The Christian Science Monitor

Letter from Jerusalem: In a holy week, city parades its better self

With Easter, Passover, and Ramadan coinciding this year, the region’s eyes are on Jerusalem, where the slightest provocation can spark deadly violence and a geopolitical uproar.

Which is why I crossed the Jordan River to report from and pray in what may be the most tense religious sites on Earth.

When I first arrived in Jerusalem on March 29 – one week into Ramadan, a week before Passover, and four days prior to Holy Week – followers of the three Abrahamic faiths were visibly wary. Why wouldn’t they be?

The last few months have

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