by Ehab Zahriyeh

Between Bedouin neighborhoods, Palestinian refugee camps, and old Roman ruins—if you look hard enough—one will find burial sites of Muslim leaders of the past scattered across the dry desert hills east of the Jordan Valley. From prophets to saints to warriors, their tombs and caves of over a thousand years ago remain intact and respected.

A couple of years ago, I visited about a dozen of these burial sites, and made prayers for each thanking them for their sacrifices. I wondered to myself, ‘if these individuals had passed east of the Jordan Valley, then I’m sure many more have also passed west, in Jerusalem and its surroundings.’ It is home to Al-Aqsa Mosque, the first Qibleh, Prophet Muhammad’s—peace and blessings be upon Him—miracle night journey, and many Muslim empires and leaders.

On my recent trip to Palestine/Israel, I attempted to do the same as I did in Jordan. However, a simple journey to discover and respect history is locked in a political battle.

Adjacent to the ancient walls of Jerusalem sits a Muslim burial site stuck on the Jewish side of the city. Surrounded by modern shopping centers, the Independence Park and construction for the magnificent Waldorf Astoria hotel resort; the Mamilla cemetery can easily go unnoticed. For over 1400 years, some of the most prominent Muslim scholars and warriors have been laid to rest there. But they are now being awakened from the dead. Israel is planning to destroy a significant part of the 33-acre cemetery to build a museum ironically titled, “Center for Human Dignity – Museum of Tolerance.” But what about dignity for the dead?

Israel claims the cemetery has been abandoned for decades, but Palestinians argue that since the creation of the Jewish State, it has been challenging for most Palestinian Muslims and Muslims around the world to visit and preserve the burial site.

While Israel has been investing in discovering and rewriting Jewish history and presence in and around Jerusalem, it has been actively erasing Muslim history from the historical city. A place where history legitimizes our existence today…the battle for claim is killing the already dead. In year 2008, over 250 skeletons have been excavated and over 200 graves have been exposed. Initially, there was an international outcry to stop the plans and disrespect for the dead. But like so many other sub-conflicts in Israel, the fire has dwindled and the plans continue.

Though the fight to keep Mamilla cemetery alive may already be long lost, some of the graves are still there for now. And there is still room for action. Every able Muslim Palestinian and every Muslim who visits Jerusalem should also visit the Mamilla cemetery and offer prayers to our fallen leaders. It may be the last time those warriors of Islam will ever be respected. By doing so will also display the cemetery’s significance. There has also been a petition (http://www.mamillacampaign.org/) to preserve what is left of the burial site.

I was fortunate enough to visit Mamilla and offer prayers. Hopefully, the next time I visit Jerusalem, their graves will still be intact.

Related posts:

1. GUEST POST: “Why won’t this work?”
2. Guest Post: March 11th
3. Guest Post: Verdict Against Holy Land Charity Could Have a Chilling Effect on the Muslim Community
4. Guest Post: A Letter From A Palestinian Muslim to Santa
5. Guest Post: Caricatures of Ramallah