Ramla 's known for its White Tower, Lydda (Lod - modern name) is home to the israeli Ben-Gurion international airport.
(Pls. type the name Ramla in the search box, and you get to my posts on the White Tower and the Ramla-Lod market).
The White Tower of Ramla
Both towns have a significant arab minority (centered mainly around the old part of the city), and that expresses itself in the history, religion, architecture, and culinary aspects of the place.
muslim women at Ramle open market
Despite their central position ,interesting history, several touristic attractions, and a famous market - non-residents keep away from visiting the two towns, unless strictly neccessary. The reason - violence - as a result of drug transactions , and/or aimed against arab women, on the ground of protecting 'family honor' . Sometimes, an innocent passerby might get hurt or even killed during a murder deed or a fight.
Yesterday, I went to Lod by train, and from the train station took the bus to the old town. This part of town has a bus terminal, a small city market which gets bigger on Tuesdays with the addition of a flee market, religious institutions, archeological remains.
It was at midday, the heat was scorching and as I was dressed in black I totally attracted the sun rays. Not a very pleasant feeling.
city market - apparently renovated
city market
at the end of market street - an in indian jewish synagogue
across the synagogue - the ruins of an ancient soap factory
the 3-language explanatory tin sign near the soap factory
back to back ; mosque in the background
the alley - tourists in and out of the greek church
door of the greek church; above, stone plate with greek inscription
Coexistence of religions gives much hope. A bit further, near the mosque there is a church and a synagogue. The last two even have a common wall!! Peace and coexistence are said to reign in this place. Nice, isn't it?
In spite of technology and education, the issue of family 'honor killing' (domestic violence) is still valid. Rumors can be enough to tarnish family reputation, and trigger an honor killing .
In March this year, a bride- to- be was shot and killed in Lod,one day before her wedding! How very tragic!
young muslim woman in jeans and...head cover - in Lod
muslim girls chatting in Ramla's covered market.
There were several tiny things on my route that brightened up reality:a painted plant pot, a mural with a camel at the bottom of a building, a painted phone cable box, an old building with some special windows, a nice door gate.
plant pot outside the church's door
painted phone cable box
lively mural with camel and sands
beautiful black gate door
old structure with interesting window design
At the end of the tour, before heading home, I treated myself to a turkey meat schawarma (schawarma - meat roasted on a revolving spit, and then 'shaved' to be put with salad, hummus, tachine, fries in a pita/baguette/lafa/or on a plate.). Life is good!
I love to read it. You make my world bigger.The tiny things makes your post special. The painted pot is so "vrolijk". Love the colors.
ReplyDeleteYes, even without the plant, the pot attracts attention. Indeed, it is the tiny things that add up to a big experience.
DeleteTrue!
DeleteYour posts widen my world view. I do enjoy your blog. Here in the U.S. two Muslim men stood as watch guards at a Baptist church. That is hopeful.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda, for your kind words.
DeleteMuslim guards at a church - yes, that is very hopeful indeed. Coexistence of reLigions may lead to general coexistence and vice versa.
Oh, we have one such small place at the very south of the country, at the border with Kosovo, which nobody (in their sane mind) enters, not even police, and funny - it is also a Muslim place.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what is your opinion about it, I'd love to hear it, but seeing hijab on women (whether it is forced or not, or just a product of their forced sense of shame) deeply unsettles me. I often thought what I'd do if I was still a teacher and had a student wearing hijab, and I never came to a satisfying conclusion. I only know I couldn't stand watching someone so young oppressed and it pains me that our more modern culture is often, today, forced to just accept it in today's insanely and overly politically-tolerant world.
Honour killing is something we've had down in Montenegro, I think they call it blood revenge or something like that, it is usually passed through many generations. It is crazy how we haven't moved much from mediaeval times, right?
Honor Killing is usually done by a family member: father, brother, husband decide to kill daughter, sister, wife -"to save the family's honor".
DeleteAs for the head covering - I used to have no opinion until I noticed that many of the young muslim women wear heavy make-up on their face. So, I ask - where's the modesty here? I've never asked anyone about that, but I intend to ask the young employee at the supermarket this question why make up yes, and uncovered head no.
One of my friends across the globe, who wears a hijab over in Indonesia, told me her parents do not force her but she wears it because she feels safe but I'm thinking if you need to cover yourself up you ain't feeling safe at all, you are just afraid to face the world (she is a very modest and shy girl), and your parents obviously did not support you right because they've turned you into a weak person who is afraid to face reality. They don't understand that the feeling of shame has been forcefully put in them.
DeleteI have to admit that the reasons behind the 'hijab' are not entirely clear to me. In our orthodox jewish circles, women also wear head covers. I always thought it had to do with modesty, virtue, and not to attract men through the beauty of their capillar hair. Not sure anymore of anything. Religion has become highly commercialized.
