All opinions are that of the author and not necessarily those of the website that it is published under.
Long before I got to know what the Israeli Palestinian conflict was about, I used to think, like many of us, that it was an issue between Muslims and Jews. In fact it is often how this is described in corporate medias and by certain opinion makers in France and elsewhere in Europe. This way of portraying such an issue has the dangerous effect to create a clash between Muslims and Jews and at the same time it gives the excuse for religion haters to spit their revulsion and demonize the believers from both side. This conflict has also contributed to displace geographically the long history of antisemitic bigotry in Europe to the Middle East. In fact Jews found refuge in Muslim majority countries at times of persecution in Europe.
After carrying out researches both in Israel and Palestine, first as a student, few years ago, and then as activist, I soon realized how misled I was. If Islamism is an ideology of a minority of Muslims, committing crimes worldwide in the name of Islam, Zionism is the ideology misused by a minority of Jews in the name of Judaism, in order to deprive the indigenous people from their land for an exclusive right to the Jewish people. As the great majority of Muslims abhores the ideology of certain extremist groups such as Al Qaeda or ISIS in Iraq, a great number of Jews worldwide distance themselves from the Zionism criminal ideology. There is a great number of Jewish organizations such as Jewish for Justice for Palestinians or Jews voice for Peace and individuals that are advocating and fighting for human rights for Palestinians and the end of the occupation within the historic Palestine or within the 1967 borders. Those are the voices of the Jewish consciousness that hist
ory will glorify.
Not later than yesterday in London, I witnessed the burning of an Israeli passport belonging to a Jewish lady in front of 10 downing street. The moment was intense and touching by its symbolism. In an emotional speech, she declared : ” We Jews should know that to stay silent is to condone”. How many of us are ready to make such a statement in the name of our principles when our own governments are carrying out the worst atrocities in Africa, Asia, Middle East and even in our respective countries, in our names? The gesture of that Jewish lady is not only an individual act of bravery but it has multiple symbolic meanings:
-It greatly contributes to dissociate Judaism from Zionism
-It has the power to question ourselves on our consistency when opposing state oppressions and injustices
-It highlights the Injustices done to Palestinians
-It exposes the deafening silence of millions of us because of our cowardice disguised into neutrality that keeps our mouth shut while witnessing the current genocide in Gaza
-And finally it gives hope to millions of us of for a just peace in the Middle East.
Like most of the people present yesterday at the little burning ceremony, I hugged the lady for teaching all of us a lesson of humanity and courage. Together, we symbolically cremated Zionism and all what it represents, hoping that this ritual materializes into reality.
All opinions are that of the author and not necessarily those of the website that it is published under.
It seems to me that the situation between Palestinians and Jews is caused by extremist Islamics who are actively pursuing a course for conquest of the entire world by radical Islam. Who has continually fired rockets and mortars into Islam and sent suicide bombers into Islam ? The answer is Hamas that has a strong political position inside of the Palestine area. If extremist Islamics had cooperated with the new Jewish State….then the whole area would today be in great financial condition. We have seen what Israel has accomplished in the great cities and nation that they have built…in a very short period of time. The same huge improvements could have also occurred within Islamic areas near Israel.
Islamic leaders refuse even to remove the “hate teachings” from the Holy Quran…although many Muslims desire that this be done. These same “hate teachings” have kept the Sunni and Shia’ Sects in constant wars with one another for a thousand years. If the teachings of formal Islam are not changed then there will be another thousand years of conflict between Muslim Sects.
The sudden successes of ISIS and its strong allure to many Muslims have created a potential “world war” type situation in the Middle East. These ISIS supporters seem to dream of a world Islamic Empire and due to the hate teachings given them by Islam when they were children…it is almost impossible to change their minds. This has left the rest of the world with only option of “brute force” in order to stop the ISIS dream of world conquest and the imposition of Islam upon the entire world by religious fanatics.
Many wise Muslims are trying to change the teachings of the Holy Quran. They face the death penalty in many Islamic Nations for trying to do so….even in Islamic Nations opposed to ISIS. The next important target for ISIS is Saudi Arabia…a nation that has promoted the hate teachings found in the Holy Quran. Thank you for allowing me to comment on this situation.
very well said, but as a Muslim male are you allowed to hug a female (stranger)? No matter how excited you get, it is better to control one’s actions.
Please dont think this is a very outdated comment or a very trivial issue, reading and researching the Prophetic traditions we can clearly see this is a big issue but we take it for granted!