rock. On the way to the mosque I tried to learn to respond “Aiwa, Alhamdulillah” to the question: Are you a Muslim, I knew I would get. I miserably failed long before I reached the mosque, when a kid asked me that question, and the only thing I was able to mumble was a unclear “yes”. Neither the child nor myself was convinced by the answer.
When the Israeli Police Officer repeated the question by the gate of the mosque, my “yes” was not good enough as an answer. I had to recite Surat Fatiha (Opening verse of the Quran) for the policeman to prove my Muslimism. That was not a problem, for after all, Ana mish Kafir!
I was confronted with that question several times once inside the Complex it self, but I had become good in this by now, and was pretty happy with my convincing Aiwas, and Alhamdulillahs.
Unfortunately, only women were allowed under the golden dome, since it was Friday, so I never got in there, but sat in the sun and listened to the Quran being recited over the loudspeakers. It was beautiful. Despite my lack of religiosity, there is something special about these places. After an hour or so, it was time for prayers. That is something I'd recommend to all my Muslim friends; Friday prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque. There is something unique when 2000-3000 (I have no idea how many there were) men answer with Aamin in chorus after the imam has read Surat Fatiha. Just beautiful.
So, there I was, regretting all my sins and enjoying every second, but… Unfortunately, all the holiness of the moment was completely ruined seconds after the prayer was over. For, immediately after the prayer people gathered in different groups and different personalities preached to them about, God knows what.
I was told that one man who had around 20-30 as his audience were from Hizb al-Tahreer, while the Salafi gang gathered in the other corner. That’s fair enough. What, however, was discouraging was the group of people standing and loudly arguing about something. In my Hamas and Fatah world, the dispute, or literally a fight, was all about that on. It certainly was not. I was told that there were disagreements about religious movements. It all went really bad when a new sheikh gathered a new group of audience in front of him and some of what he said apparently provoked some of the audience, as they stormed his assembly. They never came up to this sheikh, but it was straight out ugly to stand there and watch people fight inside al-Aqsa mosque, which minutes earlier had had a solemn and beautiful atmosphere.
One single attack did of course not stop this controversial Sheikh, who obviously had spoken negatively about all religious schools, claiming to be the only one righteous, while his opponents were keot back on the side while shouting things towards him. The attacks against his congregation came in different waves but each time they were dragged away by the Sheikhs bodyguards and others, and kept standing on the side shouting at him. The sad thing was how the fighting resulted in completely ignorance about getting in the mosque with their shoes on, nudging others who were reading the Quran and the even had the nerve to ask the people reading it to move away. Of course, I had to watch it all, getting increasingly depressed. Could such a thing happen at a Church?
I got the answer later in the evening. Apparently there had been a fight in the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem few days in advance, when the priests from the various factions had fought each other about something meaningless. What is it with us human beings?
Later, I talked with some local shop owners and it was almost touching to hear them talk about the great Caliphate. But they had no answer to why the Caliphate was absent when we already had Islam? What more does the Islamic revolution need? Of course, they could point to the U.S., and the corrupt governments, as a cause for all the misery, but what come after status quo(except the great utopia of the Caliphate), they didn't have a good answer to.
We were supposed to take a trip to Bethlehem today, and the Wall we had to pass is a story for itself (ironically with a huge banner hanging at the entrance stating: Peace be with you), and various works of art on the wall describes the shame of it. "Enjoy Israel, the best country in the world," said the guard, uninspired in the microphone from his booth as we passed the metal detector in the so-called terminal through the wall between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. We had been standing in line for ten minutes but of course we, an Australian, an American and me were waved ahead and sent through the checkpoint while the queue behind us was still several meters long.
I could have agreed with the military guard that Israel is the greatest country in the world, for it is indeed a beautiful country, had it not been for the reality it has created around her. I was shocked by the number of soldiers in Lebanon's streets, or people with weapons in the Palestinian refugee camps, but never had I seen so many soldiers, as much weapons, as here in Israel.
Even though surrounded by a horrible grey wall, the life on the other side of it, Bethlehem in our case, the daily life went on. Although my American travel partner, with his sick sense of humor, thought that the Mexico wall was cooler, higher and was slightly disappointed that there was no tax shops in the terminal (although illustrating a point, the wall does not split two countries).
The wall is often justified by the sharp decline in numbers of suicide bombers, but it may have been that more conciliatory and permanent measures would have been more effective against suicide bombers than a wall cutting through a city. The wall is no solution to the basic problem, the occupation, only a short-term solution to another symptom, suicide bombers. The cause of the suicide bombers, the Palestinians’ hatred and rage will only increase. It may be that Israel lives well with constantly building more and higher walls, but then, she will never be entitled to decorate herself with the best country in the world.
