Antisemitism in Islam

See anti-Semitism for etymology and semantics of the term. This article is concerned with the relationship between Islam and anti-Semitism. It covers:

• The prevalence of anti-Semitism amongst Muslims - and whether it is more or less common than amongst people of other religions.
• The positions of the various branches of Islam on anti-Semitism and Jews.
• Accusations of anti-Semitism made against Islam, and their consequences.

The Qur'an on Jews

The Qur'an refers to Jews and Christians (and the adherents of some other religions) as "people of the book". The Qur'an states that Jews betrayed the teaching of their prophet Moses and that if they were to uphold the teaching of Moses that they would be a saved nation. Islam also claims that the Jews conspired against Jesus and that God intervened to save him. Muhammad had both mutually beneficial relations with the Jews of Arabia and hostile ones during his conflicts with the Banu Qurayza and other Jewish tribes; The Qur'an also condemns those Jews who it says committed grave sins and turned away from the message revealed to them.

The Qur'an states that "Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was true in Faith, and bowed his will to Allah's (Which is Islam), and he joined not gods with Allah." (Qur'an ^{[Quran 3:67]}). This verse asserts that the biblical patriarch Abraham was not a Jew, but that he was a "Muslim" in the word's etymological sense of "one who has surrendered (to God)". Many Jews consider this to be anti-Semitic, arguing that it creates a historical anachronism that usurps the founding patriarch of Judaism, for the purpose of promoting a different religion. Muslims argue that calling him a Jew is itself anachronistic; if Abraham was an ethnic Jew, then the Arabs, as his traditional descendants through Ishmael, would equally have to be called Jews, and Judaism as we know it did not take shape until many centuries later. (Such arguments ignore Jewish rules relating to status and matrilineal descent.)

Islam mandates a limited level of tolerance for both Jews and Christians, as long as they did not challenge the superior status of Islam. Early verses in the Qur'an limit religious disputations with them to those occurring in a fair manner.

"And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, 'We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam).'" (Qur'an ^{[Quran 29:46]})

After Muhammad's efforts to convert the Jews of Yathrib failed, the ayah "Those who reject (Truth), among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in Hell-Fire, to dwell therein (for aye). They are the worst of creatures. Those who have faith and do righteous deeds,- they are the best of creatures" (Qur'an ^{[Quran 98:6]}) was revealed, and became part of the Qur'an.

However, according to modern interpreters of the Quran, Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi and Yusuf Ali, the exact location and time period of the revelation of these verses can not be determined, although the sura was revealed quite early, possibly even before Muhammad's migration to Jewish settlements in Yathrib.

Another viewpoint taken from "Islam Online", a question and answer website aimed at helping educate Muslims lists numerous qualities of the Jews based directly on Qur'anic verse. it reads:The Qur’an praises them on the verse that reads: “ And verily We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture and the Command and the Prophethood, and provided them with good things and favored them above (all) peoples.” (Al-Jathiyah:16) i.e. the peoples of their time.

Among the bad qualities they were characterized with are the following:

1. They used to fabricate things and falsely ascribe them to Allah. Allah Almighty says: “ That is because they say: We have no duty to the Gentiles. They speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly.” (Al-`Imran:75) Also: “The Jews say: Allah's hand is fettered. Their hands are fettered and they are accursed for saying so. Nay, but both His hands are spread out wide in bounty. He bestoweth as He will.” (Al-Ma`idah:64)

In another verse Almighty Allah says: “Verily Allah heard the saying of those who said, (when asked for contributions to the war): "Allah, forsooth, is poor, and we are rich! We shall record their saying with their slaying of the Prophets wrongfully and We shall say: Taste ye the punishment of burning!” (Al-`Imran:181)

2. They love to listen to lies. Concerning this Allah says: “and of the Jews: listeners for the sake of falsehood, listeners on behalf of other folk” (Al-Ma’idah: 41)

