Religion, Philosophy, and Nationalism Across the Middle East by Griffiths Katie;

Author:Griffiths, Katie; [Griffiths, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cavendish Square Publishing LLC

Another unique fact about Israel is that it is the world’s only Jewish-majority state. Its Jewish population is made up of traditional, secular, and Haredi Jews, as well as Religious Zionists. Muslims are Israel’s largest religious minority and the majority of Israeli Arabs are Sunni Muslims. Relations between religious groups, such as Jews and non-Jews, Muslims and Christians, and even different sects of Judaism, are often strained. Although Israeli law grants equal civil rights to all citizens regardless of religion, ethnicity, or heritage, the country was founded to provide a national home, safe from persecution, to the Jewish people. As such, the government does give preferential treatment to individuals who fall within the criteria of the Law of Return. This mandate, passed in 1950, allows foreign-born Jews and their families the right to live in Israel and to become Israeli citizens.

Religion is inseparable from the country’s national identity and civil life. It has played a major role in Israel’s history, largely due to its location on a major part of the Holy Land. This region is important to all Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Druze, and the Baha’i Faith) because it is home to many sites that are pivotal in their religion’s history. These sites include the Old City, the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In Judaism, the Temple Mount is the most important religious site in the world. It is believed that the divine presence of God has manifested more times here than in any other place. Also, Jews believe that the world expanded out to its current form from this place, and that God created the first human using dust from the area. The Western Wall gains sacred status due to its proximity to the Temple Mount. Jewish and Christian prayer on the Temple Mount is forbidden, with only Muslims being allowed access. In Christianity, Jerusalem is revered for its role both in the Old Testament and in the life of Jesus. In Islam, Jerusalem is the third holiest city, after Mecca and Medina. Muslims believe that the Dome of the Rock stands over the Foundation Stone from which Muhammad ascended to Heaven.

Jordan

The Treaty of London granted Jordan independence from Britain in March 1946. Signed by both the British government and the Emir of Transjordan, Abdullah I, this treaty dictated the terms by which Jordan would become its own monarchy with Abdullah as its king. Jordanian nationalism believes all people of Jordan to be part of the Arab Nation, and this may account for the Jordanian people’s open hospitality and tolerance toward other religions and ethnicities. In past years, the country has given asylum to Iraqi Christians fleeing persecution and has, to date, taken in over 1.4 million Syrian refugees. While the country is considered liberal in comparison to other Arab states, religion and tradition still play a major role in modern Jordanian society, and this balance has been severely tested by globalization.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.