Amidst the tragic situation in Palestine these days, a few Muslims seem to have found a way to express their anger and frustration. No, not by constructively doing anything about it, but by bashing Jews and hailing Hitler as a hero! Wrongly equating the actions of the Israeli government with Judaism, they continue generalizing approximately 15 million Jews, painting them all with the same brush!
A few days earlier, as I was browsing through my Facebook news feed, I came across this meme praising Hitler for killing Jews, with the hash tag #Hitlerwasright:
Exasperated as I was, I tried to maintain my composure and very calm-fully responded to this individual that there are many Jews who condemn the actions of the Israeli government, much like us Muslims who condemn the actions of Jihadist terrorist groups, and so it is naïve to generalize all Jews based on the situation in Palestine. Without taking a minute, he responded back to me quoting the Quranic verse that “asks Muslims not to be friends with Jews”, justifying his bigotry through the Quran!
Checkmate? Probably, if I hadn’t known better!
A common misconception about the Quran is that it promotes hatred of Jews and Christians, and asks Muslims to not be friends with them. Strangely, instead of voicing out against such a misrepresentation of 5:51 (which contains the commandment), some Muslims actually revel in quoting this verse as a means of feeling superior, perhaps. Who needs enemies, when you have such believers? But I guess, that’s the karma of blindly following religious figures.
Here’s the much quoted verse:
O You who have believed! Do not take the Jews and Christians as your allies (Auliya). They are allies of one another. He among you who takes them for allies is one of them. God does not guide the oppressive folks. Quran, 5:51
A plethora of lies are sold to the average Muslim to instigate enmity with other faiths, and so I will debunk these points step by step. Point 1 and 2 will explain how the verse above is misrepresented, and 3-6 would expand on further points.
1. Aulia is erroneously and inconsistently translated as friends by some translators. However, in Arabic, Aulia is more closely defined as a protector or an ally. It has been used in the Quran to mostly signify that God protects (Wali) the believers through revelation. This is not to be confused with Khaleel, which does mean friend, but is an honor given exclusively to Ibrahim (4:125).
Additionally, Muslims should sincerely ask themselves what they mean when they call their scholars “Maulana”. Are they trying to imply that these scholars are their friends who they hang out with? Hardly! Obviously, by calling these religious figures as Maulana, they mean to imply that these scholars are their protectors – from evil, perhaps.
Keeping the context in mind, it is clear that the verse refers to political allies, and is not about friendship.
2. The verse, quite specifically, asks Muslims not to take Al-Yahood & Al-Nasaraa as an ally. Now, “Al” in Arabic denotes an address to something or someone specific. If we are to assume that God asks us not to ally with any Jew or Christian, then on the same wavelength, we have to assume that all Arabs are the worst in hypocrisy and disbelief! Yes, it’s a verse in the Quran!
The Arabs (Al-Arab) are worst in disbelief and hypocrisy, and more likely to ignore the Limits that God has revealed to His messenger. God is Knower, Wise. Quran, 9:97
Except, here the “scholars” would be quick to contextualize things, or else their model of praising Arabs as the “chosen” people and equating Arabic culture with Islam would fall flat on its face! It is an inconsistency in approach, and consistency is the only criteria to judge truthfulness.
Taking a consistent view, both verses inform us that *some* Arabs (Al-Arab) are worst in hypocrisy and disbelief, and that Muslims should not ally with *some* Jews and Christians (Al-Yahood & Al-Nasaraa). Quite obviously, it is addressing the Jews and Christians at the time of the Prophet, who continuously broke their oaths, stoking the fires of war against Muslims (5:64) and were thus their worst enemies (5:82).
Common sense would suggest that allying with the enemy would be a sure way to lose the war.
3. The Quran constantly reminds Muslims not to generalize Jews, Christians, and others; but to judge them by their actions:
They are not all the same; among the People of the Scripture is a community standing [in obedience], reflecting and reciting the signs of God during periods of the night and they submit.
They believe in God and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten (in emulation) in (all) good works: These are the reformists! Quran 3:113-114
God does not forbid you from being kind, and fully equitable to those who do not fight you on account of Religion, and do not evict you from your homelands. God loves those who lead a just, balanced life.
