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It was a pleasant moment for me this morning to read in today's Al-Ayam newspaper (one of Bahraini Arabic Newspapers) that Bahrain Human Rights Society is now headed by Huda Azra Nono, a Jewish lady from the very tiny Bahraini Jewish community. (Arabic, PDF)
The news was a good surprise to me because of many reasons…
First, the number of Jewish people in Bahrain doesn't exceed 50 (maybe even less). As of March, 2000, there was only 30 Jewish according to this advertising supplement prepared on behalf of the Bahraini government. According to Ibrahim Nono (mid 2001) who was appointed as a member of the unconstitutional Shura Council in October 2000, there are 35 Jews in Bahrain (four families). It is thought that the origins of Bahraini Jews are Yemen, Iraq and Iran. (Nono family is from Iraq, Parwin family is from Iran). Many of the Jews work in the gold market. One of them (Ezra Nono) owns the cinema-films distribution company. The Jews have a cemetery and a synagogue in Bahrain and are considered to be very affluent and close to the ruling family.
Second, this is good to show the world (mainly the West), that Muslims do not practice anti-semitism as the Westren (Zionist) media likes to advertise. It reminds me of the MWU 'Hug-a-Jew Column' in early 2003. That time, Ahmed Nassef answered, why? He said:
Because as Muslims, we stand for justice.
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.
What the world need to understand is that both Jews and Muslims descend from Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). As an Arab and a Muslims, we don't hate Jews (as this gentleman claims I'm propagating). Arabs and Muslims are against Zionism (not Judaism) and their racial State of Israel. We have to distinguish between the two. Quoting Rouben (a Bahraini Jewish businessman) "For me, Israeli is a nationality and not a religion. The religion is Jewish, but they are mixing this with that. Okay, it's a Jewish state, but Israel is not Judaism."
This is also our belief as Arab Muslims and Arab Christians (and Jews, as you heard above). In fact, one of the pillars of Islam is to believe in Christianity and Judaism as sister religions of ours, of Islam.
Paul Findley once wrote that, "We have more in common than you think. True believers in God must move our society and our world from incompatibility to compatibility; from intolerance to tolerance; positive Christians, Jews and Muslims becoming partners in pace."
What really makes me sad is the fact that very few Christians and Jews are aware that Prophet Muhammad believed that Jesus and Moses were the most important bearers of God's revelation to mankind, and that Islam embraces both books, Bible and Torah and includes portions of both in the text of the Quran.
As Christians believe the New Testament was the completion of the Old Testament, so Muslims believe Islam and the Quran serve as the Final completion of both books, and Muhammad as the last Prophet or Messenger of God. Both the Torah and the New Testament are viewed by Islam as inspired revelation of God to mankind. Both Jews and Christians are referred to in the Quran as 'People of the Book' meaning the Bible.
Quoting from Surah al-`Ankabut (29:46) to support this conclusion: "The Quran calls upon Muslims to attempt to sit down peacefully with People of the Book in an effort to find the common ground between hem", and from Surah Al-'Imran (3:84) to support this statement: "Muslims are asked to follow the good examples of the earlier Prophets of the Bible."
Also, it's good to remind the world that although the Jews joined with the enemies of early Islam, neither they nor Judaism were targeted by Muhammad or Islam. It is a fact of history that when the Jews were being persecuted in Europe during the Middle Ages they found peace, harmony, and acceptance among the Muslim people of Spain. In fact, this was the era of Jewish history that they themselves refer to as "the Golden Age".
Yes, we have in common more than what you think. Yes, we can live together as friends and families. It's the politicians who are trying and will keep trying to ruin this fact for their own agenda of greed, power and wealth to get fulfilled.
We are all shocked at the terrifying and dreadful wars all around the world, and deeply sympathetic to all those all over the world who have been bereaved as a result. We also are afraid of what may follow, just like you, just like you.
So let us pray for those in authority in our world, that they may make the peace in the disturbed parts and not disturb the peace of others, so that we may be able to live reverent lives in peace and quiet.
