Lulua
04-02-2002, 11:11
Assalaamu alaikum ya muslimeen.
Greetings and good day to all.
The following was sent to my by a concerned brother thru the email. I find it an excellent guideline and reminder to go by in reference to the Palestine-Israeli issue.
Lulua.
================================================== ===============Assalamu Alaikum Everyone:
With regard to the occupation of Palestine, I have a few points to make. I believe these points could help explain the views of the vast majority of Muslims to non-Muslims who are often tilted towards Israel.
(1) Basically, as Muslims, we should have no problem with a Jew going to Palestine with cash in hand, and buying (at a fair market value) property that a Palestinian owns. However, we do have problems with Jews who force Palestinians off their land at the point of a gun - which is the manner in which Israel was created and expanded. There is a new phrase for this type of behaviour in English - it is called "ethnic cleansing." We as Muslims are against "ethnic cleansing" whether it is Serb-style, Rawandan-style, or Jewish-style. As a rule, there should be no problem with a Jew buying land; however, stealing land is another matter.
(2) The claim that the land belongs to Jews is problematic. Suppose there was a Palestinian Jew who converted to Christianity 250 years ago, and as a result, all his offspring today are Christains. Should they be forcefully removed from Palestine because they are not Jewish? What if a Jew converted to Islam 400 years ago, and as a result his offspring are Muslim today? Should they be forced out of Palestine because they are not Jews?
(3) Israel is treated in the American press and acadamia in a similar manner that Catholics treat the Pope. Israel is infallable - it never does anything wrong. What people should understand is that Israel is a state and is capable of doing wrong. To criticize it when it does wrong is therefore not anti-Semitic. The way fair debate about Israel has been squashed in this country (the US) has been to equate policy disapproval with racism (i.e. anti-Semitism). That is silly - but it has worked to mute criticism of Israel. If an American criticizes a certain US government policy, that does not mean he/she is racist against Americans?
I've used these analogies as a Muslim guest speaker in churches, and the audience seems to understand - often for the first time - the Palestinian and Muslim perspective on this issue better.
Wa Salaam,
David McClung
Greetings and good day to all.
The following was sent to my by a concerned brother thru the email. I find it an excellent guideline and reminder to go by in reference to the Palestine-Israeli issue.
Lulua.
================================================== ===============Assalamu Alaikum Everyone:
With regard to the occupation of Palestine, I have a few points to make. I believe these points could help explain the views of the vast majority of Muslims to non-Muslims who are often tilted towards Israel.
(1) Basically, as Muslims, we should have no problem with a Jew going to Palestine with cash in hand, and buying (at a fair market value) property that a Palestinian owns. However, we do have problems with Jews who force Palestinians off their land at the point of a gun - which is the manner in which Israel was created and expanded. There is a new phrase for this type of behaviour in English - it is called "ethnic cleansing." We as Muslims are against "ethnic cleansing" whether it is Serb-style, Rawandan-style, or Jewish-style. As a rule, there should be no problem with a Jew buying land; however, stealing land is another matter.
(2) The claim that the land belongs to Jews is problematic. Suppose there was a Palestinian Jew who converted to Christianity 250 years ago, and as a result, all his offspring today are Christains. Should they be forcefully removed from Palestine because they are not Jewish? What if a Jew converted to Islam 400 years ago, and as a result his offspring are Muslim today? Should they be forced out of Palestine because they are not Jews?
(3) Israel is treated in the American press and acadamia in a similar manner that Catholics treat the Pope. Israel is infallable - it never does anything wrong. What people should understand is that Israel is a state and is capable of doing wrong. To criticize it when it does wrong is therefore not anti-Semitic. The way fair debate about Israel has been squashed in this country (the US) has been to equate policy disapproval with racism (i.e. anti-Semitism). That is silly - but it has worked to mute criticism of Israel. If an American criticizes a certain US government policy, that does not mean he/she is racist against Americans?
I've used these analogies as a Muslim guest speaker in churches, and the audience seems to understand - often for the first time - the Palestinian and Muslim perspective on this issue better.
Wa Salaam,
David McClung