3. Disobeying Almighty Allah and never observing His commands. Allah says: “And because of their breaking their covenant, We have cursed them and made hard their hearts.” (Al-Ma’idah: 13)

4. Disputing and quarreling. This is clear in the verse that reads: “Their Prophet said unto them: Lo! Allah hath raised up Saul to be a king for you. They said: How can he have kingdom over us when we are more deserving of the kingdom than he is, since he hath not been given wealth enough?” (Al-Baqarah: 247)

5. Hiding the truth and standing for misleading. This can be understood from the verse that reads: “…distort the Scripture with their tongues, that ye may think that what they say is from the Scripture, when it is not from the Scripture.” (Al-`Imran: 78)

6. Staging rebellion against the Prophets and rejecting their guidance. This is clear in the verse: “And when ye said: O Moses! We will not believe in thee till we see Allah plainly.” (Al-Baqarah: 55)

7. Hypocrisy. In a verse, we read: “And when they fall in with those who believe, they say: We believe; but when they go apart to their devils they declare: Lo! we are with you; verily we did but mock.” (Al-Baqarah: 14) In another verse, we read: “Enjoin ye righteousness upon mankind while ye yourselves forget (to practice it)? And ye are readers of the Scripture! Have ye then no sense?” (Al-Baqarah: 44)

8. Giving preference to their own interests over the rulings of religion and the dictates of truth. Allah says: “…when there cometh unto you a messenger (from Allah) with that which ye yourselves desire not, ye grow arrogant, and some ye disbelieve and some ye slay?” (Al-Baqarah: 87)

9. Wishing evil for people and trying to mislead them. This is clear in the verse that reads: “Many of the People of the Scripture long to make you disbelievers after your belief, through envy on their own account, after the truth hath become manifest unto them.” (Al-Baqarah: 109)

10. They feel pain to see others in happiness and are gleeful when others are afflicted with a calamity. This is clear in the verse that reads: “If a lucky chance befall you, it is evil unto them, and if disaster strike you they rejoice thereat.” (Al-`Imran:120)

11. They are known of their arrogance and haughtiness. They claimed to be the sons and of Allah and His beloved ones. Allah tells us about this in the verse that reads: “The Jews and Christians say: We are sons of Allah and His loved ones.” (Al-Ma’idah: 18)

12. Utilitarianism and opportunism are among their innate traits. This is clear in the verse that reads: “And of their taking usury when they were forbidden it, and of their devouring people's wealth by false pretences.” (An-Nisa’: 161)

13. Their impoliteness and indecent way of speech is beyond description. Referring to this, the Qur’anic verse reads: “Some of those who are Jews change words from their context and say: "We hear and disobey; hear thou as one who heareth not" and "Listen to us!" distorting with their tongues and slandering religion. If they had said: "We hear and we obey; hear thou, and look at us" it had been better for them, and more upright. But Allah hath cursed them for their disbelief, so they believe not, save a few.” (An-Nisa’:46)

14. It is easy for them to slay people and kill innocents. Nothing in the world is dear to their hearts than shedding blood and murdering human beings. They never give up this trait even with the Messengers and the Prophets. Allah says: “…and slew the prophets wrongfully.” (Al-Baqarah: 61)

15. They are merciless and heartless. In this meaning, the Qur’anic verse explains: “Then, even after that, your hearts were hardened and became as rocks, or worse than rocks, for hardness.” (Al-Baqarah: 74)

16. They never keep their promises or fulfill their words. Almighty Allah says: “Is it ever so that when ye make a covenant a party of you set it aside? The truth is, most of them believe not.” (Al-Baqarah: 100)

17. They rush hurriedly to sins and compete in transgression. Allah says: “They restrained not one another from the wickedness they did. Verily evil was that they used to do!” (Al-MA’idah:79)