"Aren't we privileged to live in a time when everything is at stake, and when our efforts make a difference in the eternal contest between the forces of light and shadow, between togetherness and division? Between justice and exploitation? Oh, be joyful that you are a warrior in this great time! . . . Will we rise to this battle? If so, we cannot lose, for rising up to it is our victory. . . . If we represent love in the world, you see, we have already won." –Doris Granny D Haddock
{ 25 } Comments
and i wonder why the imams kept telling us in the mosque how bad the jews are.
And I wonder why rabbis and priests kept telling us in synagogue, churches and media, how bad the Muslims are?
See, this is the problem. Unfortunately most of the people just believe in what they hear and see. Very rarely you will find someone who would search to know the truth. And of course, that is normal. It is normal to believe the leaders (spiritual and political) and assume that they are telling us the truth, but that's not the cases always. In fact, that rare!
Generalization is another enemy. When someone commit a crime, the whole tribe is taken responsible. Why is that? Why can't we distinguish and put everything where it belongs?
that's a wonderful post.. call me naive, but I had no idea that there are Gulfian Jews. I knew that there are Arab Jews, even Palestinian Jews, and it's good to see that we differenciate between Judaism and Zionism.
Thank you for this wonderful post, Haitham! This week has been filled with sad news and it does my heart good to read a happy news story today.
You are right that many people do not understand the deep connections between Judaism and Islam. Thank you for blogging about them!
This is very good, Haithim. Working together with what we have in common would accomplish much.
As a Christian, I know that Muslims revere Moses and Jesus Christ. And I know the Qur'an states to respect the people of the Book and to read the earlier revelations.But I know very few Muslims who have read the Torah or the New Testament as some tell me that the words were 'changed'at some unknown point in history and not to be believed. God is big enough to keep His revelation from the pollution of man.
As in the Western press, the line between anti-Zionist reporting and anti-Jewish reporting in the Middle East press is a fine one and is often hard to discern. The unusual character of Zionism and Israel have meant that for people unaware of the historical background to the interactions between Jews and Muslims, and the historical nature of Zionism, there is no distinction between Jews and Israelis. I have read many times about the positive interactions between Jews and Muslims over the centuries and indeed there is more to unite than seperate at a cultural and religious level, however anti-Semitism (as explicitly different to anti-Zionism) seems to be ingrained into the political vocabulary of the region and more worrying, echoed in the religious sphere too. This highlights the problematic integration of mosque and state in the Middle East. For example, in Britain, the Church of England routinely criticises Government policy where it contradicts the churches teachings. I am not aware of any Imam publically criticising anti-Jewish statements issued by a Middle Eastern government and explaining they are against the teachings of the Qu'ran.
Whilst it is pleasing to read articles such as the one Haitham has linked to, I fear they are a small drop in the well against a more dominant borderline anti-Jewish reporting that pervades the press in the Middle East.
Muslims are not against any religion, its the other religions that are against us.We muslims wanna make everything fair but its not wat everyone deserves.As Haitham said:Search to know the truth.Im a 13 year old girl who tries her best to no the truth about life.And i actually found it.Islam is the religion everyone is supposed to be believing because in Islam we believe in all prophets.All the prophets words are right but Prophet Mohammed is the last prophet.He says wat all the prophets say but he also adds some other words.
Maria is very correct, Islam is the true religion because it embraces all prophets, not just the ones from Judaism, this would include hinduism and buddhism, included the massacred religions of pre-christian europe. I adore Jesus very much, and all controversy aside what I find difficult with Christianity is that they believe not only Jesus is the Son of God, whatever that means, but that you have to believe this in order to find salvation and make it to heaven. This is very similiar to Roman Paganism at the time the non-jewish gentiles got their hands on early jewish christianity and changed it into a very intolerable misinterpreted religion. I grew up Christian, and was angry at God for along time under I took Shahadah and became Muslim. I immediately realized that we are given the freedom to make these choices and it is humanity's will at blame, not god for the ugliness of the world. I make concessions with Christianity too and decided to see the good and find a common ground, but I love Islam, its universal embraces all revelations. I am married to a Palestinian-American girl whose family was forced to leave Palestine or be killed, then they were forced from Lebanon to be killed. In fact her uncles and grandfather were kidnapped and murdered in a long history of ethnicide by the Israelis and Lebanese christians. If it wasnt for Oslo and the hard work of the 1ntifada and PLO they would not be citizens of the US. Anyway, long story short … we have a lot in common but people always want to point out the differences and elevate themselves above others, force their version on others, this is human error, God is much wiser and we must forgive the ignorance of simple people. God's mercy is their forgiveness or punishment, we just must stay strong and build bonds with the global community of believers. Allahu Akbar! Masalaam.
