Prior to 1967 part of the western wall was used as a toilet by local Arab residents of Jerusalem’s Old City. One wonders, since we hear from groups that the Wall is also an Islamic holy site called “al-Buraq” why would one build a toilet at it?
We always hear these stories about “coexistence” in Ottoman Palestine before the arrival of Zionists in the 19th century.
But what was this coexistence? Toilets next to holy sites, purposely placed there because the residents knew it was holy to someone else. Let’s see, also slaughterhouses and other stench next to the Jewish quarter. Part of the “coexistence” of putting latrines and animal blood next to the religion you “coexist” with?
The reality of “coexistence” in the Middle East is that there was no real coexistence in most places. There was second and third class status for minorities, whichever those minorities happened to be. If they accepted that status then they were allowed to “exist” not truly coexistence, except on rare occasions.
That means when you “coexist” with people you constantly harass them through dominance; you build religious buildings purposely next to the holy sites of others, or you dump trash and animal parts and human waste next to the houses of worship and holy sites of others.
Even today for instance in the village of Artas in the West Bank the residents just “happen” to dump trash at the entrance to a Catholic Monastery. Surely it’s a coincidence.
There never was coexistence in most of the Middle East or Europe. It is one of the greatest lies. There was sometimes mutual existence; side by side, even times when minorities did well; but never was there truly any sense of equality and real respect and deference to others.
Today of course we can see the region suffering under even greater intolerance precisely because of the past low level symbolic intolerance.
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