Jews and Muslims have been tied together by culture and history for centuries. For over a thousand years both peoples have contributed to the Middle Eastern civilization. But this relationship has become increasingly difficult in recent years. Blood, tears and violence have marked these relations. Both sides continue to blame the 'other'.
The 'other' and the problems they create - have been used as an excuse to hide behind the ignorance that has shaped our views about each other. The mass media - in most part - has dehumanized the 'other' and has played a significant role in perpetuating the distrust, misperceptions, skepticism, fear, hatred and violence against each other.
Islam and Judaism - the two monotheistic faiths, have lost their identities in the political chaos of today. The distinction between religious identities and that of political one has been blurred to a point where Islam equates to Arabs and terrorists and to be a Jew means to be an Israeli. Neither all Muslims are Arabs nor all Jews are Israelis and neither do all adhere to the same political philosophies.
Most of us today emphatically defend our political positions but have lost focus on creating and having a constructive dialogue between Islam and Judaism. Not only have these two Abrahamic religions shared the same roots and ancestry through Prophet Abraham, they are joined together by faith in the One God.
The Muslim testimony of faith - la ilaha illa Allah, ("There is no god but God") - has been narrated in the Torah by: "Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). While the latter words are not found in the Muslim testimony of faith, they are found in the Koran: "Truly the believers are those whose hearts quiver when God is remembered." (8:2). Islam has a deeply universal spirit. Its message for all humanity is one of peace and mutual respect. It has built into it respect for Judaism and Christianity.
As Muslims and Jews, we have a responsibility to create a world where we can live together in peace and with dignity. Many of us believe that Jews and Muslims cannot co-exist because of the political divide. But both religions emphasize the need to live peacefully with others. Prophet Mohammed (May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) - once said: "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." The Torah says, "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Leviticus 19:18).
Even in the contemporary world, France and the United States are an example where the Jewish and Muslim communities live together in harmony, despite their religious and political differences.
It's not that Muslims and Jews cannot co-exist but words like 'Jewish lobby', 'Jewish conspiracy' and statements like Jews are the main cause of most problems in the Muslim world keep not only reappearing in our discussions but it adds fuel to the fire of ignorance. The imagery of Jews and their nefarious plans against the Muslims are portrayed in the Muslim media as much as Muslim being a terrorist and hating the freedoms of the West in the Western media.
Among the Muslim world, it is still rare to hear Muslim voices that encourage dialogue. Mostly, this attitude is explained as an outcome of deep-rooted frustration. Muslims in most parts of the Islamic world have been disillusioned by their governments, and they blame the West for keeping those governments in power and hence their reluctance to a dialogue.
What as Muslims we overlook is that nothing in Islam allows us to reject or harm a human being due to his/her religion, language or ethnicity. The message of Islam requires respect of Jewish faith. Jews have been called "The People of the Book", in the Koran. Prophet Mohammed (May Peace be Upon Him) constantly taught respect for all human beings, with all their differences. One day, he stood up out of respect when he saw a funeral procession nearby. When someone told the Prophet that it was that of a Jew, he replied "Is it not a human soul?"
During the initial phase of the Prophet's time in Medina, the Prophet Mohammed Said: "He who is unjust with a contractor [Christians and Jews of Medina], I shall bear witness against him on the Day of Judgment." Later, during a period of conflict between Jews and Muslims, eight Koranic verses were revealed to absolve a Jew who had falsely been accused of a crime by a Muslim.
The recognition of Moses and the Torah is as much a part of Islamic teachings as the belief in all the other prophets and the divine books. In the light of these teachings, we, as Muslims, cannot continue to perpetuate the negative image of Jews in the name of Islam.
It is the responsibility of all Muslims and Jews to recognize the link between Islam and Judaism. From the Muslim perspective, it also means that we must respect the pain and suffering of the Jewish people during the Second World War that has had long lasting effects on the Jewish way of thinking. This is not to say that the Palestinian issue should be overlooked. From a Jewish point of view, they need to understand that Islam is not their enemy; it never was and will never be. Those who use Islam as a tool to propagate hate and violence must not be taken as the voice of Islam.
As much as it is the responsibilities of the Muslims to take this message to their communities, it is as important for Jewish communities all over the globe to reciprocate. Both sides must understand that criticism of a regime either in the Muslim world or Israel does not mean disrespecting Islam or Judaism.
Muslims and Jews alike should work together to have a constructive dialogue to break down the existing prejudices and discover the 'other'. Continuation of keeping ourselves ignorant of the 'other' will ultimately have devastating consequences religiously, socially and politically. If we fail to have a dialogue, we may lose our generations to hate and violence.
There are many who are working either as individuals or as organizations to talk about this issue. One such organization that is working to create bridges among the younger generation of Jews and Muslims is Children of Abraham. They use the Internet to promote dialogue, discovery and respect through thought provoking online discussion as well as photography. What makes them unique is their use of photographic images that draws upon the similarities in both the religions. Their students come from more then 40 countries and their participation in the Discovery Program will result in a Jewish-Muslim educational guidebook.
Gul Rukh Rahman is the co-executive director of Children of Abraham. She may be contacted at gulrukh@children-of-abraham.org
Viewpoint: Children of Abraham - Jews and Muslim
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