You write: "Arabs and Muslims are against Zionism (not Judaism)".
In Israel, we have become used to hearing this warcry in Arabic: "Itbach al Yahud!". This translates as "Slaughter the Jews!". It often goes together with "Allahu Akhbar" (God is great). So Arabs and Muslims fight against Jews, not Zionists. (They also fight against all other religions, not to mention fighting against each other.)
You also forget that Arabs were slaughtering Jews – for cultural reasons – long before Zionism arose.
I am all for peaceful coexistence but you'll first have to face the truth to make any meaningful progress.
J Livni,
If you read what I wrote carefully, you would have understand why, how and what “Slaughter the Jews!” means. However it seems that you are trying to deny historical facts and stick to words said, but close your brain to understand what is meant behind them and how they become blind banners that Zionists and those who blindly support them believes.
If someone has to face the truth, then it both of us. Not only we should face the truth which you believe. We also have truth, and we believe it. If you have the right to believe your version, we have the right to believe ours. Regardless!!!!
As for Arabs were slaughtering Jews… how about Jews were slaughtering Arabs? Isn't that a fact too? Why do you have to justify your hate and blame the victims?
If you are for peace, then act line one…
I'm not going to turn this comment into a history lesson, but it is very easy for me to start one if that is necessary, specially when talking to Zionists (which are by the way, nothing less that Nazi and Ben Laden).
Dear, dear! "Zionists …are … nothing less that (sic) Nazi and Ben Laden". You seem to be as keen on peaceful coexistence as you are on the truth! I wonder what you have to say about the PLO and Hamas???
You ask "how about Jews were slaughtering Arabs?" You are imagining history. Jews didn't slaughter Arabs because 1) it isn't part of our culture and 2) Jews have historically never been strong enough to do such things anyways. You are trying to ignore the slaughter of the Jewish community of Hebron by their friendly Arab neighbors in 1927. There were other slaughters of Jews by Arabs – but not the other way.
It is precisely when supposedly truth-seeking and reasonable Arabs like you say the most hideous things that I am reminded of why peace with Arabs is so impossible.
Wow! Jews in Bahrain! Fantastic! Jews are great, they drive cars! And cars use oil! Do the math! and see you see you there! http://richarabs.blogspot.com
Firstly, Sabbah, I have to commend you for actually publishing my comments. You are either unafraid of the truth that I bring – or else you see it as an opportunity to repeat your progagandistic lies. Whatever.
There are many things that could be said about your alleged "massacres" but we will make due with just a few points.
The source "palestinehistory.com" doesn't inspire confidence in accuracy. The exaggerations and misrepresentions listed here are typical and not surprising. For example, you ask "Isn’t the above committed by your people?" The Sabra and Shatila massacre (badly misrepresented by palestinehistory.com) was committed by Lebanese Christians who were avenging previous massacres that Palestinean Muslims had committed against them. Jews had nothing to do with it. Arabs kill Arabs and you blame the Jews.
Similarly, I heard senior Palestinean negotiator Saeb Erakat screaming hysterically on the BBC 2 years ago that the Jews had "massacred 3,000 or more innocent Palestineans" in Jenin and that he, Erakat, had seen the bodies in the street. It turned out, in the end, that some 49 Palestinean terrorists were killed in gun battles in which 25 Israeli soldiers were also killed. Not a massacre by any definition. And this is typical of Palestinean versions of "truth" and "history".
When you do go looking for examples of "massacres" of Arabs by Jews, you have to look back over half a century – but when looking for atrocities that Arabs have committed against Jews (or others) one needn't go back more than a few days. And so it is that just an hour ago, in 3 separate drive-by shootings outside Jerusalem, at least 3 young Jews were shot to death. Others were severely injured. The "Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade" has proudly claimed responsibility. (The AAMB is named after an Islamic mosque built on top of the Jewish Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and is not named after some 'national' object. This kind of bloodthirsty murder is religious in nature, not political. Make no mistake about it. "Slaughter the Jews" all over again. Just like when Muslims slaughtered Jews long before Israel and Zionism.)
