Portrait of Zaskia Adya Mecca Returns to Visit Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Followed by Hanung Bramantyo

Zaskia Adya Mecca and Hanung Bramantyo successfully entered Jerusalem after passing through the heavily guarded Egypt-Israel border. Zaskia's mission to Israel this time is to bring aid to Muslim brothers who are victims of the war in Gaza and Syria.

Previously, Zaskia had been to Jerusalem with a group that brought aid to the Palestinian people who are victims of war. This time she is happy because Hanung Bramantyo can accompany her and see the beauty of this city firsthand.

At Al Aqsa Mosque, Zaskia has a friend who she considers a sister. The woman's name is Meryam, who was introduced to Zaskia by Indadari, and then the three of them became good friends. "Maryam once invited us to an orphanage in the West Bank for us to participate in its construction, invited us to plant 100 trees here, also met with orphaned children, visited her house while looking at the mosque through the window, watched the Jewish worship from her living room window, cooked makluba, ate in the mosque courtyard, and many more stories," wrote Zaskia on her Instagram page.

From Jerusalem, Zaskia also visited the city of Hebron. Here she paid a pilgrimage to the tomb of Prophet Ibrahim, Siti Sarah, Prophet Yusuf, and Prophet Ishaq.

The condition of the city of Hebron itself is very quiet, rarely visited by foreigners because it is in a conflict-prone area between Palestine and Israel. However, Zaskia invites everyone, for those who are able, to visit this city and pay pilgrimage to the tomb of the Prophet.

After coming here 10 months ago and now returning again, Zaskia feels very grateful. "10 months ago, from the moment we entered the border until we reached this olive hill, tears wouldn't stop flowing.. touched, finally arriving in Palestine after a struggle that wasn't easy (the hardest part was asking for permission from my husband) in the midst of a critical situation there was a circular letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the night before we entered, stating that Indonesian citizens should avoid visiting Israel," she wrote on Instagram.

Hanung is also very grateful because he was able to visit Israel and Palestine, as this journey was truly not easy. They stopped in the city of Jericho and visited Jabal Quruntul, also known as Mount Quarantania. Then they managed to enter the Dome of the Rock despite many struggles.

"Being here, I feel how difficult it is for the Palestinian Muslims to perform prayers, whether at the Dome of the Rock or the Qibli Mosque (the original qibla before Mecca). All the entrances are guarded by Israeli soldiers fully armed with rifles ready to fire. The rules for entering the Al Haram complex depend on the mood of the guards. Today, our group almost had to cancel our entry just because one of my friends was wearing a red turban. We had to change gates almost 3 times, negotiate with the Israeli guards, and even leave our passports at the gate.Upon arriving at the mosque, while performing prayers, my heart was anxious as if sensing danger lurking at any moment. It was truly a valuable experience that made me grateful to live in Indonesia, where it is so easy to go to the mosque, yet my heart is always ensnared by laziness," wrote Hanung on his personal Instagram.