Clarification needed here. All women are barred from a section of the Western Wall, including Jewish women. There is a designated women’s area just past the main plaza. It has to do with the extremely religious Jews who in some ways are stuck in the times of ancient traditions and laws taken literally from the Bible. I am not saying they are right, but I have seen some Catholic Churches and Mormon Churches that have separate women’s’ sections. Some traditions live well past their usefulness and will always have the few who insist on literal reading of religious laws. The banning of crosses on everything in Bethlehem is pure hatred and inexcusable but is done in the true spirit of the Koran and Muslim Sharia. One last point, have a Merry Christmas and may all share in the joy and love of the season.
I understand that it is all women, Jewish as well. Doubly disturbing. I suppose the similarities between Islams hatred of women and the same thing in other religions disturbs me most of all.
Why is it women who remain the targets of such religious discrimination? I cannot speak for Mormons, but I have NEVER heard of a Catholic church that separates the sexes- and I go to the Latin mass!
The hatred of the cross is logical since Islam is Satan worship, but I wish the Jewish people would see it as a weapon against our common enemies.
There used to be separation of the genders in Basque Catholic churches - it was a local custom. For centuries, women were required to cover their heads if they entered Catholic churches. This was phased out during the 1960s.
All shrines have their rules, which sometimes are important to maintain tradition. There are fairly rigid rules in the holy places in Jerusalem, which reflects the overall situation. No prayer services of any sort, other than Islamic, are allowed at the Dome of the Rock. Likewise, only Orthodox Judaism may be practiced at the Western Wall, and particular Christian rites are segregated to various areas of the Church of the Holy Sepulcre. A Muslim who went in there and unrolled his prayer rug, would be immediately thrown out.
The segregation of genders in Judaism might look wrong to an outsider, but it is of value in their culture. It is helpful to consider that in a Catholic or Orthodox church, a non-ordained person has no right to enter the sanctuary around the altar. This is a sacred space.