“People Make a Place Holy”: In Haifa, Jews and Arabs Sit Together and Redefine Sacred Space
An Ahmadiyya Muslim leader tells an Abrahamic Movement gathering that holiness lives in how people treat one another, not only in stone, shrine or soil.
World Desk, Faith & Freedom News (FFN) · October 29, 2026
HAIFA — A place does not become holy only because of what is in it. It becomes holy because of the people.
That is how Muad Odeh, Secretary-General of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Israel, put it at an Abrahamic Movement gathering in Haifa, where Jews and Arabs sat together as part of the Building a Shared Future program. The gathering was shared by Tom Wegner (@tomweg) on X.
Video · 0:38
Muad Odeh speaks in Haifa. Watch the full video on X · original post by @tomweg
“We said: Arabs, Jews, Christians, whatever there is – all together,” Odeh said. “How people live together. That, in my view, is what makes a place holy.”
Holiness, in two parts
Odeh did not dismiss sacred sites. “A holy place is also how I feel in the place,” he said. “Not just whether I have a holy place or something. Yes, a holy place is holy, but it is also the way people conduct themselves that defines the holiness of a place.”
Building a Shared Future
Building a Shared Future is a joint program of several organizations, supported by Leap Forward and coordinated by the Abrahamic Movement. It aims to advance dialogue and shared life between Jews and Arabs through field encounters, videos and podcasts. Tap a partner below to see its role in the program.
Why it matters
In a region where holy sites are often the centre of contest, Odeh’s remarks turn the question toward everyday conduct: how neighbours of different faiths live, speak and share space. The Haifa gathering offered one answer on a small scale — a room where Arabs, Jews and Christians sat as one community.
#InterfaithDialogue#Coexistence
About The Author
Discover more from Faith & Freedom News - FFN
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
