The Many Faces of Jerusalem: From Contradiction to the Celebration of Diversity
Date
2025-05
Authors
Walid Salem
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Al-Quds University
Abstract
At the Threshold of Inquiry: The Questions of Jerusalem
How did Jerusalem come to be a perennial site of conflict throughout its history?
Has the city, across the ages, remained a fractured, fragmented space, where the
existence of the other is denied rather than acknowledged? Has there ever been
a time when Jerusalem became a haven for celebrating diversity—not on the
basis of contest and division, but through shared citizenship? If so, under what
conditions did this become possible, and what lessons might be drawn from the
past to shape a nonviolent present and future for the city?
How has religion, rather than acting as a unifying force to foster common ground,
become a catalyst for conflict—both between different faiths and within the sects
of each religion? Why is the Palestinian national identity of Jerusalem continually
threatened—targeted by ancient historical claims as well as contemporary
religious ones? And why are religious claims repeatedly invoked as a pretext for
asserting political sovereignty over the city?
Why, too, do we fail to follow the global precedent that affirms religious rights for
diverse communities within a framework of national sovereignty—one grounded
in inclusive citizenship that recognizes plurality and seeks to govern it through
peaceful means? Can Jerusalem overcome its entangled contradictions to become
a city that embraces diversity, manages it peacefully, and honors the globally
upheld right to national sovereignty and shared civic belonging?
This paper revolves around these questions and proposes a framework of thought
aimed at deconstructing their complexities, in pursuit of a future wherein
Jerusalem may flourish as a city that celebrates diversity. It begins with a concise
survey of global experiences in navigating the tension between fragmentation
and plurality, with particular emphasis on the national and religious dimensions
as paradigms of such governance, and the current state of global practice in this
regard.
The paper then turns to the case of Jerusalem, examining its manifold identities— national, religious, social-communal, cultural, and beyond. It explores how these
facets manifest through the interwoven intersections and contradictions of al-
Quds, Jerusalem, and Yerushalayim. Finally, the paper concludes with a vision
for the city’s future—one rooted in a peaceful framework for managing its affairs
through shared citizenship, inspired by the ideas of the late leader Faisal al-
Husseini. His vision is revisited and reinterpreted in light of the developments
that have transpired since his passing in 2001.