DeleteI'm under the impression, the veil and head covering of muslim women has lately become a sign for ethnic and religious identity - more than anything else. Safety, modesty, shame, weakness are only in our vocabulary, not in their heads. I might be wrong. I'll try to go to the bottom of things.
Coexistrnce of religions is so important, I love that there are churches, mosques and synagogues. Have a lovely day☺
ReplyDeleteReligions can contribute a great deal to good relationships among groups,communities, and nations. They've got the right power and influence over their believers.
DeleteHonor killing is just horrible, but that's just my opinion. No muslims here in our area that I know of, but they're in Chicago area for sure, and I see your makeup comment above. I always wonder about that too, as they seem to go very heavy on the makeup.
ReplyDeleteYou said the weather was scorching on your outing. We've had rain and thunderstorms for ages here, and I'm wondering if we'll ever get some warm summer weather.
The black door is very unique and pretty. Wondering what the symbols at the bottom are, and is it a gate and fence around a residence, are they wealthy? So many questions... 😊
'Horrible' is a weak word for those atrocities. Sometimes one brother kills his sister alone, sometimes all the 3-4 brothers are in it. Unimaginable!
DeleteAs for the door, Pam, - yes, it's fence +gate around a residence, probably wealthy family. I don't know about the symbols, if any.
It's ghastly to even imagine that honor killings still take place. Thanks though for an interesting and important post. You live in such a different world.....
ReplyDeleteWell, this is not the world I live in, but a nearby world. Nowadays, countries everywhere have their 'nearby worlds', but if the country is big enough, you are unlikely to come upon the other world. We are a tiny country with no place to escape to.
DeleteHorrible to hear about these honour killings. However your shawarma sounds good!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes - schawarma is a delicacy! I don't have it often as I wish to keep my weight down, but whenever I do, it's a feast with many flavors. I guess you've got some schawarma version in Canada too as you get immigrants from the Middle East who bring the tradition with them.
DeleteThis is fascinating. Wonderful photos of a spot I'll probably never see, so thank you for that. The honor killings are so very sad. I don't understand but I suppose it happens in many places, it just takes different forms and names (street violence -- but targeted). I do love the proximity of the different houses of worship. It does indeed bring hope.
ReplyDeleteYou would think education and technology change things, but no. It appears they are only the outer envelope, the inner self stays unchanged for centuries. I've often heard the saying" you can take a man out of the desert, but not the desert out of the man. True and sad.
DeleteYou live in a completely different world to me.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. If only all religions could live together in harmony.
As mentioned in a previous comment, it's not my world but a nearby world. Nowadays, all countries have their 'nearby world' - your New Zealand too. The tragedy in Christchurch is a direct result of what cultural diversity can lead to.
Deleteco existence of religion indeed gives a lot of hope.
ReplyDeleteI know about honour killing. We have a large moslim community in the Netherlands where it still happens. It is horrible and unbelievable that it still happens on a big scale.
I love the market and all the beautiful buildings
I've seen the same proximity of mosque, church, synagogue in Sofia (Bulgaria) and I liked it very much. Religions are powerful and they could do a lot to make things work positively in the relationships among different ethnicities.
DeleteThank you, Duta, for broadening my knowledge. The concept of honor killing is terrible and certainly it exists in so many countries or cultures under different names. While it’s nit the same, it has always puzzled me how even religious groups can kill in the name if their “god.” You are right that black is not a good color choice in hot weather. Glad you gave yourself a treat.
ReplyDeleteSo far, nothing helped: women's protests, police work, nothing. Crime within family is the worst case scenario. Whenever a new case is reported in the Media, I get goosebumps.
Delete"...non-residents keep away from visiting the two towns, unless strictly neccessary. The reason - violence"
ReplyDeleteHorrible horrible horrible. The tradition of honor killing is just unspeakable.
But I am given hope by how the church and synagogue share a wall!
What seems to be religious coexistence versus cases of zero coexistence within families. Honor killing - unspeakabe phenomenon, indeed.
Deleteit's really sad that honor killings happen at all. I wish everyone could get along better but I don't see that happening all too well anywhere.
ReplyDeleteKilling within the family - the most ghastly happening one could ever think of. All the technology around (TV, cellphone ,computer) - can't prevent the prehistoric disaster. Very sad indeed.
DeleteWoow Nice article I am like your post. "Perfect "
ReplyDeleteGood job TanksFor sharing
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Thank you for your kind words.
