POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS PROPOSED TODAY

In the name of Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. An Analysis of How the Prophet Treated Non-Muslims Prophet Muhammad’s treatment of non-Muslims as head of state needs to be studied by today’s Muslim leaders. When I first thought of making an attempt at covering the topic of Prophet Muhammad’s attitude towards people of faiths other than Islam, I had intended to use ‘tolerate’ rather than ‘respect’ in the title. I changed my mind because tolerate has negative connotations, because when you tolerate something, it is a sort of reluctant acceptance – as if there is no other choice. After studying this topic, I came to know the Prophet’s behaviour towards non-Muslims was far from mere toleration. He showed respect and honour that people today could take a lesson or two from. Advertise on TMV This area of the Prophet’s life needs to be brought to light due to the modern divergence in Islamic political governance. Today, not only does the term ‘Islamic State’ come with damaging stereotypes, but with the advent of Daesh, there is a misconception amongst most people that Muslims are very intolerant towards people who believe in something different. It is unanimous between Muslims and non-Muslims alike that Prophet Muhammad is the personality that brought and taught Islam to the world. Based on the premise that he is the leader of Islam, it is his actions and deeds towards non-Muslims that can be used to judge what teachings Islam adopts in this matter. Therefore, if a Muslim or a group of Muslims act contrary to his teachings and practices, we can say that these actions have no Islamic basis and are based on another ideology. This is illustrated by a selection of verses from the Holy Qur’an that talk about interfaith relationships. One verse says: Verily! Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabians, whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does righteous deeds shall have their rewards with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (2:62) Similarly, below is a narration attributed to the Prophet vis-à-vis interfaith relations: “Whoever oppresses a Jew or a Christian, I will testify against them on the Day of Judgement” (Bukhari). Now that readers have a general idea, I would like to go into a slightly more detailed discussion. I want to focus on Prophet Muhammad and non-Muslims using examples from how he treated the Christian communities of his time. The Prophet established an Islamic government in the holy city of Medina and as Head of State, had the responsibility of looking after the non-Muslims who lived in Islamic territory. To enable a peaceful co-existence, the Prophet had authored and signed many treaties. Six of these were with Christians. Having read them, I’ve identified the following themes. God-Centricity I did not find any treaty that positioned Prophet Muhammad in a state of authority. The purpose of each treaty was to enjoin what God had instructed to the Prophet and was not from his own volition. This is epitomised when the treaties talk about people who may break the terms as having disobeyed God and incurred His displeasure. It does not mention anything in the way of retribution from the Prophet or of “breaking the Prophet’s rules” so to speak. There is not an ounce of ego, as you will read further down; none of the conditions were favourable to the Muslims and instead gave the Christians limited responsibilities and a comfortable life in the Islamic state. For the Prophet, this was about establishing the rule and principles of the One God that the entire community believed in. Christians Free to Practice The Prophet stipulated that Bishops and Monks were to retain their positions without any hindrance from anyone. It was also made forbidden to destroy their churches or pressure them into selling their land in place of building mosques. Not only this, Muslims were required to help Christians build/repair churches, and should they ask for help, without taking any payment. The Prophet was not a dogmatic individual. His objective was not to spread Islam by the sword or at any cost. It can be argued that his overarching mission was to establish a God conscious community, which is why he showed so much respect to the Christian faith. He believed Muslims and Christians had much more commonality than differences with respect to their religious doctrines and saw potential in them working together to establish a nation that lives in harmony, ultimately acting on God’s instructions Who in the Holy Qur’an says: Advertise on TMV O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” [49:13] Immunity From War The Prophet and his followers had to participate in numerous defensive wars from groups who were vehemently against Islam and intent on inflicting aggression against Muslims. In these situations, the Muslims had no choice but to take up arms to defend themselves, their land, and their guests – the Christians, amongst other communities. In a state of war, Muhammad did not place any responsibility on the Christians. Not only were the Christians exempt from participating in war, they even had no duty to contribute to the war by supplying weapons or arms, unless they volunteered. It goes without saying that the Muslims were charged with protecting their brethren in monotheism with the same vigour as they would have defended themselves. The Prophet, being hospitable towards his guests, did not want them to fall into any hardship and therefore pledged to protect them under all circumstances. No Force Whatsoever Islamic law permits a Muslim man to