Saliba Sarsar, Ph.D, professor of political science, is the co-editor, with Carole Monica C. Burnett, of “What Jerusalem Means to Us: Muslim Perspectives and Reflections,” published by Holy Land Books in March 2021. It is the second volume of a planned ‘Jerusalem Trilogy.’ The first volume, “What Jerusalem Means to Us: Christian Perspectives and Reflections,” was published in 2018. Sarsar plans to begin the third book in the series, “What Jerusalem Means to Us: Jewish Perspectives and Reflections,” in 2022.
“What Jerusalem Means to Us: Muslim Perspectives and Reflections” consists of 12 chapters contributed by diverse Muslim writers who share the significance of Jerusalem to their own faith and practice through every aspect of life and culture, including personal accounts of either living in or visiting Jerusalem. Jerusalem comes to life through descriptions of the city’s religious, historical, cultural, architectural, social, and economic significance.
The foreword is written by His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal, chair of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (RIIFS) in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In it, he endorses the book’s underlying vision and insights: “Mutual respect and peaceful coexistence are essential prerequisites for a lasting peace… Jerusalem is a shared gift, not the sole property of one government or one people.”
In addition to highlighting the Muslim dimensions of Jerusalem, “What Jerusalem Means to Us: Muslim Perspectives and Reflections” is an expression of the commitment to Jerusalem and its inhabitants and of the need to maintain the city as an inclusive center of faith and living.