18. Cowardice and their love for this worldly life are their undisputable traits. To this, the Qur’an refers when saying: “Ye are more awful as a fear in their bosoms than Allah. That is because they are a folk who understand not. They will not fight against you in a body save in fortified villages or from behind walls. Their adversity among themselves is very great. Ye think of them as a whole whereas their hearts are divers.” (Al-Hashr:13-14) Allah Almighty also says: “And thou wilt find them greediest of mankind for life and (greedier) than the idolaters.” (Al-Baqarah:96)

19. Miserliness runs deep in their hearts. Describing this, the Qur’an states: “Or have they even a share in the Sovereignty? Then in that case, they would not give mankind even the speck on a date stone.” (An-Nisa’:53)

20. Distorting Divine Revelation and Allah’s Sacred Books. Allah says in this regard: “Therefore woe be unto those who write the Scripture with their hands anthem say, "This is from Allah," that they may purchase a small gain therewith. Woe unto them for that their hands have written, and woe unto them for that they earn thereby.” (Al-Baqara: 79)

After this clear explanation, we would like to note that these are but some of the most famous traits of the Jews as described in the Qur’an. They have revolted against the Divine ordinances, distorted what has been revealed to them and invented new teachings which, they claimed, were much more better than what has been recorded in the Torah. It was for these traits that they found no warm reception in all countries where they tried to reside. Rather, they would either be driven out or live in isolation. It was Almighty Allah who placed on them His Wrath and made them den of humiliation due to their transgression. Almighty Allah told us that He’d send to them people who’d pour on them rain of severe punishment that would last till the Day of Resurrection. All this gives us glad tidings of the coming victory of Muslims over them once Muslims stick to strong faith and belief in Allah and adopt the modern means of technology."

While no means an unbiased viewpoint, neverthless contains numerous examples of Qur'anic anti-semitism and attitudes. Noteworthy is the sheer volume of references made to the Jewish ethnic group which indicates this topic being, at the very least, a significant part of Islamic theology.

See also Alternative views based on the Qur'an

Dhimmi

Main article: Dhimmi

When Muslim armies conquered nations, people of the Book (a category including Jews) were theoretically not forced to convert to Islam, although in practice they were strongly encouraged (and often coerced) to do so. [2] Under Sharia law they were given the status of dhimmi, which gave them certain rights, deprived them of others, and placed restrictions on religious practice. As dhimmis, Jews were provided with limited autonomy, and allowed to practice their religion subject to restrictions that impeded the ability of dhimmis to congregate, express religious sentiment, convert Muslims or construct houses of worship. Dhimmi had to pay the Jizya poll tax, but were exempted from the Zakat (alms) tax, a different tax required of Muslims, for Muslims. In fact, however, the jizya tax was higher than the zakat, and conquered peoples who refused to both pay it and convert to Islam could in certain periods be subject to the death penalty. [3] The exact treatment of dhimmi varied greatly from place to place, although they were generally regarded as second-class citizens and treated accordingly. [4]

The constitution of Medina, one of the earliest documents of the Muslim community in Medina, which was transmitted by Ibn Hisham states: "The Jews of Banu Awf [phrases are repeated for the different Jewish communities] are a community along with the believers. To the Jews their religion and to the Muslim their religion." For Jewish tribes which had treaties with the Muslim umma, the constitution of Medina states: "A Jew who follows us has a right to the same help and support as the believers, so long they are not wronged by him and he does not help others against them." Many critics, however, question the accuracy of Muslim accounts on the constitution and treaties because of the wording's obvious bias towards and favoring of the Muslims. [5]

Views based on the Qur'an

Muslims consider Judaism as one of the divinely revealed faiths, though they believe that Judaism as it actually is, has been corrupted and that the authentic message of God is preserved in the Qur'an; a great number of the Prophets of Islam are the Children of Israel (Bani-Israel):

