Tension in Jaffa around Desecration of the Muslim Graveyard
Some 35 years ago the waqf of the Muslim graveyard in Abu Qabir sold the land. For a lot of money.The waqf had been appointed by the Ministry of the Interior and they ofcourse selected people who would serve THEM rather than the Jaffa Muslim community they were supposed to serve.
The sale was made without even asking the community.
But the community was not silent, as expected. they took the sale to court and after a lengthy fight they lost. Last week.
Apparently the developers expected to be able to continue the destruction of Jaffa. Not only the living, but even the dead aren't respected. The only graveyard serving the community is about to be partially destroyed in order to contruct private dwellings on it.
To quote Alain Fleisher "the death of death".
But things in Jaffa have changed. Some 35 years ago the appointed Waqf could, perhaps, do what they wanted. No longer so.
There is extreme anger amongst Jaffa's community. Not only the religious and not only the Muslims. It is one of the first times all of the community are joining in a unified fight.
On the one hand, it makes me a little sad that the struggle for housing did not unify people. After all, viable housing solutions for the living are of a critical importance for the community, for Jaffa.
Yet at the same time it's good to see people from so many different groups and movements, who under normal conditions don't even talk to each other, unified for the good of the community.
Construction on the graveyard land will NOT serve Jaffa's people.
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5 comments:
this article seems to indicate that the sanctity of a muslim burial ground is not perpetual.. http://moderate.wordpress.com/2006/02/20/adl-stop-building-over-muslim-graves/
personally i think thats quite gross.. i would never want to live over someone's grave..
Thisgraveyard is in use and it is the only one in Jaffa.
Moreover,part of it was sold against the community's wishes, by means of a non kosher method: appointing "the right people" for the deal on the waqf.
The deal goes strictly against the interests and aims of the waqf
thats sad.. why arent they bagatzing?
They already did and it is bagatz who threw them out.
The land under discussion has new graves on it, people who were buried some weeks ago.
This is not some ancient graveyard that hasn't been in use for hundreds of years and no one remembers.
This is the only active Muslim graveyard in Jaffa
who owns it now..
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