What Jerusalem Means to US: Muslim Perspectives and Reflections

This is a collection of essays by 12 Muslim writers explaining why the city of Jerusalem is important to each of them. Religious, historical, cultural, architectural, social, and economic aspects of the city are described, as well as personal experiences of living in or visiting Jerusalem. Prince El Hassan bin Talal of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan wrote the Foreword in the book. The book is the result of a partnership between the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation, headquartered in the United States, and the Royal Institute of Inter-Faith Studies, located in Jordan.

Dr. Saliba Sarsar is Chair of the HCEF Research and Publication Committee. He is Professor of Political Science at Monmouth University, where he also served as Associate Vice President for Global Initiatives, Associate Dean in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Assistant Dean for Leadership Initiatives. His teaching and scholarly interests focus on the Middle East, Palestinian-Israeli affairs, Jerusalem, and peacebuilding. His most recent authored books are Peacebuilding in Israeli-Palestinian Relations (2020) and Jerusalem: The Home in Our Hearts (2018). His most recent edited book is What Jerusalem Means to Us: Christian Perspectives and Reflections (2018). He is the guest editor of a special issue of the Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, focusing on "Israel, Palestine, and the Prospects for Peace" (2020). Dr. Sarsar was featured in several publications, including The New York Times, and is the recipient of the Award of Academic Excellence from the American Task Force on Palestine, the Global Visionary Award and the Stafford Presidential Award of Excellence from Monmouth University, the Humanitarian Award from the National Conference for Community and Justice, and the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation Award.

Dr. Carole C. Burnett is the Editor of the Fathers of the Church series, published by The Catholic University of America Press. In the past she has taught church history and ancient languages as a part-time faculty member at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC, and at the Ecumenical Institute of Theology of St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland. She received the B.A. degree from Wellesley College (Massachusetts) in 1969, the M.T.S. (Master of Theological Studies) from Wesley Theological Seminary (Washington, DC) in 1988, and the Ph.D. in Early Christian Studies from The Catholic University of America (Washington, DC) in 1998.

His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan Bin Talal of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was born in Amman on March 20, 1947 to a branch of the Hashemite family directly descended from the Prophet Muhammad, in the forty-second generation of descendants. He is the youngest son of Their late Majesties King Talal and Queen Zein El Sharaf and is the brother of His late Majesty King Hussein. Prince Hassan matriculated to Christ Church College, Oxford, and graduated from Oxford with a B.A. (Hons.) in Oriental Studies, followed by an M.A. He has initiated, founded, and is actively involved in a number of institutes and committees, such as the Royal Scientific Society, the Arab Thought Forum, the Higher Council for Science and Technology, the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, and the West Asia-North Africa Forum. Prince Hassan maintains a deep interest and concern for the future of Jerusalem. A prolific writer, his publications include A Study on Jerusalem, Palestinian Self-Determination, Search for Peace, and Christianity in the Arab World.