"We gave him Isaac, and Jacob: all We guided and before him, We guided Noah, and among his progeny David, Solomon, Ayub, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron: Thus do We reward those who do good. And Zakariya and Yahya, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of righteous. And Isma'il and Elisha and Jonah (Yunus) and Lut. And to all we gave favour above the nations." (Qur'an ^{[Quran 6:84]})

Many other prophets are considered to be the descendants of the tribe. "Bani-Israel" itself means the children of Israel and more or less concerns those of Jewish faith. Those who the Bani-Israel tribe consisted of were regarded as "the preferred ones", as mentioned in the Qur'an:

"O Children of Israel! Call to mind My favour which I bestowed on you and that I preferred you to all others (for my Message)" (Qur'an ^{[Quran 2:47]})

However, according to Qur'anic verses, the particular tribe showed constant ungratefulness towards God and did not obey the command of their great prophets.

"Shame is pitched over them (Like a tent) wherever they are found, except when under a covenant (of protection) from Allah and from men; they draw on themselves wrath from Allah, and pitched over them is (the tent of) destitution. This because they rejected the Signs of Allah, and slew the prophets in defiance of right; this because they rebelled and transgressed beyond bounds." (Qur'an ^{[Quran 3:112]})

Muslim beliefs that certain Jews had been transformed into apes and pigs

A number of verses in the Qur'an refer to Jews being transformed into apes or pigs, specifically Suras ^{[Quran 5:60]}, ^{[Quran 2:65]} and ^{[Quran 7:166]}.

Muslim scholars differ as to what happened. Some suggest that the people were indeed transformed into animals. Others, however, argue that the trangressors began to behave in the manner of animals. Furthermore, Sayyid Qutb argues that there was no transformation (physical or otherwise), rather the Quran only observes that the people began to act like animals (by their free will) when they forsaked God's Laws (regarding Sabbath) and followed their physical desires.

Muslim scholars, however, agree that in anycase the punishment was not meeted on all inhabitants. In the city there were inhabitants that sinned and those that didn't. The inhabitants who were sincere to God were saved and are considered with "honour".

According to Prof. Khaleel Mohammed, Assistant Professor at the Department of Religious Studies at San Diego State University, "many Muslim preachers use the verses in a manner that is totally wrong, demonizing all Jews." Thus Hamas says:

"Allah did not mete out the punishment of transformation on any nation except the Jews. The significance of it is actual change in the appearance of the Jew and perfect transformation from human to bestial condition... from human appearance to the form of genuine apes, pigs, mice, and lizards..."

In 888, in Palermo, Sicily, the Muslim Aghlabid dynasty (9th through 11th century, North Africa) issued an order that Jews wear a patch that had an image of a monkey, and affix the same image to their homes. For Christians, the image was that of a pig. It is unknown if the order was ever applied.

A May 2006 study of Saudi Arabia's revised schoolbook curriculum discovered that the 8th grade books included the following statements:

They are the people of the Sabbath, whose young people God turned into apes, and whose old people God turned into swine to punish them. As cited in Ibn Abbas: The apes are Jews, the keepers of the Sabbath; while the swine are the Christian infidels of the communion of Jesus.

Some of the people of the Sabbath were punished by being turned into apes and swine. Some of them were made to worship the devil, and not God, through consecration, sacrifice, prayer, appeals for help, and other types of worship. Some of the Jews worship the devil. Likewise, some members of this nation worship devil, and not God.

Alternative views

Shaykh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, a leader of the Italian Muslim Assembly [6] and a co-founder and a co-chairman of the Islam-Israel Fellowship, is among those who believe that the authentic teachings of Muhammad as expressed in the Qur'an and the Hadith, were misinterpreted by those who attempt to transform Islam from a religion into a secularized ideology. Palazzi insists that "The Qur'an Says that Allah Gave the Land of Israel to the Jews and Will Restore Them to It at the End of Days" [7] and cites the Qur'an to support this view:

