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Faces of Palestinian Guardians of Faith

In the realm of Guardians of Faith, Palestinian spiritual leaders embody the depth and devotion of their beliefs, expressing the rich tapestry of their religious heritage through the power of sermon and ritual.

  • 12 faith leaders
  • Born 1938–1979
  • 3 from Amman
Al-Aqsa Mosque, JerusalemAl-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem
The Church of the Nativity, BethlehemThe Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem
The grottos beneath the Church of the NativityThe grottos beneath the Church of the Nativity
Photos: Godot13 (CC BY-SA 4.0), Unknown photographer (Public domain), Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons

About Guardians of Faith

Keepers of the holy places.

Palestine is holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews, and Palestinians of faith have watched over its sacred places for centuries. Since the time of Saladin, two Muslim families of Jerusalem have kept the key to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and opened its doors each morning.

Sheikh Ekrima Sabri served as Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Archbishop Atallah Hanna speaks for Palestinian Christians from the Greek Orthodox Church, and in Bethlehem the Lutheran pastor Munther Isaac preached of a Christ born under the rubble of Gaza.

The people in this path are imams, priests, scholars and keepers of holy places. For them, faith has always gone hand in hand with care for their communities.

All 12 faith leaders

Every face in Guardians of Faith, from the earliest pioneers to the voices of today.

Born across the decades

Tap a decade to filter · 1 without a recorded birth year

  1. 1930s
  2. 1940s
  3. 1950s
  4. 1960s
  5. 1970s

12 faith leaders