The Troubles of Shared Sacred Space
Andre Benveniste
The idea of sacred space is a focal point in both of this week’s readings. It is shown to give direction to people’s lives and does not necessarily carry religious significance. Individuals can therefore have different spaces that nonetheless hold the same value. Subsequently, because people have different values, I was drawn to the fact that Israelites, including the Patriarchs, showed respect towards Canaanite religion and culture in their early history; even implementing aspects of Canaanite culture into their own religion. This fact, unfortunately, could not be any different from the current polarized status between Palestinians and Israelis, where both groups fail to acknowledge each other’s rights to their conception of sacredness. As this polarization increases, peace between both nations becomes ever more difficult. However, understanding that the Israelites were once at peace with the Canaanites, the supposed ancestors of modern-day Palestinians, allows for me to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
However, many Israelis and Palestinians alike do not see any light at the end of the tunnel. This is mainly attributed to the recent war between both nations, starting on Sep. 7, 2023. With such a calamitous event, both sides believe that “they cannot survive if the other has power” (Sachs). With this approach, peace will really never come to fruition. Besides, it is only natural that one side is more powerful than the other. Peace therefore becomes impossible.
For peace to become a plausible solution, it is necessary for both sides to acknowledge that they share the same sacred space. After all, Palestinians and Israelis would not be fighting over the same small strip of land if it did not possess any significance. It is consequently fundamental for both sides to understand that men do not choose sacred sights. Rather, the divine in both Judaism and Islam proclaimed the same space as holy: Jerusalem. Although, Jerusalem’s holiness has recently been overshadowed by this misunderstanding and inability of co-existence. This is especially seen in the attacks in the Al-Aqsa Mosque where “As Palestinian Muslims gathered for Ramadan Prayer, Israeli authorities used blatantly and unjustified force against them” (UN). These forms of aggression cannot take place on such sacred ground. By evoking such violence, individuals on both sides tend to lose their direction in life. Something that is provided by sacred space. Without clear directions, life has essentially no meaning, which is the most undesirable form of life. Therefore, in such events, it would be wise for both communities to come together or, at bare minimum, accept each other as their ancestors once did.
References:
Israel: Un Expert Condemns Brutal Attacks on Palestinians at Al-Aqsa Mosque.UN. 6 Apr. 2023, www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/04/israel-un-expert-condemns-brutal-attacks-palestinians-al-aqsa-mosque. Accessed 25 Jan. 2024.
Sachs, Natan. “Peace between Israelis and Palestinians Remains Possible.” Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2024,www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/peace-between-israelis-and-palestinians-remains-possible. Accessed 25 Jan. 2024.
Nice post about sacred space and conflicts when different groups claim the same space as sacred. I like how you bring in outside sources and provide the bibliographic information; that being said, some of the information in your first paragraph could have included citations from the Armstrong book. Remember to preview your post before officially posting it; the formatting of your third paragraph is off and the image would look better larger. Also, there is an official way to post captions for photos, which you should use.
ReplyDeleteClarification: I think you mean October 7th.