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ON IMAGES AND PERCEPTIONS

ON IMAGES AND PERCEPTIONS. Professor Mohammed S. Dajani Al-Quds University WASATIA Founder - Palestine. OUR FRAME OF MIND. When do Muslims, Christians, and Jews live in peace and harmony and when do they opt for conflict and war?

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ON IMAGES AND PERCEPTIONS

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  1. ON IMAGES AND PERCEPTIONS Professor Mohammed S. Dajani Al-Quds University WASATIA Founder - Palestine

  2. OUR FRAME OF MIND When do Muslims, Christians, and Jews live in peace and harmony and when do they opt for conflict and war? When the other is placed in conflict psyche, then his image in the mind of the other would reflect conflict and war… When the other is placed in peace psyche, then his image in the mind of the other would reflect conciliation and tolerance.

  3. In his book Orientalism, Edward Said describes a life cycle of a mind-set in a graphic way. “Fictions,” he observes, “have their own logic and their own dialectic of growth and decline.” Learned texts, media representations, any supposedly authoritative body of knowledge have a self-reinforcing tendency. Texts claiming unsubstantiated knowledge can create “the very reality they appear to describe.”

  4. While Said describes how ‘fiction’ becomes ‘reality,’ Walter Lippmann observes how ‘perception’ becomes ‘reality.’ He says we are all captives of the pictures in our heads. People make mistakes, he writes, “because an important part of human behavior is reaction to the pictures in their heads.”

  5. Samuel Huntington in his book, “The Clash of Civilizations” (1996) maintains that religion will be the source of future international conflict between the civilization based on Judeo-Christianity and the civilization based on Islam. Muslims on the other side feel their religion is under attack and respond accordingly. 8

  6. Thus our conflictual behavior towards each other is in reaction to the demonized picture in our head of the other. In a hostile environment, we will react in a defensive manner to the stereotype image of the other in our head, believing that these images to be the reality and not a mere construction of our own perceptions of reality.

  7. As a result, we look at the other and we see what we want to see, in an environment of conflict, we will see a foe, while in an environment of peace, we will see a friend. We look at the other, and we either choose not see one another or we choose to embrace the other. If we don’t want to see the other, we will not care to look and will simply become invisible to one another.

  8. Is Islam on a collision course with Judaism and Christianity?

  9. Do the Holy Books teach the values of hatred, enmity, conflict and war with the other, or do they promote peace, respect, conciliation, compassion empathy, understanding, and cooperation with the other? Here the knot lies in our perception of the other which would impact our interpretation of the holy text. If the image is positive the interpretation would be positive. 12

  10. Teaching Religion Extremists believe that: • their religion is the supreme religion among all other religions. • their faith is one God desires. • their religion is God’s gift to humanity • their faith is to replace all other religions gone astray. • their prophet supersedes all other prophets.

  11. IshaqZahid in his, Glossary of Islamic Terms, on the Internet, defines the word Jahanamas follows: “Jahanam: Most commonly understood to mean Hell. In fact, it is one of the levels of Hell. There are seven levels of Hellfire: 1. Jaheem – those who ignored God’s commands. 2. Jahanam – for the idol-worshippers 3. Sa'ir - is reserved for the worshippers of fire. 4. Saqar - those who did not believe in God. 5. Ladha - will be the home of the Jews. 6. Hawiyah - will be the abode of the Christians. 7. Hutama - the religious hypocrites Should we accept this interpretation?

  12. Say (O Muhammad ): "We believe in God and in what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down to Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Ishaque (Isaac), Ya'qub (Jacob) and Al-Asbat[the twelve sons of Ya'qub (Jacob)] and what was given to Musa (Moses), 'Iesa (Jesus) and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between one another among them and to Him (Allah) we have submitted (in Islam).” AalImran Surah, verse 84

  13. {“We did not send any messenger except with the language of his people to state clearly for them. Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills, for He is the Almighty, the Wise.“ } --Surah Ibrahim 14:4 }وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ ۖ فَيُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَن يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ{ )14:4 سورة ابراهيم(

  14. Interpreting the verse:{“We have created you ummattanwasatan.”} 1. To indicate justice, balance, moderation, middle-ground, centrism, temperance. The Islamic nation is a just and moderate nation. 2. Muslims are middle between: (a) “Jews who brought upon themselves God’s anger”; and (b) “Christians who have gone astray”. 18

  15. 3. Muslims are middle between: (a) “Jews who killed prophets” and, (b) “Christians who made their prophet God”. Now, the question is: • Which interpretation to chose? 19

  16. INTERPRETING the word “ISLAM” • {“Religion to God is Islam.”} (Aal Imran Surah; verse 19) • {“O you who believe! Fear God as He should be feared, and die not except being a Muslim.”} (3:102) 20

  17. {“And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers.”}(3.085) • {“And whomsoever it is God’s will to guide, He expands his bosom unto Islam.”} (6.125)

  18. {“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”} (5:2) • {“And those who disbelieve, wish that they would have been Muslimin.”} (The Rock Surah, verse 2)

  19. Should we interpret the word Islam in these verses to mean the Islamic faith. Or should we explain it to mean ‘silm’ which means peace of soul that comes from surrendering to God; and thus include all those who submit themselves to the will of God including the Moslems, Christians, and Jews.

