A Muslim and a Jew Walk into a Quaker Office: On Identity and Solidarity for Peace

By Hadiya Afzal and Odeliya Matter 

Since the Israel-Palestine war began following the deadly attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, we have witnessed a dramatic rise in Islamophobic and antisemitic rhetoric and violence throughout the United States.

Hadiya and Odeliya are colleagues and friends at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Hadiya is a Muslim American living in Chicago, IL. Odeliya is an Israeli Jew residing in Washington, D.C.

This rising tide of hate is something that they can’t ignore—as individuals or as advocates for peace.

Recently, they sat down for a conversation about how they are each experiencing this moment. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Odeliya: Hadiya, how are you feeling right now?

Hadiya Afzal

Hadiya: I’m holding a lot of grief and pain for the violent ripples that occupation and perpetual displacement cause across the world.

Those ripples travel far—from the murder of 6-year-old Wadea al-Fayoume in Chicago to the recent shooting of three Palestinian students in Vermont to crackdowns in Germany and France.

The dehumanization driving violence against Palestinians abroad invariably affects anyone racialized as Palestinian, Arab, or Muslim. The dehumanization that is killing Palestinians in Gaza is also killing Palestinians here.

Hadiya: How do you think your background informed how you see the current situation in Gaza and Israel?

Odeliya: I was born in Jerusalem, my parents are from Florida, and my great-grandparents fled pogroms in Eastern Europe to the United States. The story of fleeing persecution runs deep in my family, and I think a genetic memory in Jews everywhere has been triggered—we don’t truly feel safe anywhere. Not in Israel, following Hamas’s brutal attack on Oct. 7, but also globally, as antisemitic hate crimes have risen worldwide.

Is it safe to be visibly Jewish in the streets of Beer Sheva? London? Paris? Brooklyn?

FULL ARTICLE FROM FRIENDS COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL LEGISLATION

The Same Extremists Target Both Muslims and Jews

Far-right extremists shifted their online hate from Muslims to Jews in 2017, and offline hate followed the same trends 

Both anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate is on the rise in the U.S. Just two weeks after the start of the conflict in Israel and Palestine, hate incidents grew by 400 percent against Jews, and increased by 216 percent over a four-week period against Muslims, compared to the previous year.

Antisemitic and Islamophobic hate is surging most dramatically online. A recent New York Times article reported that online hate has spiked on mainstream social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram, with most of the hateful antisemitic and Islamophobic content appearing on X. Far-right users of Telegram and 4chan have been leveraging the current conflict, the report noted, as an opportunity to spread antisemitic and Islamophobic rhetoric.

This is not for the first time. Muslims and Jews face enormously high rates of online and physical-world hate, and a deep connection links that hate in the U.S. We only have to look at the last decade to see it.

In a recent paper published in Political Behavior, we looked at anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish online and offline hate—both before and after the 2016 U.S. presidential election—evaluating their relationship from 2015 to 2018.

Hate speech then flowed freely. Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, candidates (including, but not limited to, then-candidate Donald Trump) openly engaged in inflammatory rhetoric, often targeting Muslim communities. Extremist white nationalist rhetoric also became more explicit and commonplace. Contemporaneously, offline hate crimes soared against minority communities, particularly against Jews and Muslims. This was never more apparent than following the start of the Trump presidency, when in 2017, antisemitic incidents saw their largest single-year increase on record, at nearly 60 percent higher than in 2016, and Islamophobic abuse rose 91 percent in the first half of 2017. All of this appeared to come to a head in August 2017 at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., which marked a significant escalation in public, organized, far-right extremist activity in the U.S.

FULL ARTICLE FROM SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

Why does the Christian West ignore Palestinian Christians’ plight?

Israel may well wipe out Christian presence in Gaza as part of its genocide, and Western leaders would not care less.

Since October 7, Israel and its allies have tried to put the war in Gaza within the “war on terror” framework, actively comparing Hamas to ISIS. Many who instinctively equate Palestinians with Muslims have indeed fallen for this false narrative.