You close with "I have the right to fight and resist as much as you do." I take it then, seeing as you are a fair person, that you won't have any problem with someone in California or France or London, say, shooting a few young Muslims to death tomorrow, seeing as they have equal rights to "fight and resist", just like Palestineans. Your words, remember.
When your peaceful and rational discussion turns quickly into vile villification of victims, propagandistic lies and justification of Jihadic murders, the rest of us aren't very optimistic about true peace anywhere in the Arab world.
Hehe… In fact it's a chance to show your lies and those of Zionists like you. So, keep ranting :-)
1. palestinehistory does not inspire confidence in accuracy? So you claim that only what you say is! Typical Zionist, I'm not surprised.
2. Lebanese Christians committed the massacres? Why don't you tell the full story? Who let them in? who they report to? Who supported them? Where did they get the arms, etc…
Sharon!!!
3. What about the other massacres? So you didn't mention anything about them? I conceder this as admittance of the crimes your people did. In fact I'm not waiting for you to admit that, it is the truth ;-)
You say whatever you want. Evidences, reports, films, documentaries and Witnesses are still alive. What you are saying is the Zionist propaganda, which is nothing but the lies.
Hehe… this is funny. It seems that your memory is very short. If you check few hours before that, few days before that, you will hear of the crimes of you settlers and your occupation army. Or did your history started just few hours ago?
We are talking about Palestine here. Resistance of occupation. If you give yourself the right to fight Palestinians, Palestinians also have the same right. Don't try to drag the subject somewhere else. terrorism is a crime by all means. But what my people are doing is their normal right to resist, and has nothing to do with your lies and propaganda. I'm not surprised why all of a sudden after 9/11 all what Palestinian do is labeled as terrorism. This is the game of the Zionist propaganda.
I'm sorry that I have to tell you that no more comments from you are welcome here. In fact, Zionists are not welcome here. I just let your comments published to show some visitors a sample of the Zionist lies and how they turn facts upside down and expect everyone to believe their lies, as if they are one and only source of truth in this universe.
Save yourself the time to write back…
I'm not going to comment on the last several comments…I want to get back to the original subject of religion: I have become very interested in the comparative study of religion and one thing I have noticed is that the current practices of Christianity and Islam have little resemblance to the original teachings. If you read the New Testament, you can see that what Jesus emphasized, peace and love and tolerance, has little in common with what Christians focus on today. As for Islam, I've read most of the Koran, but I didn't come across any passages that said women have to wrap their heads in scarves. Nor did I find the passages that said thieves should have their hands chopped off or adulterers should be stoned… Most religions started as progressive movements for their times but all became perverted by cultures that decided to ignore spiritual values and revert to ancient hierarchical values of might makes right and oppression, control and exploitation of the weak. As for Judaism, it seems to have kept a lot of its original emphasis on tribalism and territorial conquest for the benefit of the Jewish people. I find Judaism to be a very different religion from Christianity and Islam, which were designed to be univeral, but sadly, over time, Christianity and Islam have devolved more and more into tribalism and have become more like Judaism.
As a new resident to Bahrain, I am pleased to say that never in my life have I seen such wonderful coexistance of all Jews, Chrisitans and Muslims. It embodies for me the culture Arabs have and can offer to the rest of the world.
Respect, courtesy and consideration without highlighting the difference in faith but rather our rich cultural heritage.
We readily forget, that Bahrain was on the map of the world long before Rome was even a thought in anyone's mind.
Why is it that western media never speaks of these facts instead of adding unecessary fuel to the present fires.
It makes one understand the perspective of western media, with a main scope not to inform but rather to destroy through biased and malicious syndication.
Bahrain, you make me proud!
The facts are clear Ann from New York and Livine from Ca.
Jews were not wanted in Europe after the bolchevick revolution, the Balfour treaty in 1917 solved just that problem by appointing a territory occupied by the British as a land of refuge for Jewish refugees.
What it has done over the years is create an abyss between the only 2 people of this world of semitic origin.