  20. {“When Jesus found disbelief on their part he asked: "Who are my supporters to God?" Said the disciples: "We are supporters for God: We have believed in God, and do thou bear witness that we are Muslimun.”} (3:52)

  21. {“Moses said: "O my people! If ye do believe in God, then rely upon Him if you should be Muslimin(if you have submitted your will to His)."} [10:84]

  22. {Say: O People of the Book! Come to that which is common between us and you; that we worship none but God, and that we ascribe divinity to nothing besides Him; and that we shall not take human beings for our lords besides God. And if they refuse, then say: ‘Bear witness that it is we who are Muslimun (have surrendered ourselves unto Him).} [Al-Imransurah; verse 64]. 26

  23. {"Abraham was neither Jew nor Christian; but he was hanifanMusliman (one who submitted to God)’"} [3:67]

  24. So if they dispute with thee, say: "I have submitted my whole self to God and so have those who follow me." • {“And say to the People of the Book and to those who are unlearned: "Do ye (also) submit yourselves?" If they do, they are in right guidance, but if they turn back, Thy duty is to convey the Message; and in God´s sight are (all) His servants.”} (AalImran, verses 19-20)

  25. Interpreting Al-Fatihah Surah 29

  26. AL-FATIHAH "The Opening"(Revealed at Mecca, Verses: 7) In the name of God, The Merciful, The All-Merciful, Praise be to God, the Lord of the Universe; The Merciful, the All- merciful; The Master of the Day of Recompense; Thee we serve, and to Thee we pray for help; Guide us to the Straight Path; The path of those whom Thou hast blessed; Not of those who incurred wrath, nor of the astray.}

  27. Hadrat Ghulam Ahmad in his study The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam which was read at a religious conference held at Lahore in December 1896.

  28. Some misinterpret verses in the Quran to say it is anti-Jews or anti-Semitic because they claim it describes Jews as apes and swine..

  29. {“And you had already known about those who transgressed among you concerning the Sabbath, and We said to them, "Be apes, despised.” } [Quran 2:65]

  30. {Say, "Shall I inform you of [what is] worse than that as penalty from God ? [It is that of] those whom God has cursed and with whom He became angry and made of them apes and pigs and slaves of Taghut. Those are worse in position and further astray from the sound way.“} [Quran 5:60]

  31. Omarite Covenant and Jews residing in Jerusalem

  32. One of the widespread hadith attributed to the Prophet says: ”the Day of Judgment will not arrive until the Muslims fight the Jews and the Muslims will kill them. Even if a Jew hides behind a rock or a tree, the rock or the tree will say: 'O Muslim, O worshipper of God! There is a Jew behind me. Come and kill him', except the salt bush [Gharqad], for it is one of the Jews' trees.” In this Prophetic Saying [Hadith] he [Muhammad] tells us of one of the forms of the battle between Muslims and Jews…” [Hadith, Grade 9 (2006) pp. 148 Saudi Arabia] 38

  33. Saudi Arabia ... 39

  34. The Palestinian Authority The Conflict withJews … God’s Messenger said : "The Hour of Judgment will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews. The Muslims will kill them, and when a Jew would hide behind a rock or a tree the rock or the tree would say: ‘O Muslim, O worshipper of God! There is a Jew behind me; come and kill him’, except the salt bush, which is the Jews’ tree.” Noble Hadith and Its Studies, Grade 11 (1996) pp. 200 [Religious Institutions] 41

  35. The Palestinian Authority …This Prophetic Saying [Hadith] is one of the Prophet’s evident miracles. It is a prophecy of a concealed matter, which is to take place at the End of Days. It is certain good news for this nation that victory will be its ally and that its agony with the Jews is bound to end in victory over them… Noble Hadith and Its Studies, Grade 11 (1996) pp. 200-201 [Religious Institutions] 44

  36. The Palestinian Authority What the [Koranic] Verses Guide to …Caution against the Jews’trickery and deception, for they are enemies of Sublime God, of His religion [i.e., Islam] and of the Believers [i.e., the Muslims]. Holy Koran and Its Studies, Grade 11 (1996) p. 49 [Religious Institutions] 45

  37. The sanctity of life is expressed in the following verse of the Quran:{Nor take life - which God has made sacred - except for just cause.} [Sûra al Isra, 17.33] • “The Hour of Judgment will not arrive until you fight the Jews and kill them… and until trees and the rocks will say: ‘O Muslim, o servant of God, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him’ .” [HAMAS Charter ; Al