marry a Christian woman. He, however, cannot force her to marry and must obtain the necessary consent. Furthermore, during marriage he cannot make her convert to Islam and by all means must respect her religious observances. No Muslim could compel any Christian to convert. With this law, Holy Prophet was putting the following verse from the Holy Qur’an into practice: “There is no compulsion in religion” (2:256). Once again, the Prophet’s approach was about cohesion not conflict. Justice and Mercy for all If a Christian commits a crime, he/she is not to be dealt with unfairly. A Muslim is required to assist them by accompanying them to court and making sure that any penalty faced is in line with Islamic law and that they go through the system like anybody would. However, the emphasis was in pardoning the perpetrator and encouraging the victim to forgive and forget. These were the views of the Prophet towards people of another faith. Remember our original premise is the undisputed view that the Prophet is the leader of Islam, and, therefore, whatever he does equals what Islam advocates. Now, I would like to ask the reader to compare this with the so-called ‘Islamic’ groups and governments around the world and ask themselves whether they are representing the Prophet’s view of interfaith or nonfaith relations. We have seen Daesh destroy churches and monasteries in Mosul, Iraq. In Saudi Arabia, it is against the law to practice the religion of the Catholic Church. This is not Islamic. The Islamic faith is not about dogmatism and alienating other people and societies. Rather, it is about connecting with all members of humanity on our common denominator. With faith groups, this is the belief in God and with non-faith groups, this is the belief in the principles of humanity and good morals and behaviour. Giving too much undue importance to semantics, we have forgotten that we are not only one Ummah of Muslims but are also an Ummah of monotheists along with other Abrahamic faiths, and one Ummah in a shared humanity with everyone else. So let’s be united on our shared beliefs and values. Islam denounces all forms of anti-Semitism and racism: The Prophet Muhammadur Rasoolullah ﷺ (Peace be upon him) taught his companions (رضي الله عنه) to respect people of all faith backgrounds and to care for everyone. He said, “Donate in charity to people of all faiths” (Al Hadith: Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 3/177)[ and he personally used to donate money regularly to sponsor a Jewish family in his community. When the Prophet ﷺ (Peace be upon him) saw the funeral procession of a Jew passing by, he stood up out of respect. When some companions (رضي الله عنه) pointed out that the deceased was a Jew, he rebuked them stating, “Is it not a human soul?” (Al Hadith: Sahih Bukhari 1250). The lesson here is to respect all humanity. Some Jews converted to Islam and yet others, like the Rabbi Mukhayriq, continued to practice Judaism and still remained on good terms with the Prophet ﷺ (Peace be upon him) (Seerah Ibn Hisham 1/518). Even when the Prophet ﷺ (Peace be upon him) passed away, he had his armor mortgaged to a Jewish person (Sahih Bukhari 2759), a narration that shows he maintained good relations with Jews until his death. As the Qur’an says, “(God) does not forbid you from dealing kindly and justly with anyone who has not fought you for your faith or driven you out of your homes: God loves the just,” (60:8). During World War II, the Grand Mosque in Paris rescued Jews fleeing the Nazis and provided them with a safe haven and means of escape. This is the legacy that Muslims must recall and revive. #allah #muhammad #islam #quran #jesus #christians #christmas #muslims #jews #idol #university #torah #bible #theology #muslims #languageLine #clearvoice #usa #uk #afghan #karachi #pakistan #makkah #london #newyork #paris #rome #qatar #oman #palestine #spain #japan #germany #saudiarabia #turkey #iran #ireland #scotland #wales #india #russia #china #bangladesh #srilanka #southafrica #uae #dubai #egypt #france #sweden #holland #lahore #morocco #argentina #peru #mexico #gaza #unitednations #Palestine #norway #amnesty #savethechildren #gaza (Courtesy of: https://themuslimvibe.com/community/the-respect-of-the-prophet-as-the-head-of-state-towards-people-of-other-faiths) UNDERSTANDING THE CENTURY-LONG STRUGGLE OF PALESTINIANS We need to first understand that whatever is happening in the “Palestine-Israel conflict” is not “unprecedented”, a “surprise attack”, or “random”. There is history and it goes way back. ALIHA RIZVI 3RD NOVEMBER 2023 We may have heard of the many ‘breaking news’ every now and then through the course of our lives about the ‘Israel-Palestine Conflict’, as most channels call it. Unfortunately, watching this conflict unfold year after year without any resolution may have normalized us to the utter abomination the people of Palestine have suffered. However, recently with the ongoing attacks, it appears to be that the people have risen for Palestinians like never before. In this article, I would like to provide a crucial and in-depth explanation of how this conflict began and some possible resolutions that have been proposed. Looking into such issues is of utmost importance today with the ongoing conflicts, so we are also able to decipher what factors in history open doors to the atrocities we are witnessing today. The ultimate purpose of this is to be able to observe our duty as humans to stand against the oppressors of today, needless to say, with straight facts. 