By  Dr. Mahjabeen Islam
Toledo, Ohio

December 02 , 2005

Jews and Muslims Can Communicate

A Muslim giving the Sabbath sermon at a synagogue in America sounds quite incredible, especially in these trying times. That the Muslim was me has me stunned. Still.
I feel that enough has not been done by Muslims themselves to tackle terrorism, so came up with the idea of Project Friday Khutba. In this project, imams the world over must state in each Friday khutba that terrorism and suicide bombing are haram in Islam.
The Jewish community in Toledo felt that not only was it novel in its simplicity, it was vital that it catch on so that terrorism is stemmed. Never in the history of the Shomer Emunim Temple in Sylvania, Ohio, has there been a “pulpit exchange” with a Muslim. “Perhaps if we do more talking here, and listening to each other, we can be an inspiration to Muslims and Jews in places where talking and listening to different ideas is not customary”, said Rabbi Samuel Weinstein in his invitation to me.
In his introduction, Rabbi Weinstein translated Mahjabeen as being “the face of light”. “We hope that this face of light can help take us out of the darkness into the light”. I lost internal composure for it reminded me of the recurring theme in the Qur’an of how Allah takes us out of the darkness into the light (2:257). Interestingly in the Qur’an the word is dhulumaat, or darknesses, into noor or light, in the singular; for there are many darknesses and only one Light.
I opened with the prayer of Moses as stated in the Qur’an. “Rabbish rahli sadri wa yasirli amri wa ahlul uqdatum mil lisani yafqahu qauli”, which translates to: “O God open my chest, make my task easy for me and untie the knot in my tongue so that they may understand me”.
Since the subject is so sensitive, and both Jews and Muslims were there, it was important to set the stage with Surah Nisa, verse 35 which says “O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor… and if you distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily God is well-acquainted with all that you do”. I had set my mind to pointing out the failings on both sides, and the opportunities, actually responsibilities we have. Not to mention the urgency with which these responsibilities need execution.
“To understand Project Friday Khutba”, I said to the congregation, “it is important to understand some concepts in Islam”. That suicide is a sin; I like to say that suicide is a ticket to hell, taking someone with you is a confirmed reservation. Sheikh Qaradawi is probably the only scholar of repute in the Muslim world who feels that suicide bombing is allowable, but only in Palestine, for the people there are unarmed against one of the most sophisticated armies in the world. The majority of Muslim scholars especially in the Muslim Council of Britain and the Fiqh Council of North America, categorically state that suicide bombing and terrorism are haram in Islam.
Islam does not condone terrorism and Surah Maidah (5:32) says that “killing one is like killing all mankind and whoever saves a life it as though they have saved mankind”. Additionally the concept of “amar bil maroof wa nahin anal munkar”, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil is a repetitive theme in the Qur’an, to the point of making it mandatory on Muslims to practice.
The concept of jihad has the world in a spin. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) returned from battle and said that he had returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad, indicating that the greater jihad is our struggle against our nafs or our base desires. Observing hijab and carrying the last name of Islam after 9/11 is jihad. Despite threatening phone calls after the start of the Gulf War and suggestions that I change my last name, the conviction that God is the Protector, and we must submit to His will, is jihad.
Terrorist attacks all over the world were enumerated, especially the 1074 Israelis killed since September 2000 and the 3738 Palestinians killed in the same period. That the population of Iraq has not been decimated as yet is a surprise, for terrorist attacks occur on a daily basis and claim large numbers. Muslim upon Muslim terror was important for the Jewish congregation to understand, for if a tally is taken of the victims the highest number will be that of Muslims. It is mind boggling that this evil ideology kills at Passover dinner celebrations, wedding parties and inside mosques.
I dwelt at length on US action against the people of Iraq, for 200, 000 civilians have died as a result of sanctions, but overwhelmingly because of American military force. In the first Gulf War the United States used 94,000 missiles, coated with depleted uranium, damning generations of Iraqis for they are being born maimed and deformed and will die of a variety of cancers. And now America is using white phosphorus which burns flesh to the bone, and is warfare with chemical weapons, straight and simple.
The terrorist is an ideologue, no doubt. But the world has provided grounds and provocation. The mother of all terrorism is the dispossession of the Palestinian people as well as India’s state-sponsored terrorism against the innocents of Kashmir. American imperialism, the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay, Abu-Ghraib and Bagram have catalyzed into one cataclysm after another.
The congregation was reminded that terrorism has no religion, for Jewish-American Baruch Goldstein killed 30 worshippers when they were in prostration at a mosque in the West Bank in 1994. In 1982 Alan Goodman, another Jewish-American killed two Muslims as they prayed in the Al-Aqsa mosque.
The Muslim dilemma was also explained: that of being perpetrator and victim. We are perpetrators for being co-religionists or guilty by association. We are victims twice over; we are targeted by the terrorists for anyone cooperating or living in peace with the West is fair game, and then by the USA Patriot Act which, on undisclosed charges, arrests, imprisons and then deprives us of legal representation.
A physician in the congregation said that my American citizen daughters would get me legal representation, should the need arise since my religion and candid writing are like double jeopardy. But I am an American citizen too, I said and all constitutional rights are redundant under the USA Patriot Act. It is 1984 come alive, here in our USA. “If I disappear, come get me”, made the congregation realize that no one is immune from the tentacles of Homeland Security.
The genesis of Project Friday Khutba was the imam at my mosque not even mentioning the London train bombings on the Friday after they occurred, as well as the permeation of the ideology of Al-Qaeda in the minds of 18-23 year olds across the world. A friend of Shahzad Tanveer, one of the London bombers, stated eerily, that killing Osama bin Laden would not matter now, for, pointing to his head he said, “Al-Qaeda is inside”. Our mosque was not alone; Muslims all over North America reported that their imams had also generally ignored terrorist attacks.
Imams especially those that do believe that suicide bombing and terrorism are haram, have essentially abdicated their responsibility and practice what I call, “benign ignorance”. When explained Project Friday Khutba, many pooh-pooh it as being too simplistic, and with vaunted male chauvinism, condescendingly discard it as unimportant, unnecessary and unworkable. Many do not realize how powerful it is for a young person to repeatedly hear the same message, especially mind fomenting ideas of violence.
Somewhat overcome by emotion, a Jewish woman in the congregation asked how it is that a mother could be happy that her son had committed a suicide bombing. I explained that firstly she herself subscribes to the twisted ideology of suicide bombing, and considers her son a martyr. Secondly, the Muslim belief in the Hereafter and the life of this world being “but a short play and amusement” (47:36), as well as there being no finality to death, more a transfer (I explained the word inteqaal as transfer) is what makes her tolerate the loss of her son with a smile.
There were no walkouts or huffy faces at the synagogue. Almost all the congregants personally thanked me for coming and educating. They understand that there are the proverbial two sides to a story. Perhaps a seed is sown in their minds and peace will root and flower. We too must nurture this and get our house in order. Surah Raad (13:11) is very clear "God does not change the condition of any people unless they themselves make the decision to change".
Each one of us must make it a point to go to our imams and insist that in each and every Friday khutba they mention one phrase: “suicide bombing and terrorism are haram in Islam”. Not only would we absolve ourselves of the onus Islam places on us; the reverberation of the message the world over just might bring some order to the madness that suddenly reigns supreme.
I prayed for “two nations, one peace” for all Israelis and Palestinians. Inshaallah it will be more than just a dream.
(Mahjabeen Islam is a physician and freelance columnist practicing in Toledo Ohio. Her email is mahjabeenislam@hotmail.com)


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