Recently I was asked by a very close Muslim friend a direct and tough question. The question was: “Do you hate the Muslims?”.
To be honest it was a bit surprising, but as a Jew I always asked myself that question. I was bothered with the definition of “hate” and about my own interpretation of “hate” since this is not a kind of an absolute value. Another issue is if I “hate” what does it mean in practical life.
My answer to my friend was that I don’t hate the Muslims as a whole group of people, but dislike some of them as I define them as bad people. Then my friend asked me about what is the percentage of Muslims I dislike? That question was tough once again because to define the figure I probably must know all Muslims in the world (which I don’t). I couldn’t provide an answer this time. Can someone define?
Of course I dislike some of the Muslims since I can see them as my enemies (present and past times) as same as they see me as their enemy. We cannot expect enemies to like each other or even respect each other all the time. We cannot hide the conflict between Muslims and Jews which the root cause is still not known. Those who claim that they know the root cause still cannot find the way to solve that problem.
Does each and every Muslim like all Jews? I have a doubt about that. Like in any group everyone categorizes people into two groups. One group as good people and the other group as bad people, according to his own definition and judgment. That judgment is based on the education and exposure to information. That education and information is establishing the fundamental bias of the opinion. We cannot say that there are no biased people (objectively). Let me say that even the best judge has some biased opinion but he has a book of rules he must follow during judgment. But the regular people who are not having the legal law book of rules are judging according to their biased opinion and “provoked” emotions. This is true for everyone either a Jew, a Christian or a Muslim.
So how can a Jew like me like Muslims like Mahmud Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hassan Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, who want to exterminate the Jews from Israel? Muslims can find Jewish names who they also dislike or even hate. People tend to say that the conflict between the Jews and Muslims is a territorial. If it was a territorial conflict, why should Iran and other Muslim countries be involved in that conflict? What territorial claims has Iran over the land of Israel? It is the Muslim brotherhood (religion based) to support the Palestinians. Is there any Muslim country that supports Israel or the Jews? Do all Muslims think that Israel doesn’t have the right to exist? Do all Muslims think that Israel should be wiped off the map?
If I would hate all Muslims I wouldn’t have that Muslim close friend. We can have different opinions and even hardly argue about issues. What is fascinating in our friendly relation is that despite our differences we manage to remain friends. This is thanks to the tolerance and rational thinking that hatred will not bring any good to either side and we must live in mutual respect. The respect and honor is something a person is providing willingly and not demanding it from the other side.
I wonder what each and everyone thinks about his own definition of hating or disliking the other side.
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About the topic hate, I myself don’t know the definition; in fact there no definition of hate in any religion. It is very hard to define hate. Being an Indian – Jew of Malaysia, I was exposed to multi- religious melting – pot culture and life. It is not the religion that teaches hate, rather it is the religious that plant hatred in the hearts and mind of their followers. And politicians use religion to their benefit to enrich their pockets and cause religious tension, just to stay on the political platform. Islamist break and divide humanity. Being a Jew, it was very hard for me to live a free life in Malaysia. I read the Torah and there was no Hatred- hate anywhere. I was hated for who I am.
ReplyDeleteThe Muslim hated me to the point I don’t understand them anymore. My education, my land, my home, my rights everything taken away by the Muslim in Malaysia. Barriers after barriers the Muslims imposed over my progress. In the end, I started hating the Muslim too .I leaned to hate from the Muslim. It is just the natural consequence of the Muslims atrocities. Now that I am a man I look at my own Jewish People, they also forgot me. Arrogance minus fears equals self-confidence, but such emotion could run the risk of the promotion of hatred-hate religious extremism .Religious extremism -It is a system of thought that mankind develop into as they choose to be blind ,lead by the blind rats, much against Peace & Friendship. One may be lead to believe in blind system of thoughts that leads towards apparent tragedy of oppression , on the surface seems leading to greater spiritual success- this is a wrongful conquest of public and private domain ( example Religious Extremism- destroying and curtailing other religious life and views ). In Malaysia these draconian acts are prevalent where apparent tragedy often leads to greater Hijacked Islamic spiritual success. Hate in Hijacked Islam has no boundaries, to the point I keep my distance away from the Muslims. I think Islam was HIJACKED long ago by politicians and religious extremist. I am the victim of Organized Hijacked Islam .
We learn all things, we also can unlearn all that we learn with Friendship and Peace. Yom Kippur has the force to touch the soul and hearts of Jews like me to forgive, love and apply compassion to the Muslim with active Judaism. The mystery of Pesach personified the central reality of My G-d freed an freedom to enslave people that the Muslim also know. So I will never be Enslaved by the Muslims. I have the special relationship with My G-d. These is the Spirituality Secrets of Sinai for every Jew in Israel and the Diaspora.
In the end I can only appeal to the Global Muslims to end your Pharaoh’s Heart of Hate an Hatred and please choose Peace & Friendship or Friendship and Peace as your heartbeat.
This is just a one cent opinion from the LAST JEW OF MALAYSIA .
Just a note to dear Hanan,
Shalom Aleichem dear Hanan Leshnovolsky,
Please carry on the good work of healing the fractured world.