But God does forbid you regarding those who fought you because of your system, and drove you out of your homes, and helped to drive you out. You shall not ally with them. Those who ally with them, then such are the transgressors. Quran, 60:8-9
4. Even traditional Islam allows Muslims to marry Jews and Christians. Is friendship a more sacred bond than marriage? Then how on earth can the Quran discourage us from befriending them?
5. Contrary to popular belief, Muslims do not have a monopoly on salvation. In fact, Jews and Christians, much like any other faith, are promised paradise should they “submit to God, do acts of reformation, and expect accountability” (2:62 & 5:69). The very act of claiming sole monopoly on truth and salvation is actually shunned by the Quran, of which, ironically, some Muslims are guilty:
And they claim, “None will enter Paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian.” This is nothing but their wishful thinking. Say, “Bring your proof if you are truthful.”
Nay, whoever submits his whole being to God, and he is a doer of good to humanity, his reward is with his Lord. Then, no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve. Quran, 2:111-112
6. The idea of alienating a group of people because of their faith alone is in fact contrary to the Quran, which actually promotes peaceful co-existence among citizens of varying backgrounds:
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes so that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the one who is deeply conscious of Him. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. Quran, 49:13
Conclusion
If anything, Muslims should be the last to generalize people of other faiths. They are vocal on how every Muslim shouldn’t be stereotyped as a terrorist because of the actions of a few terrorist groups seeming to represent “Islam”, yet generalize and put all Jews in one box because of the actions of the Israeli government and the “super rich bankers that control the world.” I condemn fundamentalist Zionists, just how I condemn fundamentalist Islamists. However, I don’t buy the propaganda on both sides of badmouthing every Jew or Muslim because of the extremist actions of some.
Is it not an act of gross hypocrisy of claiming to be misrepresented, but misrepresenting others at the very same time? But perhaps, it is not hypocrisy. Perhaps, it is just a lack of introspection. A trait so many of us ignorantly possess.
Credits: MuslimVillage.com
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Muslim Reformation 
“Even traditional Islam allows Muslims to marry Jews and Christians.”
> you are conveniently and purposefully misleadingly not being specific, which makes a great deal of difference.
You mean Muslim MEN can marry Jews and Christians where the wives are expected to convert to Islam and the children must be considered and registered as Muslims. This is a great bonus as it means the Jew or Christian wife is unable to create another Jew or Christian – a not so subtle way to help erode the the numbers of infidels.
Of course it is utterly impossible, quite illegal and worthy of (dis)honour killing if a Muslim WOMAN marries a non-Muslim. And converting to Judaism or Christianity? Need we bother to discuss the consequences of that?
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I don’t support this interpretation of traditional Islam, but the point is, if a man can marry a jew or christian, that most definitely means he will be “friends” with his wife. That destroys the idea of not being friends with Jews and Christians.
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“You mean Muslim MEN can marry Jews and Christians where the wives are expected to convert to Islam and the children must be considered and registered as Muslims”
The ‘expectations’ on wives, re their faith or conversion is a matter for every individual Muslim man and the woman they are marrying. If the man marries with the expectation that the woman will convert, and the woman knows of his expectation, then it’s her decision whether she proceeds on this basis or not. There is no Islamic compulsion for her to convert before or after in any case.
So too is the consideration of how the children are indoctrinated and/or classified, a matter of agreement between the husband and wife – preferably discussed before marriage. To say that the children “must be considered and registered as Muslims”, is not a general statement of fact. Nor is the exclusive indoctrination of such children as Muslims realistically enforceable anyway when their primary nurturer and caregiver, i.e. their mother, is a non Muslim. If the wife or potential wife wishes to convert to Islam, then the marriage is no longer mixed and the children will be raised Muslim. If the wife does not wish to convert, then obviously the children will be raised with both the mother’s and father’s religious influence.
“This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them… If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.”
– From the Charter of Rights given by Muhammad(sa) to the monks of St. Catherine’s Monastery, Mt. Sinai.
I know of many ‘mixed’ couples where the wife is under no expectation to convert. This is hardly surprising since the Islamic teaching on an individual’s right to freedom of faith (Quran 2:257) is crystal clear. The majority of Muslim men do not marry non Muslims for practical reasons. If they are deeply committed to all aspects of their religion, why would they marry someone not of a similar conviction?