But the brutal war Israel has waged on Gaza has not targeted “only terrorists” as it has claimed. Instead, it has massacred Palestinian Muslims as well as Palestinian Christians in what legal scholars agree amounts to genocide.

The Christian community in Gaza has lost at least 21 members so far. This may sound like a small number, but given they were only 1,000 before the war, these massacres threaten to eliminate the Christian presence in the strip for the first time in almost 2,000 years. Proportionally speaking, the death rate of Palestinian Christians is double that of the entire Palestinian population in Gaza.

And yet, the leaders of Christian-majority countries in the West have remained shockingly silent on the plight of Palestinian Christians. United States President Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, has said and done nothing to protect fellow Catholics in Gaza, who have also been targeted by the Israeli army.

This falls in line with decades of unwavering Western Christian support for the racist Israeli state, which has threatened the Christian presence in the holy lands for decades.

FULL ARTICLE FROM AL JAZEERA

Young U.S. Muslims are rising up against Israel in unlikely places

As she watched the conflict in Israel and Gazaunfold this fall, 17-year-old Asmmaa Zaitar finally had enough. She decided to organize a protest in support of the Palestinian cause in a very unlikely place — a courthouse in Huntsville, Ala.

Initially, Zaitar, a second-generation Palestinian American, was terrified that no one would show up. Zaitar knewit was a conservative town better known for divisive debates over Confederate monuments than for protests against a war overseas.

But as the rally began, dozens of fellow Muslims, including women wearing headscarves, trickled into the town square in late October carrying signs decrying Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip. Local media showed up, and Zaitar knew she had succeeded in connecting her city — and its growing Muslim population — to a conflict halfway around the globe.

“People now know there is a Palestinian voice in this city,” said Zaitar, a student at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. “Everyone has a voice and can say whatever feels right and fight back using our voice.”

Across the nation, from the Deep South to Appalachia and relatively rural communities in the Midwest, protests in support of the plight of Palestinians are springing up, showcasing the continued spread of the U.S. Muslim population into the country’s heartland. Children of refugees from Muslim nations organized many of the demonstrations, evidence of a political awakening among a new generation of young Americans who are helping to shape U.S. public opinion in support of a cease-fire in the Middle East.

FULL ARTICLE FROM THE WASHINGTON POST

Sharia Law Makes a Solid Case for Christ

For 1,400 years, Christians have wrestled with how to defend their faith to Muslims. While Islam accepts Jesus as a prophet, it denies his divinity. And as for his sacrifice for sin on the cross, the Quran denies the crucifixion and by extension the resurrection, claiming instead that God took him directly to heaven.

Christian responses have often been polemical, seeking to invalidate the message and morality of Muhammad. They have also been apologetic, sometimes employing legal arguments that Muslims view as manmade and changeable—thus lacking authority to adjudicate matters of eternal significance.

Baptist pastor Suheil Madanat seeks instead to ground the authenticity of the gospel account within Islam itself. In Evidence for the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ Examined through Islamic Law, the former president of the Jordan Baptist Convention (2016–2022) consults expert sharia compendiums and relevant scholarly works to learn sharia’s criteria for validating relevant evidence . . .

FULL ARTICLE FROM CHRISTIANITY TODAY

Why Christmas is canceled in Bethlehem

Analysis by Ishaan TharoorColumnist

In Bethlehem, Christmas is canceled. Palestinian Christian leaders across denominations in the West Bank city decided last week that they will forgo all festivities this year as a mark of solidarity with their brethren in Gaza. There will be no public celebrations, no twinkling Christmas lights and no decorated tree in Manger Square — not as long, they say, as a state of war reigns over the embattled Gaza Strip, and the majority of its residents cope with Israeli bombardments, the devastation of their homes and a spiraling humanitarian crisis.

