Muslims, stop blaming Israel. By Sinem Tezyapar. Jewish Journal, September 11, 2013.
In an Ocean of Islamic Hatred We Discovered True Friends. By Yori Yanover. The Jewish Press, April 22, 2013.
Sinem Tezyapar: Personal Site.
Tezyapar:
Whenever
calamities befall Muslim-majority nations, there is always a country to blame:
Israel. Is there a revolution against a tyrant? Zionists are responsible. Who
else could be at fault if there is a clash between Sunni and Shia groups? The
Jews. Did a bomb explode on the other side of the world, or is there a problem
with the economy? No need look any further than Israel. And where else would
the control center for destabilizing the Arab world be? In Tel Aviv, of course!
The
late Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi blamed Israel for the violence and unrest in
Africa. Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said that the turmoil in the
Arab world is a pro-Zionist conspiracy. Saudi cleric Sheikh Ismae’il al-Hafoufi
blamed Israel for the desecration of Islamic holy sites in Syria. Sheik Abd
al-Jalil al-Karouri, a Sudanese cleric, pointed to Israel for the Boston and
Texas bombings. And then there’s the belief that Zionists planned the tragic
events of Sept. 11, 2001, to demonize Arabs and Muslims in the eyes of the
world.
This
madness of putting the blame on Zionists — and Israel in general — is a
knee-jerk reaction with no basis in logic. The most surprising part is that so
many people believe this without question and continue to disseminate such
rumors far and wide.
Syria,
Egypt, Iran and Lebanon all aggressively hold the “Zionist regime” responsible
for their woes. While Bashar Assad accuses Israel of trying to destabilize
Syria, the Syrian opposition blames Israel for assisting the Assad regime by
giving them diplomatic cover. Both sides see Israel as responsible for all the
bloodshed and unrest going on in Syria. Now with the possibility of an
international intervention in Syria, Iranian legislators and commanders are
issuing blunt warnings, saying any military strike from the United States on
Syria would lead to a retaliatory attack on Israel. Israel’s staying out of the
equation, it seems, is simply not possible. Even though Israeli politicians
refrain from taking sides in the regional conflicts, all sides point toward
Israel anyhow.
On the
other hand, we have the Egyptian coup d’état, where we see both sides ascribe
blame to Israel. Interestingly, the Egyptian grass-roots protest movement
Tamarod blames Israel but urges the Egyptian government not to renege on the
Camp David accords. If Israel condemns the violence committed against the
anti-coup alliance, she is labeled as an enemy of Egypt and accused of
collaborating to destroy the Egyptian army. Even the state-allied newspaper
al-Ahram claimed that Israel is in an alliance to demolish the Egyptian army
and to balkanize the country. Furthermore, in 2010, an Egyptian government
official blamed Israel intelligence for a fatal shark attack off Egypt’s
shores.
It must
sound like a bizarre joke for some, but this tragicomic situation is quite
serious for many in the Middle East. We are no longer surprised to hear
Israel’s being the scapegoat for every single evil in the world, but Iran’s
blaming the Zionist entity for the deadly earthquake in Iran was pushing the
limits of credulity. This, despite the fact that Jews are a handful of people,
a tiny population when compared to the overall population of the world.
Now
let’s look at what is really going on in the Islamic-Arab world. There is a
continuous and unending stream of hate — hate of the Shia, hate of the Wahabbi,
hate of the Sunni, hate of the Alawi, hate of the Christians, hate of the Jews
and so on. We also see slogans such as: “May God Destroy Israel,” “Down With
the United States,” “Damn the West.” Hatred is deeply ingrained in their
tradition, in their culture and in their own education. This fierce, venomous
style is what is tearing the Islamic world apart; this is exactly what is
happening in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Pakistan and others —
Muslims killing Muslims.
This
outcome is the result of intense efforts by some Muslim clerics who encourage
hatred of the “other.” Muslims kill each other and then both sides blame the
Jews. Wahabbi scholars say that all Sunnis are unbelievers and should be
destroyed. Sunni scholars say Shias are unbelievers and their death is
obligatory. Shias say that it is obligatory to kill Sunnis, as they are
enemies. These are Muslim clerics who are promoting the most violent brand of
sectarianism, preaching hatred and calling upon their followers to commit
massacres. How do Jews make Muslims kill other Muslims?
When
Muslim followers heed these clerical calls for violence, these same clerics
turn around and promptly blame the Jews. What about calls for Muslims to not
kill each other? What about Muslims unifying to solve their own problems
without resorting to violence? What about the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation, with its 57 member states, or the League of Arab States, with its
22 states, both which seem utterly helpless to bring about any solutions?
Some
religious scholars have led many ignorant people astray with their false
teachings, which plant seeds of hate. They implement a faith they have largely
invented under the name of Islam — a faith that includes hatred, violence,
darkness, which attaches no value to human life. They espouse bloodshed in the
name of Islam, spreading hatred toward Christians, Jews and even other Muslims.
These loveless, misguided people are most definitely not Muslims, but bigots
and radicals.
As
Muslims, let’s stop pointing the finger at others for our problems. It is time
for the Muslim world to take responsibility and to ponder what has gone so
horribly wrong with the Muslim world. Why is there so much bloodshed?
Superstitions, innovations, localized traditions and bigotry have replaced the
Quran in some Islamic countries, and their religiosity is a deeply artificial
one. This hatred has to stop and Muslims must embrace the true spirit of the
Quran, which is love, compassion and brotherhood for all.