“This is a great bonus as it means the Jew or Christian wife is unable to create another Jew or Christian – a not so subtle way to help erode the numbers of infidels.”
This is nonsensical. Mixed marriages between Muslims and Christians/Jews make up a tiny fraction of total marriages. Hardly an effective way to erode the number of Christians or Jews if that were the intention.
“Of course it is utterly impossible, quite illegal and worthy of (dis)honour killing if a Muslim WOMAN marries a non-Muslim. And converting to Judaism or Christianity? Need we bother to discuss the consequences of that?”
It’s not impossible – such marriages happens all the time. Whether it is Islamically permissible or not, it attracts no earthly punishment based on the Quran. Not every proscription in Islam demands a punishment by Muslims. And neither does apostasy.
Honour killing has absolutely no Islamic basis. It is an abhorrent practice found in some patriarchal societies, but not limited to Muslim ones – e.g. India and Latin America.
There are practical reasons for the distinction between the permissibility of Muslim men marrying Jews and Christians and Muslim women being forbidden to. Firstly, in most societies, the woman leaves her home/family to live with her husband. The authority and influence of the husband and his family makes it comparatively more difficult for a woman to maintain her faith. Not impossible but, depending on the husband, potentially more difficult.
Secondly, an understanding is needed of the roles and responsibilities in the Islamic concept of family. In Islam, the husband is obliged to provide financially and for other material needs of the family. The wife’s primary role is as caretaker of the home and children. This does not mean that she is forbidden from working for money, but she is not obliged to spend towards looking after the family. In the event of separation, the husband is required to provide ongoing financial payment for the wife and children. Thus the protection of the woman after divorce is mandated and assured. A Muslim woman who marries a non Muslim man has no recourse to this protection.
So by comparison these rules in Islam are more nuanced and quite different to the blanket prohibition on interfaith marriages in traditional Judaism for example.
“Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.” – Torah, Deuteronomy 7:3-4
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A refreshing perspective. As a former Christian, I am now what some would call a Jesus follower. It seems elements of Christianity are reassessing the meaning of Jesus through empirical scholarship and archeology. I am highly influenced by the writings of Bishop Shelby Spong, who has been accused of heresy for his progressive views. I can honestly say his books have kept me from throwing out the baby with the bath water. I found this site because it seems, to me, that Christianity has already been through a couple of very high profile reformations, and I wondered if perhaps many Muslims may feel similar about Islam. I am horrified by all institutionalized and sectarian violence. When religious fanaticism harms anyone, it equates the slow murder of their own god as well. Religion is fine and well, but it must evolve and take into account civilization’s social and technological progress. Tribal violence may have a necessity of survival in ancient, primitive times, where context was understandably very different. However, modern technology is totally incompatible with narrow, literalist, tribal-centric interpretations of respective scriptures, and fanaticism is the death sentence of that religion, not to mention the ‘collateral’ damage of innocents not seen humans, but props in a fatal misreading of revelatory scriptures. There is no reasoning with any fanatic, be he religious, political, social, etc. It is the same dynamic that self-leads fundamentalist, literalist sects of Christianity to the back-waters of a cult completely incompatible with modern civilization. Secularists are also painted with the same brush taken to moral relativism, accused of thinking everything is OK and ‘anything goes,’ if it feels good. Again, the extremist moral relativists and secularists, although loud, hardly represent the vast majority of the average. “Anything goes” is not the norm in virtually all societies; even secular societies are capable moral laws written to protect its own citizens from its own deviants without relying on religious deities who’s scriptural inconsistencies have lead to much tribalism and victimization of innocents, not to mention the forced conversion to a supposedly loving God. Although I readily acknowledge religions have accomplished many good things for humanity and civilization, this piece is about the ugly elements endemic to every tribe, big or small, and in this specific case, religion.
Today, the world is much too small for religious violence and tribal-centric mentalities. I am almost sure that, unless religions find some common ground, history will not flatter its considerable accomplishments, focusing instead on social theories regarding why so much violence was allowed to have been committed its name, resulting in the extinction of religion as an influential and significant presence in the future of humanity.
I have quit worshipping the God portrayed in the Bible, who behaves too much like a severely psychologically flawed Father, and I’m strongly censoring myself.