We got an even worse glimpse into the daily lives of Palestinians, when we decided to take a trip to Hebron after visiting the Nativity church. It was a half an hour bus ride (along with a Palestinian who thought we should give him money, uncertain for what reason) to Hebron. In the streets of Hebron the soldiers stood even closer than in Jerusalem. Perhaps not so surprising considering the shooting incident the day before when two Israeli hikers were shot dead.
The checkpoint next to the Abraham Mosque was, for us, pretty easy, but for the Palestinians who didn’t walk as quietly as us through the turnstiles had a bit tougher time. The American with me had his “humorous” moments when he angrily stated: “What’s taking it so long?” Well, the Palestinians go through this every day; I tried to make him reflect. “They seem to be quite all right with it”, he noted, looking at the quite line in front of us. Well, when you have done this over a longer time, you kind of get used to it. “I wouldn’t. It’s still a ghetto”. Well, they are probably not so happy either. “I’m not happy of standing here”. Hm. (Definitely an odd screw, and one may wonder why he was on our trip, but he lived in the same hostel, and when someone asks to join you on your trip, it is difficult to say no. It comes with the story that he financed his entire tour with the sale of smuggled (!) marihuana...)
The Mosque, with the tombs of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and and many more were well guarded and split in two; A Jewish and a Muslim section. When asked about our religion the American claimed to be a Jew. This meant that I could not go to the Jewish section and the American not to the Muslim apparently because Jews were not allowed in the mosque and vice versa. American started arguing with the guard "I can be a Christian if you want to." The soldier just shook her head, and when I said that there was nothing on me that implied that I was a Muslim, we were all allowed to go to the Jewish part, but she changed her mind and suddenly no tourists were allowed to go in the Jewish part that day. Instead we went to the Muslim part of the mosque, and it was amazing. Even the American who days before had expressed himself very condescending towards religion, religious buildings and people who loved to visit these (I’ve had more fun inside a girl than inside a church) was suddenly thrilled when he learned that the tombs of historical People like Abraham, Isaac and their wives were in front of him.
On the way back towards the bus back to Jerusalem, I was some meters behind my friends due to call from nature, and suddenly found my self behind a platoon (?) of soldiers who was foot patrolling the old Sooq. As I was walking pass them I thought that the worst spot to be was next to soldiers since they were most exposed to firefights, and set up the pace. I shouldn’t have done that. Stop! Where have you been, what have you done, etc. There are never cameras or cameramen available when I need them.
I will not brag being very tough, as I stood surrounded by eight IDF soldiers who looked highly suspicious on my passport and my whole existence. We were standing in an open space, and on the roofs around us there were other soldiers keeping an eye on me as well. It all went calm and quietly, although I thought they could smile a bit or at least answer me politely when I left them with a Shalom.
When the Israeli Police Officer repeated the question by the gate of the mosque, my “yes” was not good enough as an answer. I had to recite Surat Fatiha (Opening verse of the Quran) for the policeman to prove my Muslimism. That was not a problem, for after all, Ana mish Kafir!
I was confronted with that question several times once inside the Complex it self, but I had become good in this by now, and was pretty happy with my convincing Aiwas, and Alhamdulillahs.
Unfortunately, only women were allowed under the golden dome, since it was Friday, so I never got in there, but sat in the sun and listened to the Quran being recited over the loudspeakers. It was beautiful. Despite my lack of religiosity, there is something special about these places. After an hour or so, it was time for prayers. That is something I'd recommend to all my Muslim friends; Friday prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque. There is something unique when 2000-3000 (I have no idea how many there were) men answer with Aamin in chorus after the imam has read Surat Fatiha. Just beautiful.
So, there I was, regretting all my sins and enjoying every second, but… Unfortunately, all the holiness of the moment was completely ruined seconds after the prayer was over. For, immediately after the prayer people gathered in different groups and different personalities preached to them about, God knows what.
I was told that one man who had around 20-30 as his audience were from Hizb al-Tahreer, while the Salafi gang gathered in the other corner. That’s fair enough. What, however, was discouraging was the group of people standing and loudly arguing about something. In my Hamas and Fatah world, the dispute, or literally a fight, was all about that on. It certainly was not. I was told that there were disagreements about religious movements. It all went really bad when a new sheikh gathered a new group of audience in front of him and some of what he said apparently provoked some of the audience, as they stormed his assembly. They never came up to this sheikh, but it was straight out ugly to stand there and watch people fight inside al-Aqsa mosque, which minutes earlier had had a solemn and beautiful atmosphere.
One single attack did of course not stop this controversial Sheikh, who obviously had spoken negatively about all religious schools, claiming to be the only one righteous, while his opponents were keot back on the side while shouting things towards him. The attacks against his congregation came in different waves but each time they were dragged away by the Sheikhs bodyguards and others, and kept standing on the side shouting at him. The sad thing was how the fighting resulted in completely ignorance about getting in the mosque with their shoes on, nudging others who were reading the Quran and the even had the nerve to ask the people reading it to move away. Of course, I had to watch it all, getting increasingly depressed. Could such a thing happen at a Church?
