On October 30, the Haifa Religious Studies Laboratory and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Haifa, Israel, held a rare multi-faith solidarity gathering at the community’s mosque, amid the war in Gaza. More than 600 members of Haifa’s Muslim and Jewish communities, as well as Christian and Buddhist representatives, invaded the mosque, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the massacres of civilians.
“It’s the only way – the only way – to create a different reality here,” Alon-Lee Green, national co-director of the Arab and Jewish Peace Organization. Standing together, said on Jewish and Arab dialogue. “This is the only way to create a reality in which we do not go from one war to another, from one violent escalation to another violent escalation.”
Below is a lightly edited transcription of the speech given by Muhammad Sharif Odeh, leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in the Holy Land, during the event. Originally written in Hebrew, these remarks have been translated for publication.
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Merciful.
It is quite interesting that there have not been two nations that have lived together in harmony and coexistence in the history of the world, other than the Arabs and the Jewish people. I do not say this as Muhammad Sharif, an Arab or a Palestinian.
I say this based on this quote from the Vanderbilt University professor David WassersteinWHO said: “Islam saved the Jews. This is an unpopular and uncomfortable statement in the modern world. But it is a historical truth.
This professor has a lot of knowledge and has taught hundreds of historians. He currently lives in the United States. Other topics mentioned in this article: Islam gave the Jewish people security and the right to exist; Where else did Jews gain equal social and economic rights? the attitude of Muslims towards the Jewish people who lived under their domination; the revival of the Hebrew language in the Islamic world; how and when the Jewish people lived in harmony with their neighbors; and the flourishing of Jewish culture alongside Islamic culture.
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Muhammad Sharif Odeh, leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in the Holy Land, addresses a large crowd of Muslims, Jews, Christians and Buddhists.
Courtesy of Being Together
So we have a nice picture. Why don’t we tell this story, as Jews and Arabs? And why, if we could live like this for 1,400 years, why can’t we live like this now?
Two things: ideology. And I say it in all my conferences: we cannot fight ideology by force. We fight ideology with an alternative ideology.
I am asked about October 7, this horrible day that hurts me not only as a Muslim and Arab, but also as a citizen of the State of Israel. People ask me: do you condemn Hamas? My dear! I have condemned Hamas since 2009! And I created TV shows, we wrote and published articles.
We cannot fight ideology by force. We fight ideology with an alternative ideology.
Our community was created to fight against this radicalization of these political movements in Islam. God did not send prophets to establish countries. God did not send prophets to become politicians. A country is for all its citizens. The first day he wrote the first constitution in Medina — it was between the Muslims and the Jewish people, you can go back to Google and confirm for yourselves — the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, said to all the citizens of Medina: “We are all equal. » He said to his disciples: “Whoever harms them (the Jews), harms me, and I will be their enemy on the day of judgment. »
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Members of the public hold signs reading “Together” during the interfaith solidarity event in Haifa.
Courtesy of AMJ Terres Saintes
This is why Jews lived in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and here too. This is why we need to give a correct definition to the term “jihad”. In the Holy Quran, the word “jihad” has never been mentioned in the context of war, not in a single Quranic verse. And I don’t do sugary things because I live on Mount Carmel in Haifa. All Ahmadi Muslims around the world believe the same thing.
Today I spoke with the leader of our community in the West Bank, who formerly identified with Hamas ideology. He is against them now. We also have members of our community living in Gaza and I worry for their safety. We must care about the fate of all human beings and love all human beings like the love a mother feels for her children, if not more. If we don’t do this, there is something wrong with our humanity.
I was never asked which house I wanted to be born in. I had no choice, and I guess you didn’t have that choice either. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us this: “All creations are the children of God, and the most beloved of Allah is the one who benefits all human beings. » He didn’t say Arabs or Muslims. This is why we must make an effort to bring happiness to others.
Without it, we will become emotionally numb – and that is the most dangerous thing we will face in the future. This is why we must make an effort to bring about change. Thank you and God bless you.
Disclosure: Analyst News is affiliated with the Ahmadiyya International Muslim Community. To learn more about our ethics and standards as an editorially independent journalism organization, see our about page.