Final Chapters of the book...

Reaching the end of Karen Armstrong's book made me really look back and reflect on everything that we had already read. Some things were really easy to tie together and recall, while I was left questioning other things. As I read the last few chapters of Armstrong's book, I found myself a lot more confused than when I read previous chapters. Through all the intense and meticulous information, we are all able to safely come to the conclusion that the history of Jerusalem is not an easy one, nor does it have any plan to make peace with three conflicting groups of people. There are so many factors that play into the history of Jerusalem that it is difficult to make any type of summary statement. The people, events, and religion has shaped what the city has become today. Through the vast amount of atrocity that has occurred, the city still remains a holy land for so many people around the world.

I have come to the conclusion that religion plays a huge part in determining one's beliefs, both politically and non-politically, especially when it comes to this conflict. In my opinion, religion is a safe, meaningful place that everybody is able to relate to on some level. So in essence, almost all religions tend to preach similar things...in the end. Respect others, maintain peace, loving yourself and your loved ones...etc. How have we gotten to the point where religion dictates political agendas? The world has come to a point where it is not what it once was; sometimes I wish people could just take a step back and realize how similar we all really are. We all share common values, yet choose to go about accomplishing them in such different, difficult ways.

After reading about the Holocaust and the Zionist movement, it makes me an even stronger believer that the Jewish people deserve to have a homeland. At the time of the Holocaust, many Jewish people did not have anywhere to go because they were being persecuted and discriminated against in countries all around the world. Israel served as a safe haven to them, that welcomed any Jew with open arms. If it weren't for this terrible event, I believe that a lot of things would be different pertaining to the state of current Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is a city that will have a continuous struggle for peace and equality for all of those who deem it holy. How can a common resolution be reached where everybody is satisfied? I'm constantly left wondering.

chapters 11-13

I'm sorry that I have these in so late.. Pesach Seder ran way too late last night :)

Anyways,
Not being a part of the Islamic religion, I barely had any knowledge of what it entailed or what events in history have made Islam the religion that it is today. Chapters 11-13 were a whirlwind of new information. They served to explain what the Islamic religion stands for and how it has evolved through the course of history. Throughout these chapters, Armstrong did not speak very highly of Christianity. Some of the acts that the Christians did that were discussed in the book were pretty cruel. The Crusaders were terrible people and swept through an entire city and killed so many people. Anything that was left over was used for their own personal behalf and they claimed the city as their own after committing all those acts. "Crusader rule had damaged relations between Islam and the Christian West at a fundamental level" (294). It is unfortunate that this was the "Muslims' first experience of the Western world, and it has not been forgotten to this day" (294). This all acted to completely change the Muslims' view of their Holy City.

Aside from these events, I noticed throughout the chapters that there was a point in history when all three religions that I have mentioned had lived side by side where they did respect one another. It's amazing to me that this has happened through the course of history; it just goes to say that it is possible. It is just a matter of accepting one another regardless of one's beliefs.

It's so interesting for me to see the Islamic side of the story. Reading and learning about the prophet Mohammad and how my ignorant negative associations with the Islamic religion are quite false. He is a very similar message--much like my own God. Worshiping one God and only one God. I found it interesting that Mohammad did not intend to create a new religion, he just wanted to restore and potentially expand the old one. Living with others of the same faith is so important in order to maintain peace but if those of differing faiths just realized that in the end, most religions preach the same thing. By realizing this, peace can be achieved and maintained, knowing that different faiths have different reasons that Jerusalem is a holy city.

Before reading this chapters, I really knew nothing about the Muslim faith or Islamic religion. Being exposed to their ideas and beliefs have led me to a more open minded viewpoint believing in the harmony and coexistence of more than one religion together, in the same place.

The Power of Music

Questions for Mariam Said:
1. What has been the most dramatic change in the process for the struggle for peace that you have witnessed throughout your work?
2. How have your perspectives changed from the beginning, when you first started on the project, compared to where you stand now?