“This is madness,” Munther Isaac, pastor of Bethlehem’s Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church, told me. “This has become a genocide with 1.7 million people displaced.”

Isaac was part of a small delegation of Palestinian Christians who came to Washington this week to lobby the Biden administration, U.S. lawmakers and religious leaders to support calls for a full-scale cease-fire. A six-day pause in hostilities between Israel and militant group Hamas is set to elapse Thursday, though negotiations with Hamas involving U.S., Israeli and Arab officials are ongoing to potentially extend the current truce. Israeli officials have vowed to continue their campaign against Hamas after hostages are released, while the Biden administration appears to be trying to restrain whatever next phase of the war Israel chooses to launch.

On Tuesday afternoon, the delegation went to the White House and delivered a letter for President Biden signed by the leaders of the Christian community in Bethlehem, including Isaac’s Protestant denomination and his Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic counterparts. They also went to the Hill to meet staff in the Senate and House of Representatives.

“God has placed political leaders in a position of power so that they can bring justice, support those who suffer, and be instruments of God’s peace,” reads the letter, which I got to see in advance of its delivery. “We want a constant and comprehensive cease-fire. Enough death. Enough destruction. This is a moral obligation. There must be other ways. This is our call and prayer this Christmas.”

FULL ARTICLE FROM THE WASHINGTON POST

Jesus In Islam: Getting to Know the Miracle Prophet

The Story and Message of Prophet Isa a.s.

In the expansive tapestry of our human history, one man stood as a prominent individual who is still as freshly relevant and discussed today.  Prophet Isa ibn Maryam a.s, commonly known as Jesus of Nazareth, emerges as a radiant figure whose miraculous journey continues to be a profound weave of significance in the shared fabric of human history. 

In Islam, the prophecy of Prophet Isa a.s. is mentioned clearly in the Quran and is supplemented by Prophetic traditions. Various classical and contemporary Quranic exegetes and Islamic scholars have all extensively discussed the status of Prophet Isa a.s. as a messenger of God in Islamic theology. Muslims believe that he is not associated with divinity, and neither is he the son of God as believed by the Christians. Muslims also believe that Prophet Isa a.s. is Al-Masīh, or the Messiah.

Without deliberating on the various debates and narratives across the diverse faiths, this article wishes to explore this prominent man from the perspective of Islam and to understand the pearls of wisdom from his life story and why he is a revered man of God.

The Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine. According to the Christian tradition, this is the exact site believed to be the birthplace of Jesus. In Islam, the Quran only mentions that Maryam a.s. gave birth under a date palm tree near a river. Scholars differ as to where the location resides. A Hadith on the Prophet’s night journey (Isra’ & Mi’raj) indicates it was in the city of Bayt Lahm – Bethlehem, without identifying the exact site.

The Story of Prophet Isa in Islam

Miraculous Birth

One cannot fully know Prophet Isa a.s. without referring to the story of his remarkable mother – Maryam a.s. The holy Quran unfolds the life of Prophet Isa a.s. with divine eloquence, revealing the miraculous nature of his birth. Prophet Isa a.s. was born to his mother, Maryam – a chaste and devout woman of faith chosen by Allah for this extraordinary task, without a father. 

Read: 3 Beautiful Lessons from the Story of Maryam a.s.

The news of her impending motherhood, without even being touched by a man, was brought to her by the angel Jibrīl a.s. and started what would be known as a difficult and challenging period for the house of Zakaria a.s. from that moment on.^[1] Maryam remained steadfast and was assured that the birth of her son only further signifies Allah’s power over all things^[2] and the promise of good tidings to her. In return, Allah raised the status of Maryam very highly and has since been referred to as one of the four best women of paradise in Islam.^[3]

FULL ARTICLE FROM MUSLIM.SG

After seeing the struggle of Palestinians in Gaza, TikTok users are learning about Islam

nd non-Muslims on TikTok has created a rare space for empathy to flourish. (Shutterstock)

Published: December 18, 2023 3:54pm EST

The ongoing conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel is playing out on screens like never before. Through social media, millions are witnessing the violence that has killed thousands since Oct. 7.