One of every religion’s greatest challenges in this century is to evolve to either an augmented theology that illegitimatizes all violence (except obvious self-defense), and to speak with a collective, unified voice that most religions would find reasonable and all could agree on. The scholar and author Karen Armstrong proposed this on a Ted Talks episode: Let’s start by agreeing on the wisdom of the Golden Rule, ‘To do unto others as you would have them do unto you…’ a collective spiritual truth which contains such a powerful common-sense message that even hard-core atheists could accept it as sound reasoning. Every religion worth its salt has something along the lines of the Golden Rule at its roots. I hope the heart-breaking violence in the middle east may finally inspire the leaders of the world’s biggest religions to organize a long over-due high-profile summit. The silence of the unified voice of the world’s major religions has been deafening. If they are to survive with legitimacy, they must collectively create a unifying document that takes the wind from the sails of every fanatical interpretation of their respective scriptures. Will that end fanaticism? Of course not. But perhaps it will give a collective voice to the world from the leaders of the biggest religions that will illegalize and illegitimatizes every form of aggressive violence from its respective adherents. They must stop leaving it to political governments and have the spine to stand, with one Voice, for the higher ideals of their faiths. Perpetuating their deafening silence will exile their respective God into impotent obscurity and future irrelevance that comes closer with each day. I believe anything less is religion’s death, not from the outside, but by a fanatical cancer that ignorantly commits suicide through the murder of its host.
Thank you for your voice of reason. I wish I could pray to God to stop the violence, but my personal outrage and anger just calls Him out. I don’t rationalize or buy His silence anymore, and I’m much more afraid of human fanaticism than I am of a God I believe is loving and not well represented. But even God shares some accountability. I know it is twisted humans, not God, doing the killing, but how is he omnipotent when he allows the wholesale slaughter of humans – never mind what religion or lack there of. It is up to us – especially the leaders of the big religions. Meanwhile, I don’t care who is right or wrong. The only thing I care for is each innocent human who is murdered by sword or smart-bomb because the leaders of the world’s religions have failed to unify and collectively disconnect from all fanatics in their ranks. The world and humanity’s immediate future is much too small for the primitive tribalism driving every fanatic’s life, and if nothing is done, we will all lose.
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first thing to know is that the deen of Allah is as He said it was, and not how we waant it to be, and that should the only criterion by which we judge things
agreed that hitler is not to be praised for what he did, however, Islam is not the deen of our own whims and desires, if someone asserts that a jew or christian in todays time and age can be successful in the hereafter, it is a misconception, as Allah swt says, “Verily the (only) deen with Allah is Islam….”
there is nothing wrong with behaving cordially and kindly with the jews and christians, on the condition that they are not fighting you, however, to love them from your heart and be close friends with them is not a part of Emaan, at this time, any jew who fights against the Muslim people (Israel) and anyone who supports them is an enemy of the Muslims and an enemy of Islam, and you cannot befriend them in any case….
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A good post to read on the topic of Islam being the deen with Allah is this:
http://saritaagerman.blogspot.it/2014/07/other-faiths-or-other-paths-farouk-peru.html#sthash.juva3NV7.gbpl
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Usama, “Islam” from Arabic ‘islām ‘submission,’ from ‘aslama ‘submit (to God).’
Christians and Jews are as submitted to God as us and it would be arrogant to say that whoever doesn’t embrace Islam is doomed to hell.
We are no judges and do not know who is going to be saved or not so saying that being close friends with them is not part of our Emaan is terribly wrong.
“Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.” (4:48)
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>>” if someone asserts that a jew or christian in todays time and age can be successful in the hereafter, it is a misconception, as Allah swt says, “Verily the (only) deen with Allah is Islam….”
There is nothing in the Quran mentioning or distinguishing Jews and Christians of today’s time as not being successful in the hereafter. The only distinction God makes in the Quran is between those who do good and those who do not.
“They are not all alike. Among the People of the Book there is a party who stand by their covenant; they recite the Word of Allah in the hours of night and prostrate themselves before Him. They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and enjoin good and forbid evil, and hasten to vie with one another in good works. And these are among the righteous.” (3:114-115)
“The [Muslim] believers, the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabians – all those who believe in God and the Last Day and do good – will have their rewards with their Lord. No fear for them, nor will they grieve” (2: 62).
