
Jerusalem without God
Portrait of a Cruel City
Paola Caridi(Author)
The American University in Cairo Press
Published on 6. July 2017
Book
Paperback/Softback
144 pages
978-977-416-818-5 (ISBN)
Description
There is no escaping the Jerusalem of the religious imagination. Not once but three times holy, its overwhelming spiritual significance looms large over the city's complex urban landscape and the diurnal rhythms and struggles that make up its earthbound existence. Nonetheless, writes Paola Caridi, in this intimate and hard-hitting portrayal of the city, it is possible to close one's eyes and, "like the blind listening to sounds," discern the conflict and plurality of belonging that mark out the city' secular character. Jerusalem without God leads the reader through the streets, malls, suburbs, traffic jams, and squares of Jerusalem's present moment, into the daily lives of the men and women who inhabit it. Caridi brings contemporary Jerusalem alive by describing it as a place of sights and senses, sounds and smells, but she also shows us a city riven by the harsh asymmetry of power and control embodied in its lines, limits, walls, and borders.
She explores a cruel city, where Israeli and Palestinian civilians sometimes spend hours in the same supermarkets, only to return to the confines of their respective districts, invisible to each other; a city memorable for its ancient stones and shimmering sunsets but dotted with Israeli checkpoints, "postmodern drawbridges," that control the movement of people, ideas, and potential attackers. Describing Jerusalem through the lenses of urban planners and politicians, anthropologists and archaeologists, advertisers and scholars, Jerusalem without God reveals a city that is as diverse as it is complex, and ultimately, argues its author, one whose destiny cannot be tied to any single religious faith, tradition, or political ideology.
She explores a cruel city, where Israeli and Palestinian civilians sometimes spend hours in the same supermarkets, only to return to the confines of their respective districts, invisible to each other; a city memorable for its ancient stones and shimmering sunsets but dotted with Israeli checkpoints, "postmodern drawbridges," that control the movement of people, ideas, and potential attackers. Describing Jerusalem through the lenses of urban planners and politicians, anthropologists and archaeologists, advertisers and scholars, Jerusalem without God reveals a city that is as diverse as it is complex, and ultimately, argues its author, one whose destiny cannot be tied to any single religious faith, tradition, or political ideology.
Reviews / Votes
"Caridi doesn't dismiss or downplay the city's august spiritual significance. Rather, she sets aside the city's religious aura to reflect on the everyday functioning of today's modern, earthly city. Her conclusion is a solemn one; she portrays a Jerusalem bereft of humanity, where cruelty reigns and the very basic characteristics of a city are absent."-Washington Report on Middle East Affairs"Not a complacent and lyrical description of Jerusalem. The author takes a hard look at the city. Nothing escapes her blunt judgment. . . . Speaking her mind with an open heart, Caridi gives the reader an in-depth look at a complex city and its daily dramas."-Lisa Kaaki, Arab News
PRAISE FOR PAOLA CARIDI:
"Capable, evenhanded"-Kirkus Reviews
"Informative"-Publisher's Weekly
"Accessible and rewarding"-Nathan J. Brown, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University
"[Utilizing] mastery of the pen and eye for historical detail to provide a rich, balanced view"-Kirk J. Beattie, Simmons College, Boston
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cairo
Egypt
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 226 mm
Width: 151 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight
217 gr
ISBN-13
978-977-416-818-5 (9789774168185)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
06/2017
Penguin Random House South Africa
€23.49
Available for download
Person
Paola Caridi lived in Cairo and Jerusalem from 2001to 2012, where she worked as a reporter and analyst on Middle East affairs. She is the author of Hamas: From Resistance to Government (2012) and maintains a blog, Invisiblearabs, on Arab popular culture and politics.
Content
Introduction: The Ancient Rhythm of the Day
1. Musrara, the Centre of the World
2. Islands in the Fortress
3. A Game of Risk
4. (Re)branding Jerusalem
5. Jerusalem One and Shared
1. Musrara, the Centre of the World
2. Islands in the Fortress
3. A Game of Risk
4. (Re)branding Jerusalem
5. Jerusalem One and Shared