Israel and You Spaces and Places in Israel
Uploaded on Oct 9, 2010 by Israel
The Circassians and the Holy Land
This video takes you on a journey to the roots of monotheistic beliefs and portrays aspects of monotheism in the Holy Land in the twenty-first century, including the Circassians.
Israel was born as a sanctuary for a people banished from their homeland, harassed in exile and ultimately subjected to mass murder. But there is more than one population here that meets this description. For, the Jewish state is home to another dispersed, insular and tradition-bound nation that has suffered through the trauma of exile and one of the most devastating genocides of modern times.
Some 1.5 million Circassians were killed in the Caucasian War of the mid-to-late 19th century, and another million — fully 90% of the population — were deported from their land in the Caucasus Mountains. Today, roughly 4,000 Circassians live in Israel, where they constitute the country’s only Sunni Muslim community that sends each of its sons to the military.
All faiths see Israel as the Holy Land and have special rituals and holy places that are sacred only to them. What constitutes a ritual for a one religion might not be regarded as sacred by another.
Are we able to look past these cultural differences and recognize that we are all human beings living side-by-side in the land of Israel? Over twenty religious leaders share their point of view and offer us a glimpse into their world, rituals, and way of life.
