The Road to Al Aqsa

An ambitious Pakistani migrant long dreamt of visiting the third holiest site of the Muslim faith ever since a young age. In 2016, when he acquired his first Canadian passport, he set off to fulfill his intimate dream to the forbidden land, a journey he knew virtually nothing about. This is his story.

Israeli Immigration officers pulled 26-year-old Sheraz Ali Khan for questioning shortly after he arrived at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport in February 2016. I approached him to understand and hear his story. 

Muslims all over the world make their best efforts with sincere intentions to undertake a special journey to any of the three mosques: Al Masjid Al Haram in Makkah, Al Masjid An-Nabawi in Madinah, and Al Masjid Al Aqsa in Jerusalem at least once during their lifetime. In addition, a prayer at any of these blessed mosques are multiplied in virtue. The blessings also encompass everything built on the land, this means that all of the Masjid within Al-Aqsa compound are equally important to all Muslims.

While Al Masjid Al Aqsa sits in the disputed land of Jerusalem, a city that the Israeli government tightly controls from non-resident Palestinians from entering, majority of visitors to Israel arrive by air, and others via the land crossings with Egypt and Jordan. Palestine once had its own full-fledged airport in Gaza Strip until its closure in 2001, after the Israel Defense Forces bombarded the radar station and the air traffic control tower.

“Having heard and read so much stories of people who were denied entry by Israeli authorities owing to their Pakistani or Muslim faith, my enthusiasm knew no limits.”

Pakistani passport holders cannot travel to Israel because the Government of Pakistan do not recognize Israel as a nation. The Pakistani passport also states “This passport is valid for all the countries in the world except Israel”. This includes official and diplomatic passports too.

“I was traveling on my Canadian passport since my Pakistani passport had expired.”

“The officer at the Immigration counter fired a barrage of questions at me, “Do you know anybody in Israel? Do you speak or understand Arabic? Have you ever been to the Middle East?” He also asked me for my Pakistani passport.”

Sheraz informed the officer that his Pakistani passport had long expired and since then he was not carrying it. The officer directed a waiting area and took away his Canadian passport for further inspection.

“Almost half an hour passed before another officer called me in for an interview. I was asked about my purpose of visit and why I chose Israel and not some other country. Many other questions followed pertaining to why I moved to Canada including my work. The officer had me write my full name and e-mail address on a piece of paper and instructed me to wait. An hour later I was called in for another interview, by a young female officer to a room where a framed picture of Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock hung on the wall along with an Israeli flag on display. The interview session lasted about 45 minutes and concluded stating that the information I provided would be verified. Momentarily a lady appeared and handed me my passport and along with an entry visa on a separate piece of paper and directed me to the luggage machine where I collected my backpack and made a quick call to my father to inform him that I was on my way to Jerusalem.”

“Upon arriving my hostel located in the Old City of Jerusalem, the heart of the Islamic, Jewish and Christian faith, I dropped my backpack and took off to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The security guard at the gate of the Al-Aqsa Mosque inspected my passport and asked me to recite verses from the Quran before allowing me inside the compound.”

 

Sheraz spent 10 amazing days in Israel before returning home; thrilled to finally have crossed Israel off his bucket list. His journey is a hallmark of courage, perseverance and relentless determination.