Violation of Holy Sites in Jerusalem

Abstract

Jerusalem is a holy city to hundreds of millions of people around the world from different faiths(The Applied Research Institute Jerusalem, 2012). For Jews it is the site of Solomon's Temple, and the Jewish bond with Jerusalem has been maintained throughout the generations. Three times each day, Jews turn to face the Western Wall of the Temple when they pray. For Christians, Jerusalem is the city of Jesus' last days. Christians from around the world dream of praying at the Holy Places in Jerusalem. Muslims worldwide yearn for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, second in importance only to the pilgrimage to Mecca. The Dome of the Rock marks the site of the Prophet Mohammad's ascent to heaven. Local Muslims make a special effort to attend Friday prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan (Dumper & Larkin, 2009).