RBIS September 9, 1998: Ask the Imam -- Malka Shulewitz asks, Sheikh Professor Palazzi Answers

Dear Friends at Root & Branch, I have read with great interest the communications from Prof. Abdul Hadi Palazzi. I admire both his knowledge as well as his courage in view of the current climate in the Islamic world.

At about the same time that read his particularly interesting communication about "Dar el Islah" (Realm of Prosperity), I received an e-mail from another source advising me about the "education" in a Palestinian [Resident Arab] youth camp where the participants are taught that "Jihad is the principle belief which will guide us regardless of how many fall." Also, "I came to you my sword in hand, we will oust them [Israel] out into the sea...".

These sentences represent just a fraction of the document which is filled with words of hate being taught to Arab youth by our "peace partners."

I know that Sheikh Professor Palazzi will condemn this perversion. However, at present, his good and encouraging words seem to be "batel be shishim" (a drop in the ocean).

I have two questions for Sheikh Professor Palazzi:

The "d'himmi" concept in Islam, legislated in the Covenant of Umar, relegates believers in other religions - principally Judaism and Christianity - to inferior status and doomed to be UNDER the protection of Islam. Surely this is the reason for the approximately one-hundred-year war that has been waged against the Jewish redemption of the Land of Israel? After all, Islam does not lack land. In the Middle East alone its empire stretches over areas larger than either Europe or the USA. So why does this tiny area - the Land of Israel - matter, especially as it was so neglected before the modern Jewish return? Is it not because Islam cannot accept Jewish sovereignty where Jews are not UNDER Islam and where Jews rule - albeit humanely, compared to much treatment of Muslims by Muslims - over a small minority of Muslims? Is not the PLO Covenant an Islamic document in that sense, which is really why it is not being revised?

Is this - and the law of "jihad" - basically the psychological reason behind the lack of any Muslim regret (Sheikh Professor Palazzi excluded) for crimes committed by Muslims against Jews in Arab lands, which constituted our most ancient diaspora and now, with the exception of about 20,000 Jews in North Africa, has virtually ceased to exist?

The mass departure of these Jews, mainly to Israel, was preceded - in fact, long before they left (for example, Baghdad - l941; Egypt and Libya - l945; Aden - l947) by pogroms and other atrocities. All Jewish personal and communal property was confiscated by the various Arab governments whom the Jews had served loyally (unlike the Palestinian [Resident] Arabs who left the newly-born State of Israel in l948).

Yet a Muslim voice condemning this injustice and/or demanding that the Jews be compensated, has yet to be heard. (That we, the Jews, are silent is, in my humble opinion, also partly psychological: we do not want to face the truth about the dangers surrounding us because, without a very firm belief in the Almighty, the future would hold out little hope).

Having recently completed a book on the above subject, my doubts run deep. This in no way reflects on my appreciation for Prof. Abdul Hadi Palazzi's efforts. May they be blessed!

Sheikh Professor Palazzi Answers

Dear Ms. Shulewitz,

Aryeh Gallin forwarded me a copy of your message and I am glad to thank you for your words of support and to answer your questions.

First of all, in Qur'anic Arabic, "jihad" has two meanings, general and specific.

A. The general meaning of the term "jihad":

In the general sense "jihad" is every effort done to obey God's word.

If I am not rich and yet prefer to live with very little, while giving charity to others, this is "jihad in charity." I

f, while I have to work hard during the day, I prefer to sleep only few hours during the night, and use the rest of my time to study religious texts, this is "jihad in learning."

In this sense, a young man told the Prophet Muhammad, "I have old parents who are unable to work."

Muhammed answered, "Supporting them is your jihad."

Muhammed also said, "Delivering a child is a woman's jihad."

B. The specific meaning of the term "jihad":

The specific meaning is military "jihad", that is to say, self-defense against those who persecute Muslims and prevent their religious freedom.

When involved in "jihad", a Muslim army (that is to say a regular army, not terrorist or "guerrilla" groups) must respect the following conditions:

Fighting as an army against another army, without harming monks, rabbis, women, children, and civil populations who are not involved in the conflict.

