The Islamic conquest at the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab [638 AD] put an end to centuries of instability, religious persecution, and colonial rule. After the advent of Islam, people enjoyed security, safety, and peace- with the exception of the period of the Crusades (1099-1198). There was scholarly activity on a wide scale. It was a center of learning from which a large number of scholars graduated. It enjoyed the care of the Khalifas and the Muslim rulers.
Jews returned to the City only when the Muslims took over and opened it to all believers. In other words, Jerusalem was not an exclusive city during Muslim rule. For example, the arrival of Umar in Jerusalem marked the start of a golden age and the beginning of a new era during which the City became an open city for all the nations, a city for justice and peace.
Umar was "faithful to the Islamic inclusive vision. Unlike the Jews and Christians, Muslims did not attempt to exclude others from Jerusalem's holiness" and instead of excluding these religions in Jerusalem, "Muslims were being taught to respect them.
"From the first, Muslims showed that the respect of sacred space did not have to mean conflict, enmity, killng, and exclusion of others...From the start, the Muslims developed an inclusive vision of Jerusalem which did not deny the presence and devotion of others, but respected their rights and celebtrated plurality and co-existence. This inclusive vision of holiness is sorely needed by the people of Jerusalem today." **
** Karen Armstrong "Sacred Space: the Holiness of Jerusalem,"
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2007-10-06
08:28:36
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