Where Shalom Meets Salaam

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others"

- Nelson Mandela -

[retrieved from jmsmith.org]

How do you define "peace"? What constitutes peace and what influences our desire for it - or our lack of desire - under particular circumstances?

Depending on your worldview, you may answer these questions differently. I have no intention of providing a real response to them, but I do wish to express some personal opinions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Disclaimer: I recognize that this post may elicit backlash or that people may decide they vehemently disagree with me, so let's just agree to disagree.

I do not have friends and relatives living in Palestine or Israel, nor was I born into a Muslim or Jewish family. Rather, I was raised Christian, and I didn't know much about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict for most of my life. I didn't really feel any kind of emotional or spiritual connection to it. In all honesty, I still do not have the emotional ties and attachment that many of my fellow Muslims have. It's true that I support the Palestinians in their movement to end oppression and social injustice, while I am critical of many of the decisions made by the Israeli government and military. But both sides are often caught in a tidal wave of fervor, and at times, this can erect a barrier not only between two people of different backgrounds, but between one's own heart and mind, between feelings and intellect. I'm pro-Palestine, but I'm also pro-peace.

I've recently completed a semester-long course on the history of the Holocaust. Fifteen weeks dedicated to reading, writing, discussing, and exploring the tragedy of Jewish Genocide, as well as the intricacies of WWI and WWII, the many other victims of the Nazi regime, and how all of this is represented and memorialized today. Zionism was certainly included in these discussions, along with the Jewish refugee crisis of the 1930s and early '40s and the establishment of Israel after the end of WWII. As I reflected on these historical details, I realized that I could understand why Jewish individuals from Europe would want to resettle and create a homeland. While there were Jewish Zionist organizations in existence prior to the Holocaust, the average European Jew was content with his or her citizenship and nationality. They were German, French, Dutch, Polish, Hungarian. The desire for an official Jewish homeland was not wholly supported until after the death of 6 million Jews in the wake of the total devastation of a world war and the Final Solution. Many survivors felt they could no longer attempt to integrate into European society. They struggled both physically and psychologically, and many would emigrate to Israel after its establishment as a nation-state.

I can also understand why Muslims would react with anger at their lives being turned upside down. Over the decades, many have lost their homes and have been forced to relocate. Before June 2010, there were numerous bans on imported goods in the Gaza Strip. At one time, imported pasta, books, musical instruments, mattresses, light bulbs, and wheelchairs were prohibited. There were cases in which humanitarian efforts were thwarted. I don't condone acts of terrorism, and I believe that suicide bombing is never truly justifiable by Islamic standards, but I can try to understand what would push a people so far - so close to the edge - when they feel they have been stripped of freedoms and when their homes have been taken from them. Unfortunately, Jewish resettlement often became replacement of the Muslims already there.

Both sides have a duty to educate themselves and to demonstrate empathy. They must both admit that they've turned to violence at times and that innocent civilians have been killed as a result. There have been misunderstandings and misrepresentations produced that only exacerbate the dangerous consequences associated with stereotypes and generalizations. Palestinians (and those who support them) are not all anti-Semites or people engaged in terrorism; Israelis (and those who support them) are not all Islamophobes or flaming Zionists. As a Muslim who believes Palestinians deserve freedom and justice just like anyone else, I should not have to defend myself with a claim that I'm not anti-Semitic. Having a problem with a government is not to be equated with having a problem with an entire religious or ethnic group. Prejudice and hatred are not fundamental precursors for political or humanitarian criticism. Similarly, Jews should not have to explain why the horrors of the Holocaust remain with them today or why some of them find solace and strength in their community in Israel. In 2005, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad publicly denied the Holocaust ever happened. What is the underlying intention and motivation for such an ignorant and insensitive remark?

By sharing my thoughts with you, I am not asking you to change your opinion on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict. I'm asking you to think about how you interact with others - with those who agree with you and those who don't. I'm asking people to step beyond their comfort zones into learning zones where they can take healthy risks and have productive dialogues centered on peace and humanity. A place where shalom meets salaam.

Embrace.