Machpela Cave has two other names, and you may pick one of them depending on which religion you believe in. For Christian Orthodox, Christian, and Catholic communities, it is called Cave of The Patriarchs, while it's Me'arat HaMachpela for the Jews. Muslims name it Ibrahimi Mosque.
In this article I use "Machpela Cave" to refer Cave of The Patriarchs, following how Wikipedia localizes its name for Indonesian audience (it is Gua Makhpela in Indonesian).
Cave of The Patriarchs is listed as one of tourist destinations and part of West Bank Tour for tourists around the world. Based on visitor reviews in Tripadvisors, you will be asked whether you are a Muslim, Jew, or Christian when you visit this site, as this will determine how far you can have a sightseeing here.
That's right. Machpela Cave is divided into Jewish and Muslim parts, and there are two entries for each religious believers which is also controlled by the respective communities.
As for non-Muslim and non-Jewish groups, they can only see the outer part of it. Previously, Christians could enter the site from all gates, but a visitor on Tripadvisors said the rule has changed, and whether there is a new measure regarding the current development remains unknown.
"In ancestral grave we fight"
And they did and do it, literally. A while ago, people talked about a mass shooting in Cave of Patriarchs and the event that followed during 1994. Truth is, that was not the first atrocity in the sacred site for three religions.
Cave of The Patriarchs is a small cave where the early biblical Patriarchs (Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and their spouses laid to rest. It used to be a simple memorial until King Herod decided to build wall around the burial site.
There were churches and mosques that built around the holy grave and destroyed by the ones who managed to conquer Jerusalem pre and during Crusade Wars, while the Jews were completely banned from entering the holy grave for a while.
At the time of the writing, there are separated entrances for the Jews and Muslims, respectively, where the Jews can only enter the site from the southwestern side, while Muslims are allowed to come in form the northwestern site after passing through a mosque in the entrance.
Both religious groups are not allowed to go through in each other's side, which means Jews cannot enter the Muslims side, and vice versa.
Since Abraham's and Sarah's cenotaphs are in the southwestern side (while Jacob's and Leah's are in the northwestern side), the Jews cannot pay respect to their ancestors in a near distance (let alone the Christians), except during special days in Jewish religion.
Why is this matter? It's because Abraham is the first of the Hebrew
patriarchs, and among the holy figures in Christianity and Islam.
Searching for the light
I was born as a Muslim from Muslim parents, and received my first education in a Protestant Christian kindergarten and a Catholic elementary school. Back in the day, it was no big deal for Muslims in my city to get their education in Protestant or Catholic schools.
Yes, I recited Protestant and Catholic prayers, I entered and sat in their respective churches during schools' events in early years of my life, and still a Muslim today.
Religions are regarded and seen as equal by the Indonesian laws and ideology, even though some people are worried that this harmony is starting to get eroded these days as some several small groups of religious people believe God will punish them for not doing their belief correctly, as they engage too close with people from different religions.
From the Cave of Patriarchs saga we can make a conclusion that Judaism is the first religion founded in the region (Palestine-Israel), followed by Christianity, and later Islam. An understanding and recognition of this biblical fact might have played some roles in shaping public opinion on the conflict, too.
Continuous conflicts also stipulate in forming our perspectives about others; our emotional experience contributes in the process of justifying the way we think about something rather than the actual circumstances about it. A behavior which leads us to prejudice, and worst, hate that obstruct us to feel and figure out how to maintain peace.
In the past, religion was side by side with political system as a mean to rule society and to guarantee harmonious and regulated daily living among people. Those who cannot stand in dealing with too much freedom will opt religion as a mean to get people complied and creating stability, which are the supposedly direct results of practicing any religion wholeheartedly.
Finally, it's never too late to ask ourselves whether religious values are still worth, not just for the sake of safety and security, but also saneness of ordinary living individuals which is essential to build a better future for today's and next generations.
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