"Pharaoh sought to scare them [the Israelites] out of the land [of Israel]: but We [Allah] drowned him [Pharaoh] together with all who were with him. Then We [Allah] said to the Israelites: 'Dwell in this land [the Land of Israel]. When the promise of the hereafter [End of Days] comes to be fulfilled, We [Allah] shall assemble you [the Israelites] all together [in the Land of Israel]." (Qur'an ^{[Quran 17:100]})
"And [remember] when Moses said to his people: 'O my people, call in remembrance the favour of God unto you, when he produced prophets among you, made you kings, and gave to you what He had not given to any other among the peoples. O my people, enter the Holy Land which God has assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin.'" (Qur'an ^{[Quran 5:20]})

Historic events of Muslim persecution of Jews

Around 1000 CE the Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim in Egypt ordered the killing of many Jews. Soon after its foundation by Yusuf ibn Tashfin, the Almoravid dynasty attempted to expel all Jews from Morocco in 1107; this effort soon petered out, and in fact one of their own military leaders was Jewish. However, its successor and overthrower the Almohad dynasty offered Christians and Jews the choice of conversion or expulsion; in 1165, one of their rulers ordered that all Jews in the country convert on pain of death.This Almoravid policy was reversed by the succeeding Marinid dynasty in 1212.

During his wanderings Maimonides wrote the The Yemen Epistle, a famous letter to the Jews of Yemen, then experiencing severe persecution at the hands of their Muslim rulers. In it Maimonides describes his assessment of the treatment of the Jews at the hands of Muslims:

…on account of our sins God has cast us into the midst of this people, the nation of Ishmael [that is, Muslims], who persecute us severely, and who devise ways to harm us and to debase us…. No nation has ever done more harm to Israel. None has matched it in debasing and humiliating us. None has been able to reduce us as they have…. We have borne their imposed degradation, their lies, their absurdities, which are beyond human power to bear…. We have done as our sages of blessed memory have instructed us, bearing the lies and absurdities of Ishmael…. In spite of all this, we are not spared from the ferocity of their wickedness and their outbursts at any time. On the contrary, the more we suffer and choose to conciliate them, the more they choose to act belligerently toward us.

Modern anti-Semitism by Islamic clerics

Anti-semitic statements are particularly common amongst Muslim clerics in the Middle East; this may be reasonably ascribed to the fact that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has created much anger and polarized religious views in the region.

The following sermon was delivered at the Sheik 'Ijlin Mosque in Gaza, Palestinian Authority. The speaker was Sheik Ibrahim Madhi, and it was broadcast on Palestinian Authority television. August 3, 2001

"We must all seek a role in the Jihad and the battle. We said and we still say: 'Even if we, the entire (Palestinian) people, stood in line and signed for the Jews that we want peace, they would not accept it. The Qur'an is very clear on this: The greatest enemies of the Islamic nation are the Jews, may Allah fight them...'

"All spears should be directed at the Jews, at the enemies of Allah, the nation that was cursed in Allah's book. Allah has described them as apes and pigs, the calf-worshipers, idol-worshipers.

"Whoever can fight them with his weapons, should go out [to the battle]; whoever can fight them with a machinegun, should go out; whoever can fight them with a sword or a knife, should go out; whoever can fight them with his hands, should go out; This is our destiny. The people who are the most hostile toward the believers are the Jews and the Polytheists... The Jews have exposed their fangs. Nothing will deter them, except the color of their filthy people's blood; nothing will deter them except for us voluntarily detonating ourselves in their midst. They have nuclear power, but we have the power of the belief in Allah..."

"The Prophet [Muhammad] said: 'The Jews will fight you, and [Allah] will establish you as rulers over them...' We blow them up in Hadera, we blow them up in Tel Aviv and in Netanya, and in this way, Allah establishes us as rulers over these gangs of vagabonds.

"Blessings for whoever assaulted a soldier... Blessings for whoever has raised his sons on the education of Jihad and Martyrdom; blessings for whoever has saved a bullet in order to stick it in a Jew's head."

