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During the time while this book was being written, the Middle East was once again the scene of conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The Israeli army have been ruthlessly bombing civilian settlements, shooting children, and trying to make the already tormented Occupied Territories more uninhabitable. Some Palestinian radicals, on the other hand, are attacking Israeli civilian targets and spreading violence with their terrible suicide bombings aimed at innocent women and children.
As Muslims, our heartfelt wish is for the anger and hatred on both sides to die down, for the bloodshed to stop, and for peace to come to both lands. We oppose both the Israeli killing of innocent Palestinians and the radical Palestinians bombing of innocent Israelis.
In our view, the most important condition for this ongoing conflict to end and for real peace to be established is for both sides to acquire and then implement a genuine and honest understanding of their respective beliefs. The conflict between these two peoples has assumed the form of a "religious war" between Jews and Muslims, though, in fact there is absolutely no reason for there to be such a war. Both Jews and Muslims believe in God, love and respect many of the same prophets, and possess the same moral principles. They are not enemies; rather, they are allies in a world in which atheism and the hatred of religion are widespread.
Based on this fundamental principle, we call on the Israelis (and all Jews) to realize the following facts:
1) Muslims and Jews believe in one God, the Creator of the universe and all things therein. We are all God's servants, and to Him shall we all return. So why hate each other? The holy books we believe in are superficially different but in essence the same, for they come from the same God. Therefore we all abide by them. So why should we fight one another?
2) Instead of living along with Muslims, would the observant Jews prefer to live along with atheists or pagans? The Torah is full of passages describing the terrible cruelties inflicted upon the Jews by pagans. The terrible genocide and cruelty inflicted upon them by atheists and unbelievers (e.g., the Nazis, anti-Semitic racists, or such communist regimes as Stalin's Russia) are clear for all to see. These atheist or pagan forces hated the Jews, and thus oppressed them, because they believed in God. Are not Jews and Muslims on the same side against these atheist, communist, or racist forces that hate them both?
3) Muslims and Jews love and respect many of the same prophets. The Prophets Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaq (Isaac), Yusuf (Joseph), Musa (Moses), or Dawud (David), peace be upon them all, are at least as important for Muslims as they are for Jews. The lands where these holy figures lived and served God are at least as holy for Muslims as they are for Jews. So why drown these lands in blood and tears?
4) The fundamental values of Jews are also sacred to us Muslims. The word "Israel" is the name of Prophet Ya'qub (Jacob), peace be upon him, who is praised in the Qur'an and remembered with great respect by Muslims. According to Qur'an 22:40, Muslims must protect synagogues because they are places of worship. So why should members of the two religions not live together in peace?
5) The Torah commands Jews to establish peace and security, not to occupy the lands of others and spill blood. The people of Israel are described as "a light unto the nations" in the Torah. As the "Rabbis for Human Rights" declare:
We are told: "Justice, justice, you shall pursue" (Deuteronomy 16:20). Why is the word justice said twice? Because, according to our tradition, one is to pursue a just cause by just means. In defending ourselves, we must always hold on to the prophetic vision of decency and humanity. The survival of the Jewish people will be determined not only by its physical acumen, but also, by its moral steadfastness.
If the Israelis continue to treat the Palestinians as they do now, they may be unable to account for that to God. Similarly, those Palestinians who kill innocent Israelis may also be unable to account for those murders. Is it not a duty in the eyes of God to put an end to the fighting, which is dragging both sides deeper into unending violence?
We invite all Jews to consider these facts. God commands us Muslims to invite Jews and Christians to a "common formula":
Say: "O People of the Book! Let us rally to a common formula to be binding upon both us and you: That we worship none but God; that we associate no partners with Him; and that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than God." (Qu'ran, 3:64)
This is our call to the Jews, a People of the Book: As people who believe in God and obey His commands, let us come together in a common formula of "faith." Let us love God, the Lord and Creator of all of us. Let us abide by His commands. Let us pray to God to lead us further on the path of righteousness. Let us bring love, compassion, and peace to each other and the world, not hostility, bloodshed, and anguish.
That is where the solution to the Palestinian tragedy and other conflicts in the world lies. The deaths and suffering of so many innocent people remind us every day what an urgent task this is.
A Call To Muslims
While criticizing the Israeli policies against the Palestinian people, another topic that should be addressed is how Palestinians and other Muslims should react to this terror. All Muslims should live according to the ethics revealed by Allah in the Qur'an. However fair and just Muslims are in their everyday life, their business affairs, or in their personal relationships, they must demonstrate the same values during times of war, while defending themselves, or even while being driven from their lands. They must still put themselves in God's hands, obey God's laws, and adhere strictly to His instructions.
The word "Islam" has the same meaning as the word "peace" in Arabic. The Qur'an calls people to the ethics of Islam, through which the world can be made a haven for peace and tolerance.
The verse: "Allah does not forbid you from being good to those who have not fought you in the religion or driven you from your homes, or from being just toward them. Allah loves those who are just." (Qur'an, 60:8) describes how the Palestinians must behave toward civilians as they oppose the Zionist Israeli government. In the Qur'an, Allah forbids killing innocent people, unarmed women, children, and the elderly. The Prophet gave specific orders to his commanders going to war, and warned them not to harm civilians.
When we examine the Qur'an and the Prophet's actions, we find that Islam does not support attacks against civilians. Whether during the conquest of Makkah or during other wars, the Prophet carefully protected the rights of innocent and unarmed people and prevented them from being harmed. He reminded Muslims of this on various occasions by telling them: "Set out for war in the name of God and for the sake of God. Do not lay hands on the old verging on death, on women, children and babies. Do good, for God loves the virtuous and the pious." (Sahih Muslim) Another reminder is:
"Do not kill any old person, any child or any woman." (Abu Dawud)
"Do not kill the monks in monasteries" (Ahmad Ibn Hanbal) or "Do not kill the people who are sitting in places of worship." (Ahmad Ibn Hanbal)
When discussing attacks on Israeli citizens, the Islamic view of suicide also must be examined. Some people are gravely misinformed about Islam, believing that this religion of peace permits suicide bombings; nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, Islam forbids a Muslim from taking his or her life, just as it forbids taking somebody else's life. Allah explicitly condemns suicide: "do not kill yourselves" (Qur'an, 4:29), regardless of the reason. The Prophet also told his Companions that suicide leads one to eternal damnation:
The Prophet said: "Whoever purposely throws himself from a mountain and kills himself will be in the (Hell) Fire falling down into it and abiding therein perpetually forever. Whoever drinks poison and kills himself with it, he will be carrying his poison in his hand and drinking it in the (Hell) Fire, wherein he will abide eternally forever. Whoever kills himself with an iron weapon will be carrying that weapon in his hand and stabbing his abdomen with it in the (Hell) Fire, wherein he will abide eternally forever."
As explained in the hadith, committing suicide and engaging in suicide bombings-not to mention killing innocent people thereby-violates the Qur'an's ethics. Every Muslim should condemn these incidents, which cast a pall upon the Palestinians' just cause.
What we wish for, along with all rational and fair people, is the immediate establishment of a state of peace and security in Palestine that will satisfy both sides. Palestine territories are broad enough for Muslims, Jews, and Christians to live together, and the lands are fertile enough for all of them to live comfortably. For any one party to claim an exclusive right to Palestine not only contradicts the facts of history, but also leads to continuous strife and war, as recent history has shown. In this land, which is considered sacred to members of the three monotheistic religions, everyone should be able to worship as they please: Jews in their synagogues, Muslims in their mosques, and Christians in their churches. They should be able to observe and pass down their traditions, as well as to create a common life together based upon mutual respect.
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