Muslim Life, Identity, and Monuments in Jerusalem

During the 21st century Jerusalem is central to the Israeli-Arab conflict. The conflict over the city is between two political entities; Israel and Palestine. The complexity of the situation increases when considering religious ties each community has to the land. Israel finds evidence that the Jewish people are the rightful owner of the land in the Old Testament. In the book of Deuteronomy, Jacob whose name was changed to Israel, is given Jerusalem as “the site that the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes, as a place established in His name” (Deuteronomy 12:5). However, whether or not the Bible can be used as a source to make claims of ancestry is a different debate. Palestinians are considered to be the indigenous people to the land of Jerusalem, whereas incoming Israelis are settlers (Ellis). Palestinians Muslims in Jerusalem also use religion to place claim on the land asserting that they descended from ancient Canaan and have consistently been present in Jerusalem (Krämer). This consistency allows Muslims to challenge Israeli claims of ancestry and insist Muslims deserve Jerusalem (Krämer).

The problem in Jerusalem emerges through the complexities of national and religious identity, though the state of Palestine exists as a political entity it is a majority Muslim nation. Over 93 percent of Palestinians are Muslim (Farsoun). Therefore, while the conflict over Jerusalem is not inherently a religious issue, because it is between two nations, it is further complicated by the faith of the people who live in those nations. On the flip side, in Israel 74.5 percent of the population are Jewish, and 17.8 percent are Muslim, the remaining amount consist of Christians, Druzes, and non religious people (Israel: Population by Religion). Being an Israeli Muslim can be an interesting predicament as indicated by literature read in class such as Second Person Singular. Muslims in Israel exist as a minority with the political system set against them. Some Israeli Muslims would also claim Palestinian descent, but their citizenship gives them privileges non-citizens cannot receive. This blog post will cover the vast topic of what Jerusalem means to Muslims focusing on land claims made by Palestinian Muslims and Muslims attachment to the land in Jerusalem which contributes to the political tension between Palestine and Israel. However, the overarching theme that I have discovered is that regardless of nationality Palestinians and Israeli Muslims experience discrimination based on religion from the Israeli government. 

While Palestine is not made up completely of Muslims, Islam is the overwhelming majority religion of the nation (Farsoun). Therefore, laws made against Palestinians  directly affects the Muslim population. Palestinians believe they are the indigenous people to the land of Jerusalem and the European Jews returning to Israel are settlers (Ellis). Throughout history, many people have occupied the land that is now known as Palestine, which makes it almost impossible to determine which group of people are ancestrally indigenous.  

When looking at Muslims connection to the land of Jerusalem, I think it is important to understand the religious and national identities that are at play. While Israel does have a significant Muslim population, they still serve as a minority and receive heavy discrimination. Israeli Muslims ties to Jerusalem are religious but they also exist as citizens of the dominant state whereas Palestinian Muslims, which make up an overwhelming majority of the Palestinian nationality, can not. Muslims national identity directly affects their religious freedoms in the city they consider to be the third most holy. There is a few cases of overlap between Palestinian nationality and Israeli citizenship. Palestinians who desired to be Israeli citizens could obtain nationality through the Citizenship Act of 1952 which made retrieving citizenship immensely difficult (United Nations). Those who choose obtain Israeli citizenship receive notable advantages. The overlap between these two nationalities is unimportant to my examination of Muslim life in Jerusalem; therefore, I plan on keeping distinct categories between Palestinians and Israelis for the purpose of clarity. My blog reviews how both groups experience discrimination for being Muslim rather than explaining the intricacies of nationality and citizenship. 

Muslims have been a part of Jerusalem’s landscape since 636 and have left their trace on the city (Dorell). From 636 to 638 Muslim forces were laying siege to Jerusalem (Dorell). Caliph Umar accepted the Byzantine surrender in 638 and Jerusalem had its first Muslim rule (Dorell). In 691 the Al-Aqsa Mosque was built by Caliph Al-Walid on the place Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven (Goldhill 98). The Al Aqsa is considered the third most holy mosque in Islam, likewise Jerusalem is considered the third holiest city (Sammāk). During the time of Prophet Muhammad he instructed people to direct their prayer towards Jerusalem. Muhammad prayed towards Jerusalem first until receiving the divine instruction to place his prayer towards Mecca (Sammāk).

The history of Muslim existence in Jerusalem left behind markers of their presence in the land and monuments. There are many important religious places for Muslims in Jerusalem besides the Al Aqsa. The Dome of the Chain is a seventeen pillared shrine located beside the Dome of the Rock (Goldhil 108). While the original purpose of this monument is debated it is now used by people to picnic under the shade it provides (Goldhill 108). The Dome of Chains is a great example of a place that is entrenched in history and mystic stories currently being used by Muslims to not only remember their past but to enjoy their present life. 