The following sermon was also delivered at the Sheik 'Ijlin Mosque in Gaza, Palestinian Authority, The speaker was Sheik Ibrahim Madhi. June 8, 2001. In the name of Islam the speaker calls for suicide bombers to destroy all Jews.

"Allah is almighty. Had He wanted - He would have beaten them. But He tests you in suffering. We must prepare the ground for the army of Allah that is coming according to the [divine] predetermination. We must prepare a foothold for them. Allah willing, this unjust state will be erased - Israel will be erased; this unjust state, the United States, will be erased; this unjust state, Britain, will be erased - they who caused this people's Nakba [the 1948 'catastrophe']..."

"Blessings to whoever waged Jihad for the sake of Allah; blessings to whoever raided for the sake of Allah; blessings to whoever put a belt of explosives on his body or on his sons' and plunged into the midst of the Jews, crying "Allahu Akbar, praise to Allah, There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger....Just as the building collapsed over the Jews in their sinful dancing floor [referring to the collapse of a wedding hall in Jerusalem] - I pray to Allah that this oppressive Knesset will collapse over the heads of the Jews."

The following sermon was delivered at the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan mosque in Gaza. The speaker was Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya, an appointed member of the Palestinian Authority Fatwa Council, and is former acting Rector of the Islamic University in Gaza.

"Have no mercy on the Jews, no matter where they are, fight them, wherever you are. Wherever you meet them, kill them. Wherever you are, kill the Jews, the Americans, who are like them, and those who stand by them. They are all in one trench against the Arabs and the Moslems. ... It is forbidden to befriend Israelis or to aid them. Don't love them or enter into agreement with them, don't help them or sign accords with them. Anyone who does this is one of them. This is the word of Allah, blessed be He. They, they are the terrorists. They should be slaughtered. They should be murdered. Such is the word of Allah."

Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, the leading imam of the Grand mosque located in the Islamic holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, referred to Jews as "the scum of the human race" and "offspring of apes and pigs". During his sermons he also said:

• "The worst ... of the enemies of Islam are those... whom he... made monkeys and pigs, the aggressive Jews and oppressive Zionists and those that follow them: the callers of the trinity and the cross worshippers... those influenced by the rottenness of their ideas, and the poison of their cultures the followers of secularism..."
• "Monkeys and pigs and worshippers of false Gods who are the Jews and the Zionists."

Anti-Semitism by extremist groups

Many Islamic extremist groups seeking to eliminate the state of Israel, which they regard as occupied Muslim land, have openly expressed anti-Semitic views. This is especially true of the Al Qaeda terrorist group and the Palestinian Hamas (which references The Protocols of the Elders of Zion in its Covenant).[8]

See also

• Arab Anti-Semitism
• Religious intolerance
• Islamism
• Red-green-brown alliance
• Anti-Semitism
• Islam and the Jews: The Unfinished Battle a book by Mark A. Gabriel

References

• Lewis, Bernard (1984). The Jews of Islam. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691008078.
• Stillman, Norman (1979). The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America. ISBN 082760198.
• Islamic Anti-Semitism as a Political Instrument, Yossef Bodansky, Freeman Center For Strategic Studies, 1999
• Viré, F. "Kird", Encyclopaedia of Islam Online, eds. P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573-3912. Retrieved May 2, 2006

External links

• My fellow Muslims, we must fight anti-Semitism
• The Problem of Muslim Anti-Semitism
• Islamic Antisemitism And Its Nazi Roots
• The Anti-Semitic Disease - an analysis by Paul Johnson in Commentary
• Palestinian Media Watch
• Middle East Research Institute
• Middle East Research Institute TV
• Jews indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa
• The Jihad Against the Jews by Martin Kramer
• Islam Denounces Anti-Semitism by Harun Yahya
• Jews as "Christ-Killers" in Islam
• A history of Muslim antisemitism and anti-Zionism