Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid

The narrative often promoted by mainstream media presents Israel as the leading democracy in the Middle East, despite its apartheid-like structure. When a regime practices apartheid, it contradicts the principles of democracy, redefining itself not as a democratic entity, but simply as an apartheid system.

Jimmy Carter, the former US President, wrote a book titled "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." The title itself reveals the essence of an apartheid system, as Carter illuminates and underscores the nature of a regime that mirrors nothing short of an apartheid state.

"When I met with Yasir Arafath in 1990, he stated, "The PLO has never advocated the annihilation of Israel. The Zionists started the 'drive the Jews into the sea' slogan and attributed it to the PLO. In 1969 we said we wanted to establish a democratic state where Jews, Christians, and Muslims can all live together. The Zionists said they do not choose to live with any people other than Jews....". - Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter.

It's evident who strongly opposed coexistence and moved toward establishing an autocratic apartheid state. It reveals the fabrication of racist statements, often attributed to opponents to smear their reputation in the public eye. Today's mainstream media frequently engages in this practice.

"Although Christian and Muslim Arabas had continued to live in this same land since Roman times, they had no real commitment to establish a separate and independent nation. Their concern was with family and tribe and, for the Muslims, the broader world of Islam.Strong ideas of nationhood began to take shape among the Arabs only when they saw increasing numbers of Zionists immigrate to Palestine, buying tracts of land for permanent homes with the goal of establishing their own nation." - Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter.

Muslims and Christians coexisted in Palestine since the Roman Empire without experiencing division or aspirations to establish a nation limited to a specific religion. Carter highlights that Muslims were the ones who notably treated Jews far better when they were expelled from Christian lands.

"Despite their remarkable contributions in all aspects of society, many Jews were killed and others driven from place to place by Christian rulers. Although not given the same rights as Muslims, both Christians and Jews who lived in Islamic countries then fared better than non-Christians in Christendom" - Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter.

In his book, former President Jimmy Carter explains the rationale behind the fair treatment of Jews and Christians -

"Because the Prophet Muhammad commanded his followers to recognize the common origins of their faith through Abraham, to honor their prophets, and to protect their believers." - Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter.

In stark contrast to the fair treatment of Jews in Muslim countries, Carter recounts in his book the unequal treatment of Palestinians by Israeli authorities, depicting a situation where Palestinians were treated as less than human. His firsthand experience might explain why the book is titled "Peace Not Apartheid."

At the end of the book, Carter emphasizes the essential necessity for peace like this -

"The bottom line is this: peace will come to Israel and the Middle East only when the Israeli government is willing to comply with international law, the Roadmap for Peace, official American policy, the wishes of the majority of its own citizens, and honor its own previous commitments—by accepting its legal borders." - Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter.

As someone once remarked, fixating on a solitary pixel of an image, making assumptions, and reacting impulsively is unjust. An image contains thousands of pixels. Stepping back from that single pixel allows you to see the entire picture, grasping what's known as the bigger picture.

 

The mainstream media and their influential platforms are attempting to magnify ​couple of pixel​s in the seventy-five years of Palestine's history. This approach is unfair and unjust to the entirety of history. Examining the complete picture will reveal who has consistently impeded a peaceful two-state solution and, consequently, peace.

Let's turn the title of this book into a catchy slogan​ - Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.

Abu Abdul Mannaan

A Community with Significant Semitic Heritage

It's unfortunate that civic protests against the oppressive and inhumane policies of Israel's apartheid regime against the Palestinian Muslims are unjustly labeled as anti-Semitism.

It is interesting to see that the Islamic doctrine carries a significant Semitic heritage, as it is elucidated in the Quranic verses and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The Quran highlights the Pharaoh (Fir'aun in Arabic) of Egypt as the paramount oppressor and an extremely arrogant autocratic ruler. He subjected the children of Israel to prolonged enslavement and oppression. Within its historical narrative, the Quran emphasizes the profound suffering endured by the Children of Israel.

"Remember how We delivered you from the people of Pharaoh, who afflicted you with dreadful torment, slaughtering your sons and keeping your women. That was a severe test from your Lord." - Quran 2:49.

This verse serves as a reminder of the trials they faced and the divine intervention that ultimately led to their liberation through the Prophet Moses (Musa) peace be upon him. The context of this verse is an important part of the broader narrative about the Israelites and their journey to freedom, as described in the Quran.

Muslims around the world regularly reflect on this narrative as a guiding lesson in their sermons, particularly during Friday sermons. They emphasize the importance of placing trust in Almighty God and avoiding the arrogance and oppression exemplified by Pharaoh and his followers.