“Some of the People of the Book believe in God, in what has been sent down to you and in what was sent down to them: humbling themselves before God, they would never sell God’s revelation for a small price. These people will have their rewards with their Lord: God is swift in reckoning” (3: 199).
Of course as Muslims we believe in Islam as the absolute truth, but this does not mean that Islam or Muslims have a monopoly on truth, righteousness or salvation. God Himself clearly states that persons are judged on individual actions and deeds, not simply by which religion they had the fortune or misfortune of being born into or exposed to. And He further explains that the differences amongst us are themselves a test of behaviour rather than a point of conflict:
“For each of you We prescribed a clear spiritual Law and a manifest way in secular matters. And if Allah had enforced His will, He would have made you all one people, but He wishes to try you by that which He has given you. Vie, then, with one another in doing good works. To Allah shall you all return; then will He inform you of that wherein you differed” (5:49)
>>”however, to love them from your heart and be close friends with them is not a part of Emaan, at this time, any jew who fights against the Muslim people (Israel) and anyone who supports them is an enemy of the Muslims and an enemy of Islam, and you cannot befriend them in any case…. ”
So Muslims married to Jews are not permitted to love them from their hearts?? To say that Jews in general cannot be befriended or loved because of the Israel/Palestinian conflict is ridiculous. It’s an insult to the Jews who are protesting against Israeli government policy. It’s an insult to the refuseniks – those IDF personnel refusing to serve in the occupied territories. The Muslim countries of the Arab League are sitting on their hands, worried more about personal interests and consolidation of power than supporting Palestinians in any meaningful way. By your logic, Muslims from these countries cannot be loved or be considered close friends? What’s the difference between them and ‘Jews’?
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I agree with all your points, I just think there is a mistake in the translation you used for Verse 9:97.
The word used in Arabic: “Al Arab” doesn’t translate to “The Arabs” but to “The bedouins” and again this verse is to be put in context.
Back then, nomadic tribes who wanted to keep doing business with people from Medina converted to Islam only to make their trade grow. Once they would leave, they would go back to paganism and would most of the time fight the Prophet (PBUH) alongside other Qurayshi tribes. This verse warned them that if they did not stop, they would become enemies of Islam too and thus, Muslims would be allowed to fight them back.
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Thank you, Aziz.
Of course, it translates to “the Arabs”, just how Arabiyyun mubeen (16:103) translates to clear Arabic language, and not clear Bedouin language. We must take a consistent view of how a word is used in the Quran. The Bedouin was just added to sell an Arabized version of Islam to Muslims, equating their culture with Islam.
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The word for Bedoin is different, and has been used in 12:100 and 33:20. Bedoins are a sub-category of Arabs as per 33:20, but God very intentionally uses Al-aarab in 9:97, and not badwa or badoon.
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Thank you Ani, your view is interesting, it definitely opens up a new perspective that I wasn’t aware of.
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This is not Ani’s blog, Aziz. She’s a friend, though.
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Very well written to the point. Slightly disagree with the translation made for point number 5. Paradise is not a monopoly of anybody, but the basic requirement is that one doesn’t associate anything with Allah. Unfortunately the Jews and the Christians have and are doing so by saying and believing that Allah has son, namely Yeh ye and Jesus respectively.
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Thanks Nazmus. You mean Yahweh? That means God in Hebrew, and is not considered a son of God.
If we are perfectly honest with ourselves, it is sad that many Muslims also elevate Mohammad to the point of God. Christians just seem to be more honest about it. But there are Christians who don’t consider Jesus as son of God. I guess the verse is referring to them.
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A very good article but a great shame that it is still needed!
Here is something we wrote back in 2010, with a video giving a detailed explanation of the verse
http://www.virtualmosque.co.uk/jews-and-christians-hate-muslims/
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Thank you, and yes it’s a pity!
Good job with the video!
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8. I would like to go on dating in order to meet someone whom I am compatible with.
9. I don’t like to be psychologically oppressed by growing a beard or my partner wearing a Hijab.
Within our basic commandments God has given us free will. Nobody likes to be controlled.
Wearing the religion shows lack of understanding of our scriptures.
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Salaam Ani, a good read.