I got the answer later in the evening. Apparently there had been a fight in the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem few days in advance, when the priests from the various factions had fought each other about something meaningless. What is it with us human beings?
Later, I talked with some local shop owners and it was almost touching to hear them talk about the great Caliphate. But they had no answer to why the Caliphate was absent when we already had Islam? What more does the Islamic revolution need? Of course, they could point to the U.S., and the corrupt governments, as a cause for all the misery, but what come after status quo(except the great utopia of the Caliphate), they didn't have a good answer to.
We were supposed to take a trip to Bethlehem today, and the Wall we had to pass is a story for itself (ironically with a huge banner hanging at the entrance stating: Peace be with you), and various works of art on the wall describes the shame of it. "Enjoy Israel, the best country in the world," said the guard, uninspired in the microphone from his booth as we passed the metal detector in the so-called terminal through the wall between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. We had been standing in line for ten minutes but of course we, an Australian, an American and me were waved ahead and sent through the checkpoint while the queue behind us was still several meters long.
I could have agreed with the military guard that Israel is the greatest country in the world, for it is indeed a beautiful country, had it not been for the reality it has created around her. I was shocked by the number of soldiers in Lebanon's streets, or people with weapons in the Palestinian refugee camps, but never had I seen so many soldiers, as much weapons, as here in Israel.
Even though surrounded by a horrible grey wall, the life on the other side of it, Bethlehem in our case, the daily life went on. Although my American travel partner, with his sick sense of humor, thought that the Mexico wall was cooler, higher and was slightly disappointed that there was no tax shops in the terminal (although illustrating a point, the wall does not split two countries).
The wall is often justified by the sharp decline in numbers of suicide bombers, but it may have been that more conciliatory and permanent measures would have been more effective against suicide bombers than a wall cutting through a city. The wall is no solution to the basic problem, the occupation, only a short-term solution to another symptom, suicide bombers. The cause of the suicide bombers, the Palestinians’ hatred and rage will only increase. It may be that Israel lives well with constantly building more and higher walls, but then, she will never be entitled to decorate herself with the best country in the world.
We got an even worse glimpse into the daily lives of Palestinians, when we decided to take a trip to Hebron after visiting the Nativity church. It was a half an hour bus ride (along with a Palestinian who thought we should give him money, uncertain for what reason) to Hebron. In the streets of Hebron the soldiers stood even closer than in Jerusalem. Perhaps not so surprising considering the shooting incident the day before when two Israeli hikers were shot dead.
The checkpoint next to the Abraham Mosque was, for us, pretty easy, but for the Palestinians who didn’t walk as quietly as us through the turnstiles had a bit tougher time. The American with me had his “humorous” moments when he angrily stated: “What’s taking it so long?” Well, the Palestinians go through this every day; I tried to make him reflect. “They seem to be quite all right with it”, he noted, looking at the quite line in front of us. Well, when you have done this over a longer time, you kind of get used to it. “I wouldn’t. It’s still a ghetto”. Well, they are probably not so happy either. “I’m not happy of standing here”. Hm. (Definitely an odd screw, and one may wonder why he was on our trip, but he lived in the same hostel, and when someone asks to join you on your trip, it is difficult to say no. It comes with the story that he financed his entire tour with the sale of smuggled (!) marihuana...)
The Mosque, with the tombs of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and and many more were well guarded and split in two; A Jewish and a Muslim section. When asked about our religion the American claimed to be a Jew. This meant that I could not go to the Jewish section and the American not to the Muslim apparently because Jews were not allowed in the mosque and vice versa. American started arguing with the guard "I can be a Christian if you want to." The soldier just shook her head, and when I said that there was nothing on me that implied that I was a Muslim, we were all allowed to go to the Jewish part, but she changed her mind and suddenly no tourists were allowed to go in the Jewish part that day. Instead we went to the Muslim part of the mosque, and it was amazing. Even the American who days before had expressed himself very condescending towards religion, religious buildings and people who loved to visit these (I’ve had more fun inside a girl than inside a church) was suddenly thrilled when he learned that the tombs of historical People like Abraham, Isaac and their wives were in front of him.
On the way back towards the bus back to Jerusalem, I was some meters behind my friends due to call from nature, and suddenly found my self behind a platoon (?) of soldiers who was foot patrolling the old Sooq. As I was walking pass them I thought that the worst spot to be was next to soldiers since they were most exposed to firefights, and set up the pace. I shouldn’t have done that. Stop! Where have you been, what have you done, etc. There are never cameras or cameramen available when I need them.
I will not brag being very tough, as I stood surrounded by eight IDF soldiers who looked highly suspicious on my passport and my whole existence. We were standing in an open space, and on the roofs around us there were other soldiers keeping an eye on me as well. It all went calm and quietly, although I thought they could smile a bit or at least answer me politely when I left them with a Shalom.
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