People have turned to social media to learn about the history and politics of the region. And increasingly, many are using it to learn about Islam after witnessing the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, giving rise to a movement around exploration of the religion.

In particular, TikTok has seen a spike in posts, livestreams and discussions about the Qur’an, with many citing the displays of Islamic faith they’ve seen in Gazans as their inspiration.

TikTok analytics show the hashtag #Islam has rapidly gained popularity since early October. In that time, videos using the hashtag have garnered more than 35 billion views globally, one billion views in the United States and 360 million in Canada, with the majority of viewers aged 18-24.

TikTok challenging narratives

In November, I spoke with six North American TikTokers who have taken part in the online movement by posting content about their faith journey. They shared insights about what they’ve learned, reactions from their audiences and their thoughts on the crisis in Gaza.

FULL ARTICLE FROM THE CONVERSATION

The Best Books for Understanding Islam and Connecting with Your Muslim Neighbors

Five scholars from around the world offer their best recommendations for learning about the global faith.

The world’s second-largest religion, Islam has long exercised the minds of Christians. Dating to A.D. 610, when Muhammad is said to have received his first revelations from God, the faith quickly conquered Christian lands in the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe, establishing the two faiths on an adversarial basis that has continued through eras of caliphates, crusades, and colonization.

Muhammad originally viewed his communications with God as a continuation of the message received through the biblical tradition, calling Jews and Christians “People of the Book.” But though the treatment of non-Muslims cycled through periods of peace and persecution, the teaching of the Quran ensured theological distinction. Islam esteems Jesus only as a human prophet and denies his crucifixion.

Yet there is much that unites Christians and Muslims. The five pillars of Islam espouse monotheism, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and pilgrimage. Certain expressions desire mystical communion with God, while others pursue pietistic fidelity to his law. Both religions seek to spread the faith and care for society, anticipating the judgment to come. And while adherents to each faith debate the place of militancy, history clearly testifies to the blood shed in the name of God.

While Islam has not experienced the same levels of schism as Christianity, Muslims debate within—and divide asunder—what they call the umma, the worldwide community of Islam.

Muslim diversity is also cultural. Though Islam was birthed in present-day Saudi Arabia and is generally associated with the Arab Middle East, the most populous Muslim nation is Indonesia, and its greatest rate of growth is in Africa. Nearly 50 nations boast Muslim majorities, while large minorities exist in India and China, with Islam established through migrating communities and individual conversion in Europe and the Americas. Each region has put its unique imprint on the religion, and Muslims encounter the same popular tendencies toward syncretism and secularism as experienced by Christians.

FULL ARTICLE FROM CHRISTIANITY TODAY

US officials alert religious groups on antisemitism, Islamophobia threats

WASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) – The U.S. government issued security guidance for faith-based communities on Wednesday as the country faces a terrorism threat level so elevated it prompted the FBI director to say he sees “blinking lights everywhere.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recommendations are designed to protect against threats amid heightened antisemitism and Islamophobia since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and subsequent Israeli military retaliation in Gaza.

The move comes as the U.S. is recording soaring levels of antisemitism and Islamophobia since the Israel-Hamas war began, with the Justice Department saying it was monitoring rising threats against Jews and Muslims.

The DHS guidelines describe practical steps faith-based groups can take to be alert to the threat environment and to respond with cost-effective protective measures.

Recommendations include developing a security plan, putting an individual or a committee in charge of security, completing risk assessment, coordinating with local community and identifying available resources.

FBI Director Christopher Wray told a Senate committee on Tuesday: “I’ve never seen a time where all the threats are so many different threats are all elevated, all at exactly the same time. That’s what makes this environment that we’re in now so fraught.”

Asked if he saw blinking red warning lights, Wray responded, “I see blinking lights everywhere I turn.”

FULL ARTICLE FROM REUTERS