Every now and then, you have these defining moments that really make you think about life and the world around you. I had such a moment a few days ago, and it was almost revelatory. It came by surprise and it happened in a place usually devoid of intellectual thought – New South dining hall. I went to get some pizza, but to my dismay there were, for some strange reason, four pans of pepperoni and no plain cheese. You can imagine my anger because as a Muslim, I cannot eat pork. So, I was left to contemplate my next move when a fellow classmate, who happened to be Jewish, came up to get some pizza as well. Since she keeps kosher, she also could not eat pepperoni. Both of us stood there waiting for a new pan of cheese pizza. We started complaining about how New South always has too many pork dishes. And before I knew it, we were talking about how in actuality, our two religions have more in common than people usually think.
It hit me . granted, there are a lot of things that uslims and Jews disagree about. But why don’t we all come together as Jews and Muslims and push for New South to be pork-free. Or perhaps, we could have a halal and kosher section. But my defining moment in New South wasn’t just about food; it really made me think about the larger picture – about Jews and Muslims and how they treat each other.
Hundreds of years ago, the Jews were welcome in the Muslim empire where they enjoyed the freedom to practice their own religion. In Muslim lands, Jews were subject only to their own laws, giving them a considerable amount of autonomy. As a result, Islamic society, in the words of historians Sydney Fisher and William Ochsenwald, developed into “one of the most tolerant of all ages.” If Jews learned Arabic, they were able to participate in most aspects of Muslim culture. Fisher and Ochsenwald go on to say that Jews made “substantial contributions to the development of the new [Islamic] civilization that often transcended religious as well as political and geographic differences.”
It is sad to look at where we were 1,000 years ago, and where we are now. In terms of tolerance for each other, we have certainly regressed. Let us be honest with ourselves. There are large portions of Muslims who are anti-Jewish and there are large portions of Jews who are anti-Arab and anti-Muslim. Why did this happen? It happened because we have forgotten the essence of Islam and Judaism. Islam is indeed a religion of peace, justice and tolerance. Judaism is a religion that stresses social justice and equal rights. Indeed, there were many Jews marching alongside artin Luther King, Jr., and other black leaders in the 1960s. Jews have often been involved in civil rights struggles for minorities.
Over the summer, I went to a conference in Chicago for the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation. I was surprised to see that a majority of the attendees were Jews. There was one Jewish woman who was describing how she had been involved in the struggle for Palestinian freedom for the last 30 years. She broke down in tears when she observed that the suffering of the Palestinians is today worse than it has ever been. After I saw the emotion and compassion in her voice, I knew in my heart that there was hope.
I also remember reading an article in Ha’aretz, the Israeli daily, about Tariq Ramadan, a European Muslim, who spoke out loudly and forcefully against the growing trend of anti-Jewish attacks and prejudice in places like France and England.
There are brave voices such as these in both of our communities who are speaking out loudly for reconciliation and peace between our two great peoples. If we had more people like Ramadan and the Jewish woman, perhaps there would not be so much bloodshed in the Holy Land. It is sad that instead, intolerant extremists on both sides have misrepresented Islam and Judaism. The Prophet Muhammad was a man who was always gentle and peaceful. He treated people, whether they were Muslim or not, with respect and compassion.
Yet we have people in Palestine claiming to carry the banner of the Prophet who blow themselves up in the midst of innocent schoolchildren. As Muslims, we must speak out against this religious perversion. At the same time, the Israeli army bulldozes the homes of innocent Palestinians without warning. Despite the social justice roots of Judaism, we have Israeli Jews in the political mainstream who are pushing for laws that would ban non-Jews from purchasing government land. I call upon my Jewish friends to return to their roots of social justice and speak out against this type of injustice and racism that is incompatible with the original teachings of Judaism.
It is sad. But it doesn’t have to continue this way. My Jewish colleagues and I will probably keep on disagreeing about the conflict in Palestine. We will continue to passionately argue and debate the issues. But, surely, we can agree to disagree. And, perhaps we can even find some common ground. Even if it’s just about pizza, at least it’s a start. Great things always start small.
Shadi Hamid is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service.
