Facism has inflicted terrible suffering and disasters on mankind. The 19th and 20th centuries were rife with killings perpetrated by racist regimes and organizations that oppressed and slaughtered innocent people for the sake of their own ideological obsessions. Nazi's policy of extermination was aimed not just at Jews, but also at such other ethnic, religious and social groups as Gypsies, Poles, Slavs, devout Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the physically and mentally handicapped. The Jewish people, of whom 5.5 million died in concentration camps, were the worst victims of the Nazi barbarity. Yet the total who lost their lives in the camps was more than 11 million, and more than half of them were members of the groups listed above.
The Status of the People of the Book in the Qur'an
In one verse, God reveals that people must not be judged according to their race, color or ethnic origin, but rather by their morality:
O humanity! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in God's sight is the one of you who best performs his duty. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Qur'an, 49:13)
The expression "so that you might come to know each other" reveals God's wisdom in creating different races and ethnic origins: Different tribes or nations, all of whom are God's servants, must get to know one another-in other words, learn about each other's different cultures, languages, customs and abilities. One of the intentions behind the existence of different races and nations is cultural richness, not war or conflict.
In the sight of God, people acquire superiority not according to their languages, race or gender, but according to their godliness. The existence of different races and nations is a cultural wealth, not a reason for war and conflict.
The morality commanded in that verse and elsewhere in the Qur'an make it absolutely clear that a Muslim must not engage in racism or judge people by their race. For that reason, it is completely out of the question for Muslims to harbor negative feelings about Jews or any other race, simply because of their ethnic origins.
Turning to consider the religion that the Jews follow, we encounter another very important truth revealed in the Qur'an: Jews and Christians are referred to as "People of the Book" and as such, are closer to Muslims than are atheists or pagans. Both Jews and Christians, they all believe in God and His unity. And all submit to His commandments.
The Qur'an draws an important distinction between the People of the Book and idolaters, particularly in terms of social life. One verse, for example, describes the latter in these terms: "... the idolaters are unclean, so after this year they should not come near the Masjid al-Haram..." (Qur'an, 9:28) That is because idolaters recognize no divine law, possess no moral criteria, and can engage unhesitatingly in all forms of wickedness and perversion.
The People of the Book, however, possess certain moral criteria based on God's revelation, as well as concepts of what is lawful and what is forbidden. That is why it's lawful for Muslims to eat food prepared by the People of the Book. In the same way, Muslim men are permitted to marry women from the People of the Book. In the relevant verse, God says:
Today all good things have been made lawful for you. And the food of those given the Book is also lawful for you and your food is lawful for them. So are chaste women from among the believers and chaste women of those given the Book before you, once you have given them their dowries in marriage, not in fornication or taking them as lovers. But as for anyone who rejects faith, his actions will come to nothing and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers. (Qur'an, 5:5)
These rules show that marriage and the resulting ties of kinship can be established between Muslims and the People of the Book. Each can accept the other's invitations to dine, all of which allow the establishment of warm human relations and a peacefully shared life. Since the Qur'an recommends such moderation and understanding, it is out of the question for us Muslims to hold ideas in conflict with that viewpoint.
Throughout history, Muslim communities have treated members of other races and religions with understanding. The picture shows Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror entering the Hagia Sophia.
Moreover, the Qur'an describes the places where the People of the Book worship as being under God's protection:
... if God had not driven some people back by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, where God's name is mentioned much, would have been pulled down and destroyed. God will certainly help those who help Him-God is All-Strong, Almighty. (Qur'an, 22:40)
This verse shows that all Muslims must behave respectfully towards the places of worship of the People of the Book, as well as protecting them.
Indeed, when one reviews the history of Islam, it is striking that Muslim societies have always treated the People of the Book with moderation and understanding. That was particularly evident in the Ottoman Empire, from which today's Turkey is descended. It is well known that the Jews were expelled from Catholic Spain, but found the right to live peacefully in Ottoman lands. When Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror (Mehmed II) captured Constantinople, he allowed Jews and Christians to live there freely. Throughout Ottoman history, the Jews were regarded as a People of the Book and allowed to live in peace.
Neither the practices of Inquisition stemming from bigotry, nor anti-Semitism born out of racist ideas-both of which have blackened European history-ever appeared in the Islamic world. In conclusion, it is absolutely out of the question for us Muslims, who think along the commandments of the Qur'an, to feel any hostility towards the Jews because of their religion or beliefs.
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