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