We are fundamentally against guilt by association. Jews are not our enemy. What’s more, as people who are being attacked across the globe, Muslims should be especially mindful not to fall in the trap of ignorance and bigotry. As Tariq Ramadan, Muslim scholar and grandson of Muslim Brotherhood founder Hasan El Banna, states,
Because as Muslims, we stand for justice.
“There is nothing in Islam that gives legitimization to Judeophobia, xenophobia and the rejection of any human being because of his religion or the group to which he belongs. Anti-Semitism has no justification in Islam, the message of which demands respect for the Jewish religion and spirit, which are considered a noble expression of the People of the Book.”
This is something that should be propogated to the world, the west in particular to show that Muslims cannot practice anti-semitism, for one, both Jews and Muslims descend from Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and have lived together for millenia. The real thing that we are against is Zionism and the Israeli government’s policy to of racial descrimination, targetted assossinations, and ethnic cleansing. We cannot call ourselves Muslims if we do not believe in Judaism and the prophets.
The general current attitudes of both Muslims and Jews is a clear misinterpretation of their respective religions.
Comments
bahraini jews
[comment originally entered by Chan’ad Bahraini – moved here by ed]
Sorry, this is completely off topic. I just came across this very interesting article at BBCArabic.com about Jews in Bahrain, but it’s in Arabic. Would one of you native Arabic speakers be willing to translate it for non-Arabic speakers ?? (I can just barely understand it, let alone translate it for others).
The article is
here.
Cheers, and sorry for for this comment having nothing to do with the post.
Re: bahraini jews
nothing earth shattering really.
1. they live happily here and regard themselves as Bahrainis first and foremost
2. almost all of them emigrated originally from Iraq about 100 years ago and settled here
3. Dawood Noonoo is the “head heab” here who has refurbished the Synagogue about 4 years ago, but it is only used occasionally (the piece implies never) but I know that it is used when a visiting Jewish padre from the American/British Navy, but normally they don’t have a religious person to lead them in prayers.
4. Dawood (76 years old) still insists in sitting in his original pokey money changers shop in Manama, although that shop was the nucleus of the family fortunes which goes to financial institutions etc.
5. one of Dawood’s friends, his shop neighbour actually took part in the riots of 1948 where he admits that rioters went overboard in attacking jewish interests in Bahrain. Mohammed Al-Shaikh was one of the founders of the Muslim Brotherhood in Bahrain. He now regards Dawood as one of his best friends.
6. at its height, bahrain had 300 – 400 jews. most of those have left to America, Europe and Israel. In Bahrain now there are between 25 and 30 Bahraini jews.
7. Dawood Noonoo maintains that the Jews of Bahrain are “unlike other jews” in that they even give to the Palestinians generously and have no contact with Isreal or other jews. They’re happy as they are.
8. Dawood’s son: Ibrahim is a member of the Shura Council, possibly the only Jewish lawmaker in a Gulf (ME?) parliament.
That the gist of the article. The article is quite shallow actually, rehashing on things that we already know.
It’s time to hug a Jew
Yes, this is the same as we have seen many times. It was done to the Jews as well. You know “the secret plot to rule the world.” Now only it isnt the Jews being targeted, it is Muslims, now the Muslims want to rule the world, the Muslims have plots to control industry, steal your children, you daughters and your wives.
After Jews it is Muslims, who will it be after Muslims? The truth is that there are segments of any group of people that do bad things. Do we allow their actions to define their whole group? How long do we allow such actions to define the whole group.
I condemn any such attempt to label an entire group based on the actions of some, whether it be Jews based on Zionism, Muslims based on Islamists or Americans based on US foreign policy.
Huh?
“What’s more, as people who are being attacked across the globe, Muslims …”
Huh? What freaking planet does this guy live on? Was it the [b]Muslims[/b] being attacked in New York and Washington on Sep 11? Was it the [b]Muslims[/b] being bombed in Bali? Was it the [b]Muslims[/b] being blown to bits in the London Tube? Is it the [b]Muslims[/b] being gleefully beheaded in Thailand and the Philippines and India?
This is not just a lie. It’s not just a bad lie. It is a monument to Muslim mendacity.
Attacked across the globe, my ass,
Steve
It’s time to hug a Jew
Well,
I don’t think Tariq Ramadan is a good example you could cite. I’ve attended a few of his conferences and meetings in France, and i have to say this guy is Evil. He claims on TV that antisemitism cannot be tolerated in our religion, but on the other hand he learns discrimination and racism in his private conferences… the dual speech or dualism, isn’t it a typical aspect of the Muslimbrotherhood to boost their marketing, picking up vacuum brains as wahabites do, after dawa work ?
I remember the argue he had with the Interior Minister N.Sarkozy during this period when France decided to ban religious signs at (high)school ( and objectively it was only targeting muslims, 43 women exactly; as jews don’t care they have their own private schools, catholics too ), it seems that extremists go very well together, those guys concluded that hijab is a stupidity and only compulsory for fundamentalists. Egyptian editor l’Harmattan in Paris even edited a book prefaced by Tariq Ramadan, against Hijab. Could you now explain me what’s the use of learning to young women that hijab is compulsory through his videotapes ( particulary insisting on the sunnah aspect of niqab and full veil ), while smiling and claiming that it s a misinterpretation of religion on TV ? Maybe is he applying for French nationality… haha, or maybe he just lost his balls!
Tariq Ramadan is a light for himself, a super giga ego coming from the dark side… this so called clerical and “”” social philosopher””” is a shame for our religion, spreading idelology of negationism and racism from Switzerland to europe and north africa, still in the Middle-East.
And of course he found similar local extremists to talk with on french TV, as (a little bit too) right-wing politicians, or dark clericals send from Algeria and Saudi, but he would never admit this truth, his answer to his enlightened contradictions is a large smile, and that’s it.
Then, do we need lessons to know that Jews aren’t our enemies ? Maybe obvious thoughts are sometimes too hard to demonstrate for a few ones always in search of mental masturbation.
And then, unfortunately, what i see from France is that nowadays we don’t have to right to critisize zionism anymore, as the israeli leaders could spread this idea in europe that people hide behind anti-zionism ideology to attack Jews… and local politicians do agree, applausing with both hands and feet. It’s not totally wrong, local and european fascists/neonazis associations, specially at universities, like to say they do support Palestinians against the great Intruder, it’s an easy undercover to boost Judeophobia and of course Antisemitism.
But but but, it’s amazing to see how Israel is attentive to maybe 1000 crazy people in unis, while they organize their own lost in this jail of country we helped them to build.
Many people tend to support Palestinians as a people fighting for its freedom, independantly of religion or obscure politcal thoughts. Of course Arafat wasn’t that great, kind of public european helpfunds thief; whatever, now that he passed away, all we can say is Ameen to Israel, as it seems that even freedom of argumentation is dying here.
anyway, to get back to Tariq Ramadan, please please please… be careful with a so-called clerical or philosopher or theologian or being whatever could be helpful for his notoriety.
Just look into his eyes, can you see the Truth ?…