Many ashkenazims conveniently forget this and try to make up for it by focusing their views and those of others on fallacies. But don't kid yourself, Arab, jews, Christians and muslilms are not easily duped like the majority of westerners who onnly fund your deeds so that they can get rid of you.
After all the far right is not an arab invention and nor was the spanish inquisition.
You may benefit from reading: Why Jews Fled the Arab Countries by Ya'akov Meronhttp://www.meforum.org/article/263and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_exodus_from_Arab_landsaOf course we have plenty in common. We used to make up sizeable portions of all your countries' populations. Half the Jews in Israel are Mizrahi. They came from Arab nations and speak Arabic. But they got sick of being oppressed, and opted instead for their own freedom.
OK, we know all that. So? Am I suppose to feel guilty?
Not to forget that you did and are still doing the same and more to Palestinians.
Maybe you will benefit from reading: http://www.palestineremembered.com/index.html
i'm doing that to palestinians? i'm an anti-occupation activist. my own family accuses me of being a race traitor. give me a break.
You will hate me for this. I am always disturbed when I hear or read people priding themselves on having distinguished the difference between Judaism and Zionism. It often reminds me of the saying "some of my best friends are…" followed by "but they are not like the others" or something similar. Zionism is different, but so many people seem to misunderstand it – or at least, understand it differently. Sometimes I suspect people don't understand it all.
These are my understandings; Zion is a concept rather then a place, invented by people with no place. It is a sort of dream haven for the disenfranchised. A bit like the internet was supposed to be once, where all people of loss are welcome, regardless of origin. It was a kind of escape route for the mind, and many who dreamed it were what you might call "secular", not especially orthodox, and perhaps a little rebellious. It's just miserable that the original ideal has been twisted and warped by people higher up the chain who seem to have forgotten what it's all about, and by people lower down the chain who so easily learn to fear what they are told to. And everyone in the middle gets squished into hushing up about it, for fear of retribution.
I get depressed everytime the topic is raised.
"I don't see your definition applies today."
How so much does that sound like someone saying "well yesterday Islam was ok but in our time it is all about 9-11".
Interminable irony, I bet you support fighting for rights don't you – oh yes, so long as it's your own.
I think you got me wrong here. What I was trying to say is that this is not how Zionist are presented to this part of the world.
In fact a recent discussion between me and a Jewish friend, I can to understand that there are two different type of zionists. Unfortunately the extremist one is what we all know about.
maybe you can enlighten us of the other side. I'm sure they may help a little to establish a base for constructive conversation.
After all, extremist are rejected by all. Being an Islamists one or Jewish one or anyone else.
I think we have a listen here to learn. Assuming that the other side knows all what you are talking about is wrong. In this case, Zionism is the critical topics, yet, I don't see real attempt from the Jewish side to represent it in proper way, specially that now it is evident that each side seems to miss something about the other side.
You say you "don’t see real attempt from the Jewish side to represent it (Zionism) in proper way". Sides? Proper? What happened to our generation. We were the ones who were supposed to live in a borderless paradise, weren't we. We were supposed to be accepting and non-judgmental and have flexible ideas about propriety, at least, this is what our war weary parents hoped to bestow on us. Didn't they? What happened.
You are right in some small way – I often hear the comfortable and privileged "champions of democracy" bagging Zionism in left wing forum (IRL and on the net) and rarely are they questioned. I can't pretend to speak for anyone else, but I can wonder if this is in part because Judaism (and Zionism does spring from Judaism even if not all jewish are zionist) is not really a religion that encourages people to go out and convert others. It is perhaps, in many ways, passive (in some ways maybe even a religion of passive resistance) while at the same time only too aware it is perceived by some others as the thorn in Christianities crown. You might say, that jews have learnt to keep their complaints to themselves. In this light it is unsurprising perhaps that others still, you might like to call them jewish extremists (I write that with a degree of satire I am not sure comes across very well) have questioned past passivism, and where it lead, and have chosen instead to take up arms. As you say, Palestinians and Israelis might have more in common then you might think.
(Bt, noticed you deleted the interim comment between my two previous ones).
What I deleted were not comments, in fact they were inbound links, which were generated by a plugin to the publishing tool that I use (wordpress) and was acting weird and eating too much resources and bandwidth.
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