Not overreacting.

Always looking for an opportunity to make peace with the enemy.

False Islamic "leaders" such as Ahmad Yasin (who knows all this better than I myself do) misprepresent Islam when they identify as "jihad" actions such as suicide-bombings, terrorism against civil populations, etc.

The above mentioned acts are - according to authentic Islamic Law - terrible crimes.

We do not recognize the religious authority of people such as Mr. Yasin, and we are trying our best to refute their wicked teachings.

Regarding your other questions:

1. According to Islamic Law, a "dhimmi" is a Jew or Christian who agrees to live as a member of a religious minority within an Islamic State. Today an Islamic State does not exist anymore, so we must examine this question from a historical perspective.

The evolution of humanity has made this (and many other aspects of Islamic Law) outdated and practically ineffective. Omar's rule for "dhimmis" was not "oppressive" at the time in which it was promulgated. On the contrary, Omar gave Christians more rights than they had under Byzantine authority, and ended Hadrian's ban forbidding Jews to live in Jerusalem.

Similarly, after defeating the Crusaders, our great leader Salahuddin (Saladin - who was a Kurd, not an Arab) wrote to Jewish leaders in the "galuth" (Disapora): "Your exile is over. Whoever wants is free to return."

Clearly, throughout Islamic history, there have been Muslim leaders who treated "dhimmis" well, and others who treated them poorly.

The enlightened Ummayad rulers of Andalusia built marvelous mosques, churches and synagogues, and opened in Cordoba a rabbinical school for Rambam (Maimonides). The Ummayads were succeeded by the fanatic Almoravid rulers, who persecuted Christians, Jews and non-Maliki Islamic scholars. Rambam was compelled to go into exile because of the Almoravids.

PLO documents can in no way be regarded as Islamic. The PLO leaders are a gang of criminals and thieves, and Arabs will be the main victims of any supposed "Palestinian State" under their leadership.

I do not believe that Islam is the factor preventing normalization between Arabs and the State of Israel. The real problem is that members of the ruling classes in Arab countries believe their authority and power would be threatned by democracy, modernization, and education in the Arab world. They use a distorted interpretation of Islam as a political tool, and unfortunately the majority of uneducated Arabs believe their poisonous propaganda.

I believe that we must return to the time when Islam was in the vanguard of scientific progress and interfaith dialogue. Instead of false "leaders" such as Qadhafi, Saddam Hussein, Arafat [el-Husseini] or Yasin, we Muslims again need true leaders such as al-Ghazali, Ibn Rushd and Ibn Khaldum.

2. King Faysal of Iraq said that "The Arabs, and particularly the educated ones among them, must look at the Zionist movement with the deepest sympathy." Tragically, true leaders such as Faysal were silenced, and fanatics such as Haj Amin al-Husseini prevailed.

The evil consequences of the victory of fanaticism are clear for all to see: Jews expelled from Arab countries where the lived in peace for over one thousand years, "Palestinian" refugees, terrorism, etc.

To avoid future mistakes, we must learn from our past ones.

Unfortunately, there are Arabs who believe that they must fight against Israel until they completely destroy it (a tragedy which I do not believe the God of Israel will ever permit to happen - Never again!).

Unfortunately, there are also naive and foolish Israelis who believe, incredibly to me, that they will achieve "peace" with their Arab neighbours by giving the murderer Arafat [el-Husseini] a State, an army, etc. This is insane. You Jews are supposedly famous for your intelligence. How can some of your "leaders" be so stupid?

From the perspective of the natural world, I am not optimistic about what the future holds.

However, from the supernatural perspective of faith, we who believe in God must face the future with a positive attitude.

We must have faith that we will see the day when real peace and prosperity - which can only be based on true faith in God and His Word (the Bible and Rabbinic Tradition for you; the Bible, Qur'an and Authentic Islamic Tradition for us) - will spread throughout the world. Meanwhile, we must work together to prepare for a better future.

Shalom,

Sheikh Professor Abdul Hadi Palazzi

Rome, Italy