Sadly in the world of reality Muslims are taught not to befriend Christian or Jews.
Muslims are taught other faiths or religion are blasphemous. Hence why in today society Muslims will always stuggle to integrate due to their over exaggerated beliefs.
The concept of Halal/Haram has separated Muslims from integrating.
Here is a basic list and teachings :
Interest (riba)
Alchohol
5 Daily Prayers (time restricted)
Consumption of Meat
Dogs as pets
Gambling
Lottery
Women Hijab
Men beards
Fasting restrictions
As we see christian nations grow with inspired acts of good works and changing Laws and regulations from the sake of humanity.
This is the works of being inspired by the basic foundation of their scriptures.
Quran on the other hand is not to be read literally word for word. Whether it be in arabic of translated in any other language.
Ani, don’t get me wrong, due to my experiences and my journey,
The bible has inspired nations in acts of good works, laws and regulation.
I do want to see change. As a “Muslim Christian” (Believing Christian), we are part of the same faith and this i will continue to preach.
1. I pay interest without causing any hardship or oppression.
2. I drink alcohol without getting intoxicated (Kamr)
3. I eat and share my food with jews and christian brothers and sisters without the fear of haraam.
4. I read my prayers while walking, running or even lying down.
5. I fast whether it be Ramadan or Lent. I don’t oppress my soul and enjoy eating my 5 a day fruits and drink plenty of water whilst i am fasting.
6. I would love to have a dog, they need loving too. Humans best friend.
7. I love to gamble or play lottery. If i ever win a large amount, just image the good one can do towards society.
This is true Islam…
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You said: “…there are many Jews who condemn the actions of the Israeli government, much like us Muslims who condemn the actions of Jihadist terrorist groups…”
This sounds like you are equating Israel with terrorism. ZIonism is the nothing more than the movement of self determination of the Jewish people. You may have issues with specific Israeli policies but to brand Israel as terrorism or ZIonists as Jihadis is to defame people and not unlike the people who lionize Hitler.
The overwhelming majority of Jews are Zionists and want Arabs and Jews to live together in peace. My understanding is that the Qur’an puts the highest value on truth and respect. Taking an honest and respectful view of Jews and ZIonism, even if painful, would greatly enhance the reputation of Islam.
Salaam.
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Wasalaam.
I said fundamentalist zionism, which is more anti-Palestine than pro-Israel. The actions of the Israeli government are no different from terrorist groups like the Taliban.
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A great theory but complete nonsense and actually slander — comparing the government of Israel with the Taliban. Are you serious accusing Israel of: Public beheadings? Public floggings? Women covered from head to toe? Banning education for girls? Banning music? Banning alcohol? Suicide bombings? I mean really how absurd can you get?
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Their method differs, but ultimately, they’re equal in the sense that both spread corruption and chaos on Earth, oppressing and killing innocent people.
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There is no such thing as “fundamentalist zionism” there are flavors of Zionism like secular Zionism and Religious Zionism. It is slander to say Israel is no different than terrorist groups. Please educate yourself before spreading such lies.
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Please educate me. How is it different from any terrorist organization?
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We have a nation of laws. We respect all people who are peaceful. Look how the Baha’i found refuge from Iran and Turk i Israel when they were persecuted. We take Muslim refugees from Sudan.
Here is one section of our Basic Laws for all citizens – terrorists are the opposite.
Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty
Purpose
1. The purpose of this Basic Law is to protect human dignity and liberty, in order to establish in a Basic Law the values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
Preservation of life, body and dignity
2. There shall be no violation of the life, body or dignity of any person as such.
Protection of property
3. There shall be no violation of the property of a person.
Protection of life, body and dignity
4. All persons are entitled to protection of their life, body and dignity.
Personal liberty
5. There shall be no deprivation or restriction of the liberty of a person by imprisonment, arrest, extradition or otherwise.
Leaving and entering Israel
6. (a) All persons are free to leave Israel.
(b) Every Israel national has the right of entry into Israel from abroad.
Privacy
7. (a) All persons have the right to privacy and to intimacy.
(b) There shall be no entry into the private premises of a person who has not consented thereto.
(c) No search shall be conducted on the private premises of a person, nor in the body or personal effects.
(d) There shall be no violation of the confidentiality of conversation, or of the writings or records of a person.