It could provoke either a paradoxical reaction or surprise that Muslims also commemorate the Children of Israel's liberation from Pharaoh's oppression through an annual two-day fast during the Islamic month of Muharram. This practice persists, even as Palestinian Muslims confront ongoing blatant injustice in the name of Israel!

The story of the wife of Pharaoh in the Quran serves as another powerful illustration of how faith and righteousness can prevail even in the most challenging and oppressive circumstances. It encourages believers to remain steadfast in their faith and to seek God's guidance and protection.

Remarkably, within the two role models offered to the community of believers, one of them happens to be the wife of Pharaoh. She professed her faith in the oneness of God, acknowledged Moses (Musa), peace be upon him, as a messenger of God, and rejected the notion that Pharaoh himself was a deity.

"And Allah presents an example of those who believed: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, 'My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrongdoing people.'" - Quran 66:11-12.

It is part of the prophetic teachings that the wife of Pharaoh endured harsh torture under the sun. When Pharaoh concluded the torment, angels would provide her shade with their wings, and she was granted a vision of her heavenly abode. There is also an account of Pharaoh sending his aides to her with a directive to locate the largest stone. They were instructed to cast the stone upon her if she persisted in her faith, but if she renounced it, she would remain his wife. When they approached her, she gazed up at the sky and beheld her home in Paradise. She steadfastly adhered to her faith, and her soul was then taken from her as the stone was hurled upon her lifeless body.

Once more, it may come as a surprise that Islamic beliefs feature two distinctive personalities, one exemplifying extreme arrogance and the other being among the two most revered figures, both intricately tied to the narrative of the Children of Israel.

​It is imperative to acknowledge that, even in the face of the decades of inhumane treatment of Palestinian Muslims by the Israeli regime, we, as Muslims, remain unwavering in our connection to the lineage of the Children of Israel. We are determined not to follow in the footsteps of the preceding generations that distorted divine guidance ​a​ccording to their whims, and subsequently faced the consequences of divine judgment. Instead, we are wholeheartedly dedicated to safeguarding this heritage until our very last breath.

Abu Abdul Mannaan

Not in the Name of Israel

The name "Israel" holds great reverence in both the glorious Quran and prophetic teachings.

Muslims acknowledge the prophethood of Jacob, known as "Yaqub" in Arabic.

The name "Israel" is associated with the esteemed prophet Yaqub, the father of the children of Israel.

Yaqub is honored as a descendant of the prophets, with his lineage tracing back to Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Prophet Ishaq (Isaac), peace be upon them all.

However, the actions carried out under the banner of the state of Israel transgress the bounds of basic human decency.

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The people of Palestinian territories are enduring displacement, expulsion, and dehumanization at the hands of the Israeli state for the past decades. This is a deeply reprehensible situation, driven by racism, and it must be brought to an end.

The actions carried out under the banner of their father, Israel, tarnish the legacy and guidance he passed down.

The recent events in Palestinian territories have once more revealed individuals with selective empathy, who seem indifferent to the decades-long brutal occupation of Palestinian lands by the oppressive Israeli regime.

The Quran mentions that God sent prophets and messengers among the Children of Israel to guide them. Notable figures like Moses (Musa), Aaron (Harun), David (Dawud), Solomon (Sulaiman), and many others are mentioned as prophets from among the Children of Israel.

The story of Yaqub, as mentioned in the Quran, serves as a testament to the virtues of patience and unwavering trust in God's wisdom and plan. Despite the hardships and losses he faced, Yaqub displayed steadfast patience and unwavering faith, believing that God's plan would eventually become clear.

The Quran dedicates a chapter to the Children of Israel. Within it, there is a reference that the Children of Israel would commit wrongdoing on the earth twice.

"And We warned the Children of Israel in the Scripture, “You will certainly cause corruption in the land twice, and you will become extremely arrogant." - Quran 17:4.

It is a history in which such arrogance has faced its share of consequences. There are strong reasons to believe that what we observe today is a repetition of this arrogance, thus warranting both caution and a firm warning, as well as offering hope to the oppressed.

"If you act rightly, it is for your own good, but if you do wrong, it is to your own loss. And when the second warning would come to pass, your enemies would ˹be left to˺ totally disgrace you and enter that place of worship as they entered it the first time, and utterly destroy whatever would fall into their hands." - Quran 17:7.

The Quran recounts the narratives of previous generations, with the story of the Children of Israel being one of the prominent ​stories. It's crucial to emphasize that, for those who adhere to the Quran, the message is to extract lessons from these stories and avoid finding themselves in a similar situation.

Abu Abdul Mannaan

#Israel #palastine