5 WAYS TO KEEP TALKING ABOUT PALESTINE Remember, even if you feel insignificant against such horrifying news, there is always something you can do to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Gaza and Palestine. TMV TEAM 27TH NOVEMBER 2023 The recent onslaught Gaza is experiencing amounts to terrorism and genocide – and we have to stay strong as a community in showing our solidarity with the Palestinians. Here are just 5 ways to keep Palestine alive in our thoughts and in our actions. Remember, even if you feel insignificant against such horrifying news, there is always something you can do to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Gaza and Palestine. 1. Protest, protest, and protest We’ve seen massive protests erupt across the world – from Latin America to North America, from across Europe (despite bans on pro-Palestine marches in France and Germany) to the Middle East to the Far East in places like South Korea and Japan – and across the African continent as citizens around the world rally around Palestine. It’s important we keep this up – every single person at every single march and protest makes such a big difference. In London, we have witnessed the largest pro-Palestine march in British history – and this is because of every single person who made the decision to join in. We must continue to protest and make sure our voices are heard, and that we continue to let it be known that the world does indeed stand with Palestine. 2. Share information and raise awareness – constantly Sometimes it can be heartbreaking and draining to see the constant barrage of horrifying news on social media. While it’s important to keep yourself healthy, we also have one of the most powerful tools at our fingertips. Make sure you share legitimate, powerful stories and news through your own social media – this is one of the fastest ways to raise awareness and keep others informed of what is really going on in Palestine. 3. Speak to your community members and leaders We must hold our community leaders accountable for speaking up for Palestine – it is no longer excusable to stay silent or “neutral” in a war that is so clearly a genocide. Make sure you speak to other community members, or to your leaders directly, and ensure that Friday prayers, mosque gatherings, or other community events are sharing the truth about Palestine. Our community leaders have so much power in sharing information and raising awareness – and you can help rally your community to the defense of Palestine. 4. Write your thoughts and opinions down – and share them When it can feel overwhelming, sometimes it helps to write down your thoughts and opinions on what is going on. And better yet, if you share these thoughts then this is another powerful way to keep Palestine in the hearts and minds of others who read your words as well. Writing down your thoughts can take the form of so many things – it can be a thread on Twitter, it can be a social media post, it can be an article you submit for publishing (submit an article to TMV here!), or it can be an opinion piece you submit to your local newspaper. However you decide to share your thoughts, this can be a powerful tool in keeping our community standing strong with Palestine. 5. Pray, both publically and privately Finally, we must never forget the power of dua – both publically and privately. Organize public prayers within your community or mosque, or organize a time during a march or protest where you can all pray together in solidarity for Palestine. Pray privately as well, and keep Palestine in your daily duas. Remember, Allah Knows all, and no sincere dua for the oppressed is left unheard. OVERVIEW: HOW IT ALL STARTED? What many of us may not realize is that the issue of Palestine being usurped by Israelis did not start in 1948, as most say. The act of invasion of this land dates way back to the late 1700s. At the end of the French Revolution in 1799, in the effort to invade the Arab world, Napoleon proclaimed Palestine as a homeland for the Jews (Damen, 2013). This was also a way for the French to maintain their control and presence in Palestine. This idea was not adopted at the time but it was the beginning of many conflicts regarding who would live there, the Arabs or the Jews. Keep in mind that for generations before, it was the only home for Arabs originating from that land. Then, in the early 1900s, after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, the Palestinian mandate was established. However, the British decided to overturn the mandate by implementing the idea the French had proposed before and create a Jewish space on Palestinian land (Damen, 2013). With the support of the French and British, a Zionist group was established. Zionism is the term for the establishment of a state for the Jews in the Palestinian land by force and aggression as a way of staying ‘patriotic’ to the land, not tolerating Palestinians and their presence. This group created lobbying campaigns that encouraged more Western powers to support the migration of Jews to the land of Palestine (Damen, 2013). In 1917, the Balfour Declaration, named after the Foreign Secretary of Britain, was issued under which the British government expressed its support for a ‘national home for the Jews’ in Palestine. At the time, the head of the Zionist movement in Britain was Baron Rothschild. This declaration was also validated by the Prime Minister of Britain, David Lloyd George, who became a firm supporter of the Zionist movement in 1915. Some words used in this letter were ‘the British would use their best endeavor to facilitate the achievement of this object..’ (Damen, 2013). This clearly points out the complete disregard of any human entity living there and their rights over their native land. It was as if the invasive and colonial powers of the time assumed they were entitled to get whatever land they wanted control over, allowing the establishment of extreme movements like Zionism. If the basis of establishing a home or land for a group of people originates from such corrupt ideas, it is unfair to assume the outcome will be positive, ever. It is not just the wrong idea of colonizing land that belonged to someone else but also how much unwavering support the Zionists got which made them unstoppable. I would like to shed some light on what this green light from the world leaders did for Zionism in the following days, weeks, and years for the Palestinians. As expected, the Palestinians did not approve of this unfair movement and resisted. The constant protests and the resistance that broke out by the Arabs of Palestine is called the ‘Intifada’. However, this did not stop the Zionists from flooding into Palestine, buying homes and lands, and displacing millions of Palestinians. Thus, what once was a land of freedom for Arabs, had become invaded. This whole process was backed up and facilitated by Britain (Damen, 2013). In 1922, Izza Al Din Qassam, a Syrian living in Haifa (a city in Palestine) rose against the British and Zionists. Qassam was very quickly killed by the British forces, but his uprising inspired many Arabs to revolt against the settlers, by 1936, continuing the intifada (Damen, 2013). After many revolts that left many innocents dead, British forces tried to slow down the mass migration of Jews to Palestine, in an effort to put an end to the unrest. This caused more anger from the Zionists and they drove the British forces out of Palestine. Due to the major influx of Jews immigrants and Zionist settlers, the Palestinians had become outnumbered and it was clear that there was a more fierce and aggressive group, not to mention, fully supported by the major powers of the time (Dame, 2013). Once the Zionists started settling into Palestine, they arranged meetings from March 1947 till March 1948, planning the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians within the land. During this time, the attack on Arabs and British by the Zionists increased and thus, Britain decided to hand over the responsibility of Palestine to the United Nations (UN) (Damen, 2013). The UN tried approaching the resolution by attempting to create two states, Palestine and Israel. It is important to note that in the years before, Zionists had lived in only 5.5% of Palestine. During this meeting, however, the UN decided to assign them an unfair 55% of the entire land. The Palestinians rejected this proposal and as a result, the Zionists continued to fight for more land and did not agree with assigning borders to each state, ultimately wanting control over the entire region. This caused a lot more displacement, killing, and kidnapping of many Palestinians. Their objective was pretty straightforward; either Palestinians should leave or they will be killed (Damen, 2013). In May of 1948, when the Zionists took over Haifa, a large city of Arabs in Palestine, the Palestinians became stateless. The response of the major powers like the US and the Soviet Union was to accept a new state called: Israel (Damen, 2013). As more and more conflicts broke out between the Zionists and Palestinians, a Swedish diplomat, Folke Bernadotte, was appointed by the UN to bring ease and halt to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. However, his efforts to give Palestinians their rights back resulted in his assassination by the Zionists. By the year, 1949, more than 700,000 Palestinians had been displaced and 13,000 killed by the Zionist regime (Damen, 2013). After the death of Bernadotte, an American deputy was appointed to try to negotiate peace and land space to both states but this resulted in Israel gaining 78% of the land while Palestine was left with the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, only 22% of the entire region they used to once own. (Damen, 2013) This displacement, ethnic cleansing, and dehumanizing of the Palestinians is known as the ‘Nakba’. Many generations of those Palestinians are still living today in refugee camps and fighting for their rights as they get bombarded heavily every day, in other words, the Nakba event is repeating itself (Damen, 2013). PALESTINIAN ETHNIC CLEANSING AND HOW SUCH ATROCITIES BEGIN The extreme severity of the pain inflicted by one human on another is something that many human civilizations have seen. Much to one’s dismay, it’s nothing to be normalized, and yet here we are witnessing an innumerable amount of children dying every day. Many genocides in the past that should never have taken place but still did due to a couple of factors, laid the foundation for the dictators in power today to repeat the violent actions of the previous tyrants, for their own interest. When one’s focus lies solely on the benefit and prosperity of their own country without being able to see the whole world as a place of collective peace where everyone is worthy of human rights; an absolute abomination occurs. This is the ideology that the Nazis had adopted. The idea of a ‘superior race’ due to which they saw the Jews as ‘animals’. We can connect such concepts to what we see today easily. In today’s world, someone like Netanyahu (PM of Israel) does not see Palestinians as people who deserve to live in their land peacefully. Many Israeli agents have described explicitly that their objective is to deprive the Arabs of basic necessities, like water, food, and medicine. People like such who are able to get into power and then impose any