Violation of rights
8. There shall be no violation of rights under this Basic Law except by a law befitting the values of the State of Israel, enacted for a proper purpose, and to an extent no greater than is required.
Reservation regarding security forces
9. There shall be no restriction of rights under this Basic Law held by persons serving in the Israel Defence Forces, the Israel Police, the Prisons Service and other security organizations of the State, nor shall such rights be subject to conditions, except by virtue of a law, or by regulation enacted by virtue of a law, and to an extent no greater than is required by the nature and character of the service.
Validity of laws
10. This Basic Law shall not affect the validity of any law (din) in force prior to the commencement of the Basic Law.
Application
11. All governmental authorities are bound to respect the rights under this Basic Law.
Stability
12. This Basic Law cannot be varied, suspended or made subject to conditions by emergency regulations; notwithstanding, when a state of emergency exists, by virtue of a declaration under section 9 of the Law and Administration Ordinance, 5708-1948, emergency regulations may be enacted by virtue of said section to deny or restrict rights under this Basic Law, provided the denial or restriction shall be for a proper purpose and for a period and extent no greater than is required.
https://www.knesset.gov.il/laws/special/eng/basic3_eng.htm
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I was not talking about Israel as a state, but rather it’s foreign policy towards Palestine.
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The fact that many Jews do join with others to condemn the actions of the Israeli government does not equate Israel with terrorism. It equates the actions of the Israeli government with terrorism. But directly comparing some of the actions of the Israeli government with those of the Taliban is not a fair comparison. For instance the Taliban lacks the immense propaganda and military aid resources of Israel. And the horrible actions of the dictatorial Taliban cannot be compared to the democratized illegal military occupation of the Palestinian Territories. The military incursions, mass arbitrary arrests, economic blockades, violent attacks by both the IDF and settlers, destruction of farmlands and orchards, collective civilian punishment, daily discrimination and humiliation of closed checkpoints and ‘settler only’ roads within Palestinian territory, ongoing encroachment and theft of land, continuing construction of outposts and illegal settlements etc. etc., none of this can be directly equated to the crimes of the Taliban. Yes, clearly that would be absurd.
So it seems is the equating of such governmental actions with terrorism per se, the suggestion of which is, apparently for some, slander and not even debateable. What is generally invoked as the rationale for this position is what some in the Israeli government call the principle of ‘moral equivalence’. This seeks to clarify who is righteously defending themselves and who is practicing terrorism. For instance, under this dubious principle, the extrajudicial ‘blowing up’ by the Israeli government of the houses of the ‘suspected’ murderers of three Israeli teenagers was justice. However, if the government of Hamas was to extra judicially blow up the houses of those Israelis arrested for the vengeful torture and burning to death of a Palestinian teenager – that would apparently be terrorism. Got it.
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Seems like they just copyrighted the word “terrorism” to mean what only the taliban and other islamist fundamentalist do and forgot to tell us about it. *sigh*
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Reblogged this on 786 LOVE is all…all is LIGHT and commented:
Reblogged from Muslim Reformation. A must read!
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You did a great job proving your point. I am reblogging your post. Thanks! Masha’Allah!
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Thank you so much 🙂
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Do you have any books, blogs, websites you would recommend? Because your take on Islam is what I aspire to, but I often find myself getting lost in some of the closeminded intolerant stuff. I almost give up on Islam pretty frequently. And I need more resources like yours to help me resist that, to help me know the Islam of compassion, mercy and kindness is thriving.
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Strange you would say that, because you run an Islamic blog yourself! 😀
Anyhow, these are some very good resources in my opinion:
Best translation of the Quran: http://drshabbir.com/library/qxp_arabic1.8.pdf
Blogs and websites: quranology.wordpress.com
quran-islam.org
quransmessage.com
kashifshahzada.com
free-minds.org
submission.org
You are also welcomed to like my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/quranalyzeit) where I share the more progressive side of Islam.
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Excellent article Br Ro. With respect to not taking Jews and Christians as allies, may I also suggest verse 60:08 [Asad] As for such [of the unbelievers] as do not fight against you on account of [your] faith, and neither drive you forth from your homelands, God does not forbid you to show them kindness and to behave towards them with full equity: for, verily, God loves those who act equitably
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