The Power of Music...

It is amazing to be how this exchange between two very important figures in today’s culture is so carefully documented. Barnboim, being an Israeli from Argentina, and Said who is a Palestinian American—are able to be such close friends and relate to one another in such a unique way. I think it’s a beautiful idea that people from such opposing viewpoints can come together and find a commonplace in the art of music; on the other hand, I don’t think this can be any type of solution. It is a very temporary attempt at a solution to an argument that has been going on for way too long. If for some reason this shared passion has to be taken away, what are they left with? How can one translate their thoughts through something more concrete? Don’t get me wrong, the fact that they are doing something together such as this is so beautiful and meaningful, yet it is not something that has the capability to withstand direct conflict that is happening in the area. Music is something that all types of cultures enjoy—and if it is only the beginning to the path for peace, so be it. I’ll take that over anything else. Music does have the capability to bring people together.

With that being said, this conflict runs so much deeper than anything that music would ever have the ability to solve. It’s going to take a lot more than organized workshops to solve a conflict that’s been going on for so long. I am not sure I am optimistic to there ever being a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but I can only hope.

In Noura’s article, "Homeland Redefined: Spaces of National Belonging", it was made clear to the reader the difference between Israelis and Palestinians was made very clear; I think that’s important because it allows somebody who doesn’t know a lot about the conflict to really understand more. The article makes it very clear to the reader that both groups of people are fighting over something that they both want; in doing so, it describes various definitions and perceptions of a homeland, holiness, and sacred space. The article also does a very good job of highlighting information about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and in doing so, we are able to see the conflict presented in a different way. After reading this article, I can definitely say that anybody who wasn’t familiar with the conflict prior to reading it, will have a decent idea of what is going on. Of course there is so much more to the conflict, but it does a great job of sorting through the main points.

Chapters 8-9

In the next couple chapters I have Armstrong goes into the aftermath of the destruction of the temple. The Romans were very brutal in accomplishing their task-which they did. After the destruction of the temple, life for the Jews "had neither value nor significance, and it seems that in these dark days many Jews lost their faith" (155). Jerusalem was central to their religion and they were not on a quest to give it up. They had to muster up "all their creativity to survive this devastating loss" (155). They didn't give up hope, because after all, the last time the temple had been destroyed, it was miraculously restored and rebuilt, against all odds.

Not only did the Roman occupation destroy the temple and force many Jews out, it didn't allow and inevitably persecuted any of the Christians that would inhabit the land later on. Christians had their own connection to the land and the Romans tried to come in between that. In chapter 9, Armstrong really focused on the spread of Christianity and it's impact on the land and the people. There were so many different arguments and disputes that arose as a result but they continued on in the way that they thought was right, regardless of the Romans efforts to stop them. It's amazing to me how seperate religions interpret the same events in such different ways. When the Christians gained a more prevalent power in the area, they "called themselves the new Israel" (193). They took the land away from the Jews that was rightfully theirs by "annexing the Jews' Holy City through an imperially funded building program" (193).

Chapters 5-7

I don't know how this happened but I logged on to post for chapters 8-10 and I realized that my previous post for chapters 5-7 never made it on here! Anyways, here it is:

In these three chapters, Karen Armstrong breaks down Jerusalem's history in even more detail by talking about it before Jesus came into the picture and even during his appearance. God was present, but in so many different ways and in so many different faiths. The destruction of the temple marked a period in which there wasn't a sense of God and more than anything, the people had lost their sense of faith and hope. Chapter 5 highlights a lot of the Jews' experience and how their return was anticipated where Yahweh's presence was still felt. Not only in Chapter 5, but in the rest of the chapters for this sections reading, the Jews had a continuous effort to protect their land, essentially fighting for their temple. By protecting their beloved temple, they were able to show their undeniable love for it. During this time, other Jewish religious sites were destroyed. Towards the end of the reading, it highlights the invasion of the temple by the Romans. The Jews acted in a gracious manner and did everything they could to protect their temple.