and all decisions they deem necessary for the interest of ‘their people’, build a wall around their heart that makes them immune to the loss of any human life other than their own people. In some cases, even the lives of their own people don’t matter because their ulterior motive is to have power and land. The main reason for such treatment towards humans goes back to when it all started in the late 1700s. The constant resistance of Zionists and their idea that Palestine belonged to them has been engraved in their hearts and minds to the extent that assaulting and killing hundreds of children for them is a sign of ‘patriotism’ or ‘self-defense’ for their country that they carry with pride. Years of this ideology has caused such ‘leaders’ to become completely immune to the pain and suffering of the Palestinians. This lack of empathy for the Palestinians has built up over many years and today, we are witnessing one of the largest genocides that has ever occurred. Another facet of the reason behind such conflicts is holding hatred or prejudice towards a group of people. This prejudice develops when you live in a society that brainwashes a false sense of superiority among individuals of their race. The imprinted ‘facts’ that you are higher in rank and thus, certain groups will always be your subjects comes naturally with this sort of thinking. As much as people point out in social media today that it is not a religious issue, which at its foundation is not. The main issue is the unjust usurpation of land. Period. However, there are reasons why usurpation happens and it is because of prejudice for certain ethnic groups. The fact that Britain and France felt entitled to proclaim Palestine as a Jewish land, clearly shows that they did not consider the Arabs of Palestine worthy enough to be consulted regarding their own ancestral land. Unfortunately, this goes to show how detrimental it can be to endorse extreme ideologies that create inevitable bigotry and lead to what we are seeing today in Gaza. Jews and Muslims are both people of the book and hold many similar beliefs. Both are respectable religious groups. Even today, many Jews support the idea of Palestine being returned to the Arabs and stand firmly on their belief. However, those who don’t agree with it and believe that Israel belongs to Jews only and Palestinians should move to either neighbouring countries or are to be blamed for the genocide have been manipulated into thinking such maximalist ideas. The fact that today so many children have died in Palestine and yet, there are people still defending Israel demonstrates the power of propaganda created solely for the purpose of deceiving people with fake narratives. Fake news, fake claims, and wanting fake sympathies. This is what dehumanization leads to. The major powers today like the US have played an absolute negative role in blinding people of the real facts, victimizing Israel, and blaming everything on the military group in Palestine when those educated on this issue know that this began long before any military group was even found. PROPAGANDA OF THE WESTERN MAINSTREAM MEDIA AND ITS CONSEQUENCES Dehumanization has happened in the past and continues to happen today. However, as it becomes more and more common in today’s world, it has created hatred and prejudice in the hearts of those who believe everything they see online. An example of this is the landlord from Chicago who did not seem to have much knowledge of the ongoing conflict and based on watching the biased news, decided it would be fair to assault and stab a six-year-old boy who he once was friends with. This was motivated because of terms like ‘terrorists’ used against Muslims today which creates prejudice and therefore, such horrific actions take place. The mainstream media channels are equally blameworthy of the growing hatred for Muslims in North America. The power of spreading the word that these channels have, and yet the way they utilize it shows that there is a false narrative they try to promote rather than speaking up for humanity and what’s morally right. They have played a very unfair and depraved role in justifying Israel’s role in the conflict. Therefore, the ignorant 71-year-old man from Chicago decided as he expressed his rage “You Muslims must die!” to claim the life of an innocent child only because of his religion and background. Such heinous crimes will continue against any group of people as long as the propaganda and the spread of false news continues. This is the power of mainstream media today, although sadly, it’s not put to good use. Imagine these channels using their voices as humanitarian aid for the victims of injustice around the world without any bias; the world around us would be quite different. THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA Despite the extremely biased coverage by Western channels, the horrific situation in Palestine has not remained hidden. The journalists in Palestine who cover everything they see, despite knowing they are not safe, do it for the sake of awareness and humanity. The circulation of the compoundly injured babies, the helplessness of those who’ve lost all their families, the city completely reduced to rubble, the scarceness of basic necessities like food and medicine, shows the nature of people who commit crimes and believe themselves to be entitled to doing whatever they please. This clearly is a way of making the group feel weaker and worthless, in an attempt to maintain control over the land. But there has and always will be hope. The journalists working day and night to cover every aspect of the siege in the city of Gaza have shown us what it means to be a true hero amidst many of those so-called leaders whose conscience is clearly dead. By far, the change we see in society today in terms of many people rising for Palestine is due to the power of social media. If it weren’t for Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and similar apps the world would be very much oblivious to the atrocities taking place today. The growing awareness we see today is credited to the honest, hardworking, selfless journalists putting their lives on the line to show the world what is being slid behind the curtains by the mainstream media. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS PROPOSED TODAY Knowing what has happened in the previous years regarding constant oppression and siege of the natives (Palestinians) forced out of their own land, a long-lasting solution relies on a fair decision or a truce that has both sides satisfied and happy, an idea most people propose. This idea of ‘both’ sides getting what they want is usually supported by those who don’t truly understand the history of Zionism. Any sensible human sees that a maximalist concept was the initiator of such constant wars and struggles that have resulted in the loss of many human lives. Therefore, because Zionists are culpable of initiating the constant injustice on Palestinians by usurpation of their land, in any way disregarding that they had rights over their homeland, shows that this was a complete violation of humanitarian laws. Today, restoring the entire region as a state of Palestine should be the focus of discussion. This does not necessarily mean that the Jews can not live alongside Palestinians, as we recall, there was a time in history when a minority of Jews were already living in Palestine peacefully. However, it is the extreme idea of Zionism that has been the source of non-stop killings and oppression that needs to be condemned. There have been many attempts in the past by the United Nations to split the land into an Israel and a Palestinian state. But again, the corruptive nature of Zionism has been the cause of the growing fury in Israel regarding gaining control over the entire land. This idea isn’t only absurd but also completely refutes the concept of a just system. It is also crucial to note that the countries that have constantly aided, encouraged, and supported Israel in its oppression are just as much to be blamed as Israel. These nations are most of the Western powers. The weapons, tanks, and arms provided to the Israeli forces have caused constant bloodshed and blinded people into thinking that such actions are only taking place because Israel is defending itself. The ongoing genocide being supported by Western powers needs to be condemned. No human ever deserves to be treated as though they are not worthy of peace and freedom. As an endnote, I would like to remind us all to continue to remember the people of Palestine in our prayers, and as God has promised, He is not unaware and those who spread tyranny will face the consequences. REFERENCES Damen, R. (2013). Al-Nakba: The History of Palestine since 1799-Palestine Remix. Al-Jazeera. Retrieved from https://remix.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/al-nakba.html#/17 (October 20, 2023). As Israel bombs Gaza, Ireland’s enduring support of Palestine gets stronger Writers, politicians, and activists in Ireland, which is often an outlier in the West on the Middle East conflict, call for peace. A man walks past a mural in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in the Nationalist area along the International Wall on the Falls Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland, November 4, 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne A mural expresses solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza in a Nationalist area on the Falls Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland [File: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters] By Mariamne Everett Published On 17 Nov 2023 17 Nov 2023 Ireland is once again an outlier in the West, home to some of the loudest criticism of Israel and support of Palestinian rights, as the Middle East conflict rages. After Hamas launched an assault in Israel on October 7, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varakdar decried the deadly incursion, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 240 were taken captive. “Israel doesn’t have the right to do wrong,” he said in something of a play on words as most European leaders were stressing Israel’s “right” to self-defence during its bombing campaign on Gaza, the enclave ruled by Hamas. In just 41 days of war, more than 11,400 Palestinians have been killed by Israel. Varadkar has also said Israel’s bombardment “amounts to collective punishment”, which is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions. Michael D Higgins, the 82-year-old Irish president whose role is largely ceremonial, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was “not speaking for Ireland” when she expressed unconditional support for Israel on October 16 without acknowledging the ongoing occupation of Palestinian lands. Irish Defence and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin looks at a map of the Gaza Strip during a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh in Ramallah, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, November 16, 2023. ZAIN JAAFAR/Pool via REUTERS Irish Defence and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin looks at a map of the Gaza Strip during a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh in Ramallah on November 16, 2023 [Zain Jaafar/Reuters] After Israel began striking Gaza, Ireland, a member of the European Union, was one of the first countries to call for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” to meet the “urgent” needs of civilians. Niamh Nichillin – a 50-year-old primary school teacher in Tipperary and a member of Fianna Fail, one of two governing centre-right parties – is among the many in Ireland who sympathise with the people of Gaza, one of the world’s most densely populated areas often described as an open-air prison due to Israel’s blockade of the enclave. “Israeli air strikes on Gaza are clearly disproportionate towards a civilian population with little or no defences,” she told Al Jazeera. “This can hardly be called a war in the usual sense of the word.” WHAT THE HOLY QURAN SAYS ABOUT JESUS “Behold! the angels said, ‘Oh Mary! God gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him. His name will be Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter, and in (the company of) those nearest to God.” [Quran 3:45] TMV TEAM 22ND DECEMBER 2023 Prophet Jesus, although often only associated with Christianity, is a Prophet and heavily revered figure in Islam as well. Preaching the importance of charity, love, and devotion to God, Prophet Jesus remains one of the most loved prophets among Muslims. As one of the most mentioned prophets in the Holy Quran, Prophet Jesus – or Isa, as he is called in Arabic – helps remind us how to become better Muslims and better human beings. Here are six examples of what the Holy Quran says about Prophet Jesus, in the hopes that we remember to learn from him not only during the holiday season but throughout our entire lives as well. 1. Jesus was a Messenger of God “He said: ‘I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet.'” [Quran 19:30] The Quran remains clear that Jesus was one of the holy prophets of God, and was given revelations to help mankind in faith and humanity. Is it therefore imperative that we, especially as Muslims, remember that his wisdom and teaching are indeed coming straight from Allah. 2. Jesus spoke as a child with revelations from God “But she pointed to the babe. They said: ‘How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?’ He said: ‘I am indeed a servant of God: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet.'” [Quran 19:29-30] The Quran helps us understand the magnitude of Prophet Jesus’ status as a messenger of God through the proofs of him speaking as an infant in the cradle. Chosen by God to become a Prophet for humankind, the Quran helps us see how powerfully inspirational Prophet Jesus truly is. 3. Jesus was given the power of miracles by God “We have made some of these messengers to excel the others among them are they to whom Allah spoke, and some of them He exalted by (many degrees of) rank; and We gave clear miracles to Jesus, son of Mary, and strengthened him with the holy spirit. And if Allah had pleased, those after them would not have fought one with another after clear arguments had come to them, but they disagreed; so there were some of them who believed and others who denied; and if Allah had pleased they would not have fought one with another, but Allah brings about what He intends.” [Quran 2:253] The Quran is proof that Jesus did indeed work miracles, and was blessed with the ability to heal, inspire, and bring even the most downtrodden back to faith and compassion. Without this understanding of Prophet Jesus’ miracles, one cannot understand how awe-inspiring he was and remains to this day to millions of believers. 4. God sent Jesus the Gospel “And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Torah that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Torah that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah.” [Quran 5:46] The Quran, through acknowledging the previous Abrahamic religions of Judaism and Christianity, enlightens us that Prophet Jesus was in fact given the Gospel to help guide and protect us through the power of faith and belief in God. While the Quran remains the last and final revelation from God, there is no doubt that the Gospel was previously revealed to Jesus for humankind. 5. Jesus was not the son of God “And behold! Allah will say: ‘O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah?’ He will say: ‘Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden.'” [Quran 5:116] “O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not ‘Trinity’; desist; it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.” [Quran 4:171] The Quran remains clear that the Prophet Jesus was not the son of God, and although he was indeed a prophet, he was still merely a human being. This is one of the most fundamental teachings of the Quran about Jesus, that he is not one of a Trinity or a physical manifestation of God, but that he is only a messenger of the teachings of Allah. 6. Jesus was not crucified “That they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’;- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but another was made to resemble him to them; and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not.” [Quran 4:157] The Quran differs strongly from today’s Bible in that the Quran states that the Prophet Jesus was not in fact crucified, and was not killed by his enemies. Muslims believe that Prophet Jesus was not killed and will return on the Day of Judgement to help restore justice and equality to all, similar to the Christian belief. By understanding the Quranic perspective on Prophet Jesus, we all can better understand the true meaning behind Prophet Jesus’ message of peace, charity, devotion, and love to humankind.