Before modern conflicts… before nations… before the political lines we know today…
In this fifth episode of The Mosaic Chat, we return to a decisive period in the history of the Middle East and North Africa, when Jerusalem stood at the crossroads of three faiths and competing visions of the sacred.
For Jews, Christians, and Muslims, the city carries distinct memories, each rooted in a shared yet contested past. From the early centuries of Islamic rule, marked by forms of coexistence, to the shock of the Crusades, Jerusalem becomes both a symbol and a battlefield.
As the Crusades unfold, violence is justified in the name of faith, and the idea of holy war takes shape across different traditions. Empires rise, religious authorities consolidate power, and belief becomes increasingly intertwined with political ambition.
And yet, beneath the conflicts, exchanges continue. Knowledge circulates across cultures, texts are translated, and ideas travel between worlds that oppose each other on the battlefield.
Within each tradition, voices also emerge to challenge the fusion of religion and power. Mystics, thinkers, and spiritual figures seek alternative paths, emphasizing inner transformation over domination.
This period reveals a lasting tension at the heart of the Abrahamic world: between faith as a source of meaning, and faith as an instrument of power.
Understanding this history is essential not only to grasp the depth of past divisions, but also to reflect on the possibilities of dialogue and coexistence today.
🎙 A conversation with Galith Abbou Benichou and Pauline Berthaud.
📖 Inspired by Abramundi: Manifesto for the Creation of an Abrahamic Alliance in the Middle East and North Africa