Another important example of Muslim presence in Jerusalem throughout history is the Cotton Gate. Simon Goldhill, in his novel Jerusalem City of Longing, states that the Cotton Gate’s “boldly articulated passage between the gate and the suk links the religious and… commercial life of the city” (Goldhill 122). Just south of the gate is the al-Ashrafiyya. The al-Ashrafiyya is an important madrassas, a school which was central to Mamluk policy (Goldhill 124). The madrassas showed the Mamluk architecture within its two pointed arch and red and cream colored stones (Goldhill 124). According to Goldhill it “visualized and enforced the structured unity of imperial power” (Goldhill 124).

What does this long history of Muslims in Jerusalem and imagined history of Palestinians mean for Muslims living in Jerusalem today? Jerusalem has not lost its Islamic influence, today there are still millions of Muslims living within the city. These Muslim include both Palestinian and Israeli nationalities. However, both are treated unfairly by Israel's government. For Israeli Muslims the decision in 2018 to remove Arabic as one of the National Languages served as a racist action taken by the government (Israeli Arabs: Status of Arabs in Israel). Another inequity that Israeli Muslims face is that they are not required to serve in the military (Israeli Arabs: Status of Arabs in Israel). The government put this law in place to prevent Arabs from having to fight against brethren (Israeli Arabs: Status of Arabs in Israel). However, this can cause issues in the future because some social benefits, rewards and jobs are not available to those who are not veterans (Israeli Arabs: Status of Arabs in Israel).

For Palestinian Muslims the rights violations are worse. They are not only existing as a religious minority but as a hated nationality. While there are multiple examples of rights violations such as limited access to education, adequate housing, and health care the main violation I will be looking at is the Knesset’s decision to close limit access to and from the Gaza strip (World Report 2018: Rights Trends in Israel and Palestine). In 2017 about 230 Palestinians exited Erez everyday previously in 2000 about 24,000 exited daily (World Report 2018: Rights Trends in Israel and Palestine). There are on average 207 truckloads per month but prior to June 2007 the average was 1,064 (World Report 2018: Rights Trends in Israel and Palestine). These restrictions stopped around 17,800  Palestinian homes from being reconstructed (World Report 2018: Rights Trends in Israel and Palestine). Not only have they caused problems in Palestinian infrastructure, but it also blocks Muslims from being able to visit some of their most holy sites. 

One of the most blatant and hypocritical examples of Israelis disregard for Muslim is the Museum of Tolerance. During excavations under the proposed site of this museum archaeologist found an ancient Muslim graveyard (Shefler). Therefore, the Museum of Tolerance is innately hypocritical because it is disrespecting a gravesite of Muslims. Some have argued that the gravesite was unknown till the excavation and therefore should not stop the building of the museum. However, once the knowledge of a graveyard exist I think it is important to rethink the implication of building the museum on top of it. 

While Palestinians and Israeli operate under a different nationality, they both have common experience of discrimination through being Muslim in Israel. All Muslims have a religious tie to the land of Jerusalem and deserve the ability to live in their holy land without fear of discrimination. 

Work Cited

Dorell, Oren. “Jerusalem Has History of Many Conquests, Surrenders.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 6 Dec. 2017, www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/05/jerusalem-history-israel-capital/923651001/.

Ellis, Marc H. Israel and Palestine out of the Ashes: the Search for Jewish Identity in the Twenty-First Century. Pluto Press, 2002.

Farsoun, Samih K. Culture and Customs of the Palestinians. Green

Goldhill, Simon. Jerusalem : City of Longing. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2008. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cookie,uid&db=cat00309a&AN=trinity.b2078843&site=eds-live.

“Israeli Arabs: Status of Arabs in Israel.” The Status of Arabs in Israel, www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-status-of-arabs-in-israel.

“Israel: Population by Religion.” Israel: Population by Religion, Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/israel-population-by-religion.

Krämer, Gudrun. A History of Palestine : From the Ottoman Conquest to the Founding of the State of Israel. Princeton University Press, 2008. EBSCOhost, 

“Palestine.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 11 Aug. 2017, www.history.com/topics/middle-east/palestine.

Sammāk, Muḥammad. “Jerusalem in Islam.” Church & Society, vol. 96, no. 1, Sept. 2005, pp. 53–57. EBSCOhost, 

Shefler, Gil. “Controversy over Museum of Tolerance's Location.” The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com, 16 Sept. 2010, www.jpost.com/Israel/Controversy-over-Museum-of-Tolerances-location.

United Nations. “Israel: Nationality Law, 5712-1952.” Refworld, www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b4ec20.html.

“Who Are the Palestinians?” Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, jcpa.org/article/who-are-the-palestinians/#_edn6.

“World Report 2018: Rights Trends in Israel and Palestine.” Human Rights Watch, 18 Jan. 2018, www.hrw.org/world-report/2018/country-chapters/israel/palestine.