Two Muslim families entrusted with care of holy Christian site for centuries

[LiberalArkie]

Jerusalem (CNN)The key to one of Christianity's holiest sites is held by a Muslim family, and it has been for centuries. This is more than just tradition. It is the very essence of Jerusalem, part of what makes the Old City's cultural and religious history so special.

We meet Adeeb Joudeh at the Jaffa Gate to the Old City. It is 3:30 a.m. At this hour, the tension of the city has melted into the darkness. The narrow alleys are eerily quiet. As Joudeh makes his way through the city's deserted streets, his footsteps are unnaturally loud, echoing off the walls of the empty stone streets.
He carries with him an ancient cast-iron key, some 500 years old. The key is 12 inches long, with a triangular metal handle and a square end.



It is the key to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where many believe Jesus Christ was crucified and entombed. The church is one of Christianity's holiest sites, and many Christian denominations share this holy space for prayer. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world make a pilgrimage here for the Easter holidays. Few are aware of Joudeh's significance, and how important a part his Muslim ancestors have played in the story of this holy place.
Joudeh's family has held the key in their protection for generations. In his house, Joudeh keeps a binder full of pictures of his grandfather and great-grandfather who once held this sacred task, and his family has kept the historic contracts bestowing upon his family this job, written on parchment and signed in golden ink. The oldest dates back to 1517.

Snip

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/26/middleeast/easter-muslim-keyholder/index.html

[Odin2005]

1. Cool!

Christians, Muslims, and Jews co-existed for centuries, Indeed, (despite popular Islamophobic myth to the contrary) there was essentially no forced conversions during the Arab Conquest and the period of the Umayyad and early Abbasid caliphates, indeed, under the Ummayads non-Arabs were actually discouraged from converting because Islam was seen as some sense only for the Arabian tribes. the Levant and Egypt was still mostly Christian well into the age of the Crusades.

[Igel]

2. It was also the law.

The Xians and Jews had to be subordinate, and not allowed to own land. In response to being subordinate and supportive of their superiors, they were allowed to live in peace and to enjoy the protection of the PTB.

One way of ensuring this status to put the official ownership of such sites in the hands of Muslims, and for them to have final control over the sites. As long as subordinance is shows, then the sites would, in principle, be secure.

That this became hereditary is a nice touch, but not, AFAIK, part of the original legal principle involved--even if it does seem to apply from Morocco to India. This land, in addition, is waqf forever, and what you see with the key being entrusted to a Muslim is in addition a reflection of the same underlying principle that kept Jews from owning land in pre-independence Palestine and prevents Hamas from tolerating Jewish rule there now.

Arafat made a point of showing up from time to time and praying at some of the more prominent Xian sites. The visits were always covered with glowing text and praise. But his prayers weren't Xian, but Muslim. Because ultimately "holy sites" are all Muslim or they must be destroyed because they are pagan. (If this sounds like ISIL, Salafism is just a more brutal form of this same principle. If you want to see exactly how "ecumenical" Arafat's visits were, try going to one of the more important mosques and saying some Hail Marys or some Orthodox prayer rite with all the standings up and kneelings are are appropriate. Unless there's something like videotaping going on that would lead to a lot of really dishonorable PR, you'd be shut down.

[Odin2005]

3. Got a source on the not being able to own land part?

I'm a history buff and I have not read anything of the sort.

Also, the further away Islam got from Arabia the less strict the rules about "pagans" got in practice. Islam in the former Sassanid Persian territory had strong Zoroastrian and Gnostic-Manichean influences and Muslim rulers in India, SE Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa basically ignored the rule on pagans for simple practical reasons.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Complex and amusing history there, the various Christian Chruches that share the Church can't agree

on anything and never have been able to. The Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Roman Catholic, Coptic, Ethiopian, and Syriac Orthodox all have parts and powers, so who gets the keys? Muslims.

Do you know about the Immovable Ladder? Amusing:
"There is a wooden ladder in Jerusalem that cannot be moved due to conflicts between the Armenian and Greek Orthodox church. Called the Immovable Ladder, it has remained in the same exact location since the 18th century."

I've seen it, and at the link you can too:
http://unusualplaces.org/the-immovable-ladder-under-the-window-of-the-church-of-the-holy-sepulchre/