ODM Party Leaderand Nasa flag-bearer Raila Odinga yester day was seen at the Western Wall also called the ‘Wailing Wall“.
Visitors in Jerusalem,like the Nasa Flag-bearer, slip their written prayers into the cracks of the Western Wall.
Before entering the wall…
Men must wear a a hat or take a free head covering from a box beside the entrance to the prayer area.
Women may also borrow the required shawls and short-skirt coverings.
A dividing screen reserves an area at the extreme right of the Western Wall for women,who are not allowed allowed into the men’s section in keeping with Orthodox Jewish tradition.
Raila
The opposition chief, who traveled to Israel on Sunday, delivered an address on democratization, religion and the pursuit of peace in Africa at the Truman Institute.
He said on his Twitter handle, “Few know my history with this Holy Site. The Western Wall is the pulpit of the Temple of Solomon and is said to have been built over 5,000 years ago. The site is sacred to all three Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Islam and Christianity – and to me it is a very strong symbolism of strength and unity. The story goes that you write your wish on a piece of paper, stick it on the wall and say a prayer and the message goes directly to God.”
The ODM leader said he began the tradition of writing his wishes while he was in detention, as it is a “miserable place with time mostly spent alone”. Raila was detained for six years without trial over the failed 1982 coup against then President Daniel Moi. He was charged with treason. Before this, he had been under house arrest for seven months.
Raila said he spent 23 hours a day alone and that at the time, it would take six months to exchange letters with his family. “With a lot of time on my hands, I used to write down the many wishes I had for the people of Kenya. Every time I visit, I take one of those wishes and place it on the wall.”