A Tour of Makams (Holy sites for Muslims) in the West Bank

The settler-colonists of Gilad Ranch attend the maqam inside Fur’ata village

The boy from Fur’ata who joined us and led us to Maqam Abu Jud did not relax until he descended back into the village. Standing with us near Maqam Abu Jud his eyes raced in all directions in fear of the Gil’ad settler-colonists whose homes are clearly seen from this site. Between the village and the illegal outpost lie olive tree groves belonging to the villagers, and inside them is an agricultural checkpoint which we couldn’t see from where we stood, because of the overcast weather. Besides, it would have been irresponsible to approach. The army does not protect the villagers from the Gil’ad settler-colonists even on days that are agreed upon – the boy told us in Arabic, and Mustafa translated for me:
The settler-colonists think the maqam is theirs, he said, and they often come there.

I found validation for this in the internet map “Amud Anan”. This homely, prosaic looking maqam was thus described: “Inhabitants of Havat Gil’ad claim this is the namesake of Judge Abdun Son of Pharaonite Hillel, mentioned in the Book of Judges – Chapter 12, 15.” I first ran into the name of this maqam in the list which Dror Etkes had drawn up and innocently thought the maqam is located in the fields between the village and the outpost. But it isn’t! It is in the village, located in Area B (under supposed Palestinian civilian control).

Another םמק, not far from there, is maqam Nabi Rabah. The 45 dunams around it have been officially declared a “nature reserve”, meaning severe movement and activity restrictions for Palestinians. This includes their ability to renovate it. Nabi Rabah is situated at the top of a bare hill surrounded by olive tree groves belonging to the surrounding villges: Hajje, Baq’a Al Khatab, Funduq and Jinsafut.

From this maqam one clearly sees “Ramat Gil’ad” created by Moshe Zer in memory of his son Gil’ad, who later founded the outpost of Gil’ad Ranch with his other son.  While searching for the two maqams we reached Jinsafut, that contains a double maqam in memory of the brothers Sa’ad and Sa’id, built in the local mosque courtyard surrounded  by a wall, safe from settler-colonists and the “Nature Reserve and National Parks Authority”.