In a reflection on the importance of Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslims, the author recounts a childhood spent in Afghanistan surrounded by beauty and a narrative of hatred towards Israel. Following their family’s escape from Taliban rule to Pakistan, they later returned to Afghanistan, gaining access to media and opportunities for understanding the world. Witnessing the devastating impact of the recent Israel-Hamas conflict, the author traveled to Israel with a peace-promoting organization, Sharaka, to seek a deeper understanding of Jewish history and culture amid the ongoing violence and loss experienced by civilians on both sides.
