Vatican City, Mecca and Jerusalem

Southwest Asia is home to a variety of cultures as well as religions. It has an significant past with three major religions: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. It is quite remarkable that Southwest Asia has been a holy place for all three, and although it causes turmoil it is important to understand the three religions and their customs. Such information may help us not to judge so quickly or perhaps to grow in our knowledge about the world. Hopefully this will help everyone to have a wider view of the world than just the town they reside in or even the country they live in.

To Muslims, Jerusalem is where Mohammed was taken to heaven. At the time of the crusades, their focal prayer point was at Jerusalem, but later on, they moved the focal point of prayer to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. But they still considers Jerusalem their Holy Land.

A Study of the Christian Pilgrimage to the Holy Land And the Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca

According to the Christian Faith Jerusalem holds significant religious importance due to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and many other important religious sites. This is detailed in The Capture of Jerusalem by John France “Jerusalem had a special place in the religion and culture of medieval europe for it was the place Christ had died and his empty tomb in the church of the holy sepulchre was the very symbol of christian belief”. Pope Urban II called for the crusades to secure these sites for christians in that area and around the world. These sites also hold a religious importance to the Islamic Faith to this day, which is also seen in The Capture of Jerusalem “For Jerusalem is sacred to islam: its name al-Kuds, ‘the city of the sanctuary’, refers to the important shrine we now call the

The Middle East is home to the creation of so many different cultures and religions. It is the home to the most prominent monotheistic faiths of this lifetime. Those faiths are Christianity, essentially Catholicism, and Islam. They do not only share a similar origin, but share the same ancestors and stories of prophets and people. There is a connection between the profound values of truth, love, and mercy that Catholics and Muslims hold dear. Although there are a great many commonalities between Catholicism and Islam, it is important to note the key foundations that make both religions special.

Islam and Judaism are two of the world’s largest monotheistic religions. Islam is the religion of Muslims which was revealed by the Prophet Muhammed. Judaism is the religion of the Jewish which began with the covenant between Abraham and God. Islam and Judaism may seem as though they are very distinct religions due to conflict that may be shared but they are in fact on the contrary as the two religions share various similarities, it is of course inevitable that the two religions will also have their differences. A common held belief of Islam and Judaism includes, the belief of occupying a main place of worship, which for Muslims is a Mosque and for the Jewish a Synagogue also known as a temple. The similarities and differences of practices, values and beliefs

All the major religions of the world have cities that hold special significance to their religion. It

Religious spaces, characterized by Thomas Tweed, are “differentiated,” “interrelated,” and “kinetic.” As a sacred city with spiritual significance in three major religions, Jerusalem is depicted thoroughly in the Hebrew Bible and illustrated as one of the spaces Tweed defines. The Bible emphasizes that Jerusalem was chosen by God and honored by Israelites, which differentiates it as a special, singular space; the description of Solomon’s Temple shows that the Holy City was interrelated to economic power and involved in the judgment of civil cases. Moreover, the conquest, development and destruction of Jerusalem illustrate the city as a kinetic space, reflecting the unsettled history of the Iron Age. These characteristics all make Jerusalem a religious and political center from the ancient Near East time to present day, guiding the footsteps of believers around the world.

Both holy sites are literally stacked on top of each other, which causes tension over who controls the sites. Because they are unable to find common ground, the cultural landscape is strained.

Two religions that are more related than any other religions are Christianity and Judaism. Both religions have similar beliefs. They also both believe in God and Jesus. This is where there is a difference: Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah and died to save its followers from sin. Jews believe that Jesus is only a prophet, and the Messiah has not yet arrived. Another similarity is the sacred site. Jerusalem is a sacred city for three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In addition to Jerusalem, Islamic people travel to Mecca and the city of Medina to pray as well. Another important site for Christians is Bethlehem—the birthplace of Jesus.

1. In what ways is the Holy Land an important site for all three monotheistic faiths? For Christians is the city were Jesus was crucified & where He also rose from the death. For Muslims is the place where Mohammad ascended to the heavens to meet God. For Jews, King David had named it and it was where Solomon had built the temple & also the Wailing Wall is in this city.

Comic resolution is seen symbolically as an act of rebirth, renewal and affirmation in the final act of Jerusalem. Act 3 is the scene where all problems that have arisen in Act 1 and Act 2 are solved.

Jerusalem is of significant value to all Christians since it is the city where Jesus Christ lived and died. Therefore, it is no surprise that Christians would want to protect this city from Muslim invaders, just as Muslims had conquered North Africa, Palestine, Mesopotamia, the Persian Empire, and territories in southern Asia and the Indian subcontinent for their jihad. The word jihad can be translated as struggle or holy war. Further, Christians often had to work side-by-side with Muslims in the territories they captured, specifically when the crusaders formed an alliance with Egyptians against invading Seljuk Turks because the captured territories often lacked settlers and defenders. This would mean that crusaders were far more likely to

The Pope uses a persuasive and convincing tone by telling the people present that if they fight in the Crusade, their sins will automatically be forgiven.

Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world. Located in between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea, It is the main destination for those tourists that have a desire of getting a grasp of the Western East Countries, and for many, a unique religious experience. However, Jerusalem: also called the "Holy Land" has by its name a very controversial meaning: " The City of Peace". Once ago in this place, according to the Hebrew Bible (The Tanakh), the Temple of Solomon was built. According to the Muslim Bible (The Quran), also the location of the Dome of the Rock. From the Christian point of view and The Bible, It was once the place where the trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus took place. This series of religious events have brought up along with it a conflict in between Middle Eastern Countries for more than 50 years long with one main question on the plate: Who fairly and ethically deserves to live in the Holy Land?