DeleteAs I grew up in France the only honor killings I heard about was from the people in Corsica (an island off the coast of France) who killed for vengeance and for their families. By the way they are not Muslims, but usually Catholic. I hear it still happens sometimes. As for the hijab, when I went to Turkey with my mom when I was a child, hardly anyone was wearing it. The same when I visited my family in Cairo several times. I think it happened in the last few years as all countries, mostly Muslim, took a turn to the right and religious fervor erupted. We had an Algerian woman trainee here in GA and she never wore a head cover, but told me that when she returned to Algiers she did. She said may ultra religious guys would bother her about it and it was easier to just wear it outside, not that she wanted to. She said a lot of young women wear it for that reason. When I traveled to Tunis, Tunisia, again about 4 years ago I was surprised to see that very few young women wore the hijab there. I’ll add something funny. I took a plane from Rome to Addis Ababa and it had a stop in Saudi Arabia. At the start of the flight there were no women with any type of head covering but about ½ hour before we landed in Saudi Arabia many women suddenly were all in black with head coverings!
ReplyDeleteI tend to believe that, at least during the last years, and especially in the West, wearing the 'hijab' is more of an identity symbol rather than a religious one.
DeleteThanks for the detailed comment; you seem to know a lot about the subject as you've visited muslim countries, and head covering is part of the landscape, so to speak.
Everything I was thinking to write has already been stated very well. Modern times and tolerance on one hand, with unchanging ancient 'rules' on the other is almost unimaginable.
ReplyDeleteThings like that constantly bring me back to the saying of: 'you can take a person out of the desert, you can't take the desert out of that person'. Regardless of the environment, the desert is always present in mentality.
Deleteno matter the motive killing should not be tolerated this day and time. There are areas of Nashville I do not go because it has teenage criminals. They kill, steal and live on rudeness. I do not understand the Muslim culture but with all the bad press I feel very uncomfortable around any of them no matter their gender. I am thankful you got back safely to your home. Peace
ReplyDeleteSo very glad to hear from you!
DeleteI always say the message should be short and clear: 'Nobody, under any circumstances, has the right to take another person's life'.
Sadly, this message gets drowned into all kinds of politically correct mumbles.
Very interesting post ! I think it is so bad and sad that for a religion whatever it is people become racists or kill each other. That has nothing to do with God, these are only human religions
ReplyDeleteHonor Killing is more of a social phenomenon rather than a religious one.It is committed by a family member against a female family member thought to be guilty of bringing dishonor upon the family.
DeleteThis is such an interesting post, DUTA. We hear of honor killings every now and then, here in the states. Such a very sad thing. The pictures are amazing, but none of us would know their story, without your excellent narrative. Thank you for letting us tag along. Next best thing to being there.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bica, for your kind words.
DeleteAny form of killing makes us sad. If only we could have prevented it!
May be there are fewer 'honor killing' cases than in the past,yet even one case is too much , and each year there are several such cases.
It is both tragic and a beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the idea about the vinegar. I shall try it. Or stay indoors!!!!
There is beauty in this place, but tragedy overshadows it. The same applies to the 'twin', nearby town of Ramla.
Delete(As for the vinegar, you're welcome; hope it helps).
Something to strive for: fewer "honor" killings in the coming years than in the previous.
ReplyDeleteBut are we progressing as people? So very much unhappiness in the world...
Pearl
There are fewer, but we wish None.
DeleteOur progress as people is controversial, I must say. So far, it has given us a lot of misery.
I always find your posts so interesting, DUTA...they're always an intriguing diverse potpourri. Thank you. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lee, for the compliment. To achieve a certain degree of interesting level, one has to look at the diversity of things.
DeleteWouldn't you think that at the confluence of three religions they could all live out their creed of a belief in God and coexist in peace, with respect for each other, and certainly abandon this heinous practice of honour killings? Shawarma has become a very popular dish here with the influx of many people with origins in the middle east. We sometimes even make our own, although of course we are unable to shave the chicken authentically, but it still tastes good.
ReplyDeleteI think the practice of 'honor killing' could and should be abandoned. "Where there's a will there's a way" as they say.
DeleteMy favorite is the turkey meat shawarma; others prefer the lamb/chicken one. Whatever the kind of meat, it's, no doubt, a popular, delicious fast food.
Once again a very interesting and thought provoking post.
ReplyDeleteHonour killing (any killing) is just dreadful.
Our world is not progressing well, there seems too much unhappiness and discontent. I try in my own small way to make my little part of the world and that of my family a friends a happy and thankful place ... hoping that this may reach others too.
Your turkey meat schawarma sounds tasty, and I did enjoy seeing your photographs.
All the best Jan
Thank you, Jan.
DeleteNo word in the vocabulary is horrific enough to describe 'honor killing'.
I quite agree with your words on the world as being a place of unhappiness.
Let's hope for better days.