Egyptians are, for the most part, confused about what role religion should have in their everyday life. One of my professors (a Christian) recently explained her fears of a Cairo ruled by "the Islamists" meaning the Muslim Brotherhood. Students are caught between wanting to be a secular Western-leaning nation, and a Muslim nation. No one I have met believes the two can exist simultaneously. Many of the students I have spoken to about religion associate religion with backwardness and dismiss the role of religion in politics. A recent trip to Jerusalem gave me an alternate perspective on the role of religion in politics. I learned that religion is often utilized as a political tool by the political elite in both Israel and Egypt.
I would have to agree with the Egyptian students that religion has been used to shape certain political struggles that are not religious in their base. I am a Palestinian Muslim who was born in Jerusalem. However, political troubles cause me to be unable to visit this Holy City, even with my American passport. Since I am of Palestinian background, the Israeli authorities believe I am a security threat and render me unable to visit this city, even though I was born there and even though I am an American citizen. Any ID cards issued to Palestinians by the State of Israel must list their religion—a little ironic for a country that was established for a group of people to escape religious persecution. The establishment of the State of Israel is the perfect example of religion being utilized to achieve political goals. Zionism, the political movement that supports the establishment of a homeland for the Jewish people, is not a religious movement. In my opinion, it is the political movement that was spurred in Europe by a mainly secular group of people. The atrocities committed by Hitler in the Holocaust accelerated the creation of Israel and US support for the establishment of the state. However, why can't Arabs (both Muslim and Christian) exist side by side, as equal citizens in this area? Why does it have to be a "Jewish" state?
Of course, anytime I question the Jewish-ness of Israel, I am accused of anti-Semitism. Unfortunately, when someone denies the existence of Palestinians, the label loses ground, even though Palestinians are also Semitic.
Jerusalem has been the center of contention and controversy for centuries. Jews, Christians, and Muslims fought for this city, and it is the home of religious sites for all major religions. I will not go into the history of Jerusalem. Rather, I would like to describe the feelings I had while on the ground exploring the Old City and visiting the main religious sites.
The Old City is the location where Jews believe the Jewish Temples once existed. Today, the Western Wall is the holiest site to Jews. It sits right below al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Muslims consider Jerusalem to be the third holiest city in Islam. Christians believe that Jesus was crucified and buried in the Old City. The Church of the Holy Sepluchre is within the one square kilometer area of the Old City.
It is truly hard to describe the feelings of visiting these sites firsthand. The overwhelming sense of spirituality I felt cannot be described properly in words. I noticed that at all three sites, people acted in similar manners. Many were quiet, reflective, praying, and worshiping the same God. These sites are so close, yet so far away from each other. Muslims, Jews, and Christians pass each other in the market, but the sense was that interaction was extremely limited. There was a sense of bitterness and division. I felt on edge, and the Arabs of Jerusalem (many of whom were once part of the city are now on the opposite side of the separation wall, and thus in the West Bank) were extremely sad. Everyone seemed on edge in a place where one would hope religion could be more important than politics. Instead, we have a case where religion dictates and shapes politics.
When I returned to Egypt, I looked at the mosques, churches, and few synagogues through a different point of view. I started looking more at the role of religion as a legitimacy tool utilized by both the Muslim Brotherhood on one side and by Mubarak on the other. Instead of religion being distinct and separate from the state apparatus, it is a function of that apparatus in Egypt. When President Mubarak wants to appeal to religious Muslims, he utilizes Islamic metaphors and images. When he wants to appeal to secular citizens and Coptic residents, he emphasizes his regime's secularism and stance against religious parties. The fear of Cairo's secular leaders of Egypt ruled by "Islamists" frightens them and causes them to accept the status quo. Mubarak utilizes al-Azhar University; the oldest university in the world, which was once a flourishing Sunni center where fatwas (religious rulings) were born, has now become an institution marred by corruption and ruled by members of Mubarak's ruling party.
What role will religion play in the future of the Arab world? The answer depends on people reclaiming their religion and freeing it from the corruption of politics and war that utilizes religion to create a self-fulfilling prophecy that continues and continues .
Of course, anytime I question the Jewish-ness of Israel, I am accused of anti-Semitism. Unfortunately, when someone denies the existence of Palestinians, the label loses ground, even though Palestinians are also Semitic.
Jerusalem has been the center of contention and controversy for centuries. Jews, Christians, and Muslims fought for this city, and it is the home of religious sites for all major religions. I will not go into the history of Jerusalem. Rather, I would like to describe the feelings I had while on the ground exploring the Old City and visiting the main religious sites.
The Old City is the location where Jews believe the Jewish Temples once existed. Today, the Western Wall is the holiest site to Jews. It sits right below al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Muslims consider Jerusalem to be the third holiest city in Islam. Christians believe that Jesus was crucified and buried in the Old City. The Church of the Holy Sepluchre is within the one square kilometer area of the Old City.
It is truly hard to describe the feelings of visiting these sites firsthand. The overwhelming sense of spirituality I felt cannot be described properly in words. I noticed that at all three sites, people acted in similar manners. Many were quiet, reflective, praying, and worshiping the same God. These sites are so close, yet so far away from each other. Muslims, Jews, and Christians pass each other in the market, but the sense was that interaction was extremely limited. There was a sense of bitterness and division. I felt on edge, and the Arabs of Jerusalem (many of whom were once part of the city are now on the opposite side of the separation wall, and thus in the West Bank) were extremely sad. Everyone seemed on edge in a place where one would hope religion could be more important than politics. Instead, we have a case where religion dictates and shapes politics.
When I returned to Egypt, I looked at the mosques, churches, and few synagogues through a different point of view. I started looking more at the role of religion as a legitimacy tool utilized by both the Muslim Brotherhood on one side and by Mubarak on the other. Instead of religion being distinct and separate from the state apparatus, it is a function of that apparatus in Egypt. When President Mubarak wants to appeal to religious Muslims, he utilizes Islamic metaphors and images. When he wants to appeal to secular citizens and Coptic residents, he emphasizes his regime's secularism and stance against religious parties. The fear of Cairo's secular leaders of Egypt ruled by "Islamists" frightens them and causes them to accept the status quo. Mubarak utilizes al-Azhar University; the oldest university in the world, which was once a flourishing Sunni center where fatwas (religious rulings) were born, has now become an institution marred by corruption and ruled by members of Mubarak's ruling party.
What role will religion play in the future of the Arab world? The answer depends on people reclaiming their religion and freeing it from the corruption of politics and war that utilizes religion to create a self-fulfilling prophecy that continues and continues .
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