The Sidi Omar Mosque, ironically also known by the local Arab residents of the Old City as “mosque of the Jews,” was built in the 14th century, but since June 1967 has scarcely been in use.
By PEGGY CIDORMisgav Ladach Street in the Jewish Quarter.(photo credit: SHMUEL BAR-AM)
Next week, if nothing unpredictable happens, an unusual ceremony will take place in the Old City’s Jewish Quarter (known as the Rova) as Muslim dignitaries and members of the Wakf Islamic religious trust will inaugurate the renovated Sidi Omar Mosque, often referred to as the Mosque of Omar, located in the heart of the Jewish neighborhood, very close to the Hurva Synagogue.For Jewish residents, this is not an occasion for celebration. On the contrary, there is concern that the event will raise religious tensions between the parties, besides a lot of anger at what some describe as “the impotence of the Israeli authorities.”The Sidi Omar Mosque, ironically also known by the local Arab residents of the Old City as “mosque of the Jews,” was built in the 14th century, but since June 1967 has scarcely been in use. Over the years, the building deteriorated and in recent years, there was some concern that it could become dangerous for the public. Nevertheless, nothing was done until about the situation until two years ago, as the deep and intractable involvement of the Turkish government, which floods the Old City with money, began to find interest in this mosque’s restoration.While the State of Israel is officially the sovereign in Jerusalem – including the Old City – the Turks, the Jordanians and the Moroccan royal family are all competing to gain as much influence as possible in the Old City.So when the Jordanians – more specifically the Hashemite royal family – heard about the interest of the Turks in Sidi Omar, they did their utmost to establish some facts of their own. As a result, the mosque underwent renovation and will be inaugurated next week. City Council member Arieh King (United faction) says he is concerned, but not as much as could be expected.“I heard from a Muslim imam that just as if we now had the Temple restored, nobody would go to pray in a local synagogue, Muslims who have al-Aqsa, don’t need this mosque. For me the situation is concerning, but not alarming.”Ami Meitav, a tour guide specializing in the Old City, says there is no need for concern.“So they did some restoration and renovation work. It was really necessary. What would we want them to do? To let the building deteriorate until it becomes a danger to the public?” A source at PAMI (the East Jerusalem Development Company) says that since the Wakf has agreed not to put in a speaker system, or to install the green phosphorescent lights customary for a mosque, it should not disrupt the life of the Jewish residents of the Rova.“There have always been some people who prayed in it, so that will probably be the same after the inauguration,” adds Meitav, “no less, no more.”However, this affair, whether seriously concerning or not, points out another issue that plays a very influential role in the life of Arab residents in the Old City and outside of it: the Turkish involvement that has become, over the past few years, more and more obvious, mostly through supplying Palestinians institutions, mostly educational, with Turkish money.“The real struggle here is not a mosque that will be perhaps used by a few Arabs from time to time,” says a source at Safra Square. “Rather, the question is which factors will triumph – the slow and silent normalization that comes from the growing number of [Arab] schools choosing the Israeli matriculation, and students registering in Israeli universities and colleges, or the schools that get generous budgets from the Turks, enabling them to deepen Islamic education.”As for the small story behind the large story, it is interesting to note that in his book Jerusalem – One Square km. A Guide to the Old City, Meitav wrote that originally, the Sidi Omar Mosque was built by a Jew. The builder converted to Islam following some quarrels with his fellow Jews in the quarter and decided to build the mosque inside the Jewish neighborhood just to bother his enemies.
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