It's amazing to me how rich this history really is. I can't believe that there is so much that I just had no idea about. Reading this book has let me delve into Jerusalem's incredible history but I can't wait until I am able to apply some of this knowledge to what is currently going on in that part of the world.

History - chapters 1-4 reactions

After reading about the history of Jerusalem in Karen Armstrong's first four chapters, I felt very informed yet still confused. I found myself re-reading the same paragraph over and over again because I just couldn't remember all the different names, places, and events that were talked about. I really liked how Armstrong started off her chapters (especially in the Index), where she refers to Jerusalem as place that is holy and sacred to so many different people. The fact that she mentions that Israel is a "holy" place for both Israelis and for Palestinians is key. This point needs to be recognized. It's unfortunate that holy is defined completely differently to both groups, but that just goes without say. I liked that when the word holy was mentioned, it almost always pertained to god. God is the one and only that has the ability to make something Holy. Religion starts with an experience, and only after that is there an explanation. I really liked that part of the reading.

I need to go back and read the chapters over again and take notes to really make sense out of them. I am honestly overwhelmed with all the history that was provided in these four chapters. It has given me a better understanding of where we are coming from when we talk about the history of Jerusalem. While reading, it was hard to recognize who controlled what part of land at a specific time, but Karen Armstrong allows the reader to grasp onto something they hadn't known previously. To me, most of this was new information-at least from the Palestinian part. I knew only some of the references she made when she referred to the Israelis/Jews. She does a very good job of summarizing key events while still maintaining a time order so as to not confuse the reader. For me, my main problem was the enormous amount of information. It was just a little difficult to keep track of everything! Overall though, I really enjoyed immersing myself completely into Jerusalem's history and it has given me insight and reference for future information that may be thrown my way.

History of Jerusalem (Second week)

Although I would have liked to begin talking about the conflict right away because that is what interests me the most, I deem it necessary to work to understand the history of Jerusalem. After all, one must understand the history and what brought it to the place where it is now, before they can understand what is going on in the present day.

In Mick Dumper’s, “Jerusalem Then and Now,” makes the point that Jerusalem doesn’t really have any significant resources that make it so problematic; it is the fact that it holds the history and people of 3 very different and sometimes conflicting faiths. All three must be considered and valued when analyzing Jerusalem’s history. It serves as a holy city that also stands as a type of political symbol. In the first two articles it is often noted that Jerusalem’s history is often challenged and contested. Different religious groups see the city derived from different historical origins; Rhashid Khalidi writes this article from the perspective of an Arab Muslim. From the Arab population’s perspective, east Jerusalem is occupied territory. It is their hope that after a peace process occurs—east Jerusalem can become the capital of the Palestinian state. They hope to do this while still maintaining “religious freedom for everyone at the holy sites sacred to the three Abrahamic faiths.” I’m personally not quite sure how they intend to this, considering Israel has negotiated peace on so many different occasions now, and the Palestinians are continuously showing violence. This violence is pushing them farther and farther away from acquiring any type of Arab capital.

In the article written by Rehav Rubin, it gives a very detailed account of the tedious history of Jerusalem. This article includes all of the events and stages that Jerusalem went through and how it was divided all throughout the years, even in the earliest of days. Throughout each period in history, Jerusalem was going through a different tribulation pertaining to one of the three religions. Through all of it’s archaeology, we are able to see how unique Jerusalem’s history really is and how this city really is a sacred one to the three religions of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

The fourth paper presented to us in the readings mainly on the Palestinian Conflict while including Jerusalem as a main part of it. It gave so much information about the conflict and provided a lot of detail and important history. It’s so long and so detailed that it was quite difficult for me to keep track of everything that was said by the time the article was wrapping up. It gave detailed accounts of many peace efforts that were attempted to be put into place by a lot of different important people. Through this lens, one is really able to familiarize themselves with the main people and events that are directly associated with the conflict.