ABSTRACT
This chapter is a reflection on the dispute between the Muslim Judicial Council
(MJC) and the St Cyprian’s School (SCS) development project on the evidence of
Muslim graves on a disputed piece of school property. Part of the title, ‘On a
Knife-Edge’, may give the impression that we were dealing with a dangerous
issue: heritage sites poised between life and death. I do not want to leave that
impression even though some would have thought so in August 2000, when a
public demonstration was organised at the gates of the SCS. The vociferous
protest provided fertile images and copy for newspaper editors and the public at
large. When the dispute was amicably resolved at the end of 2000, a small
report to that effect was buried deeply in the newspapers. Muslim radio stations,
which had previously aired discussion with great interest and enthusiasm, also
ignored the value of an agreement between Muslims and Christians. The process
and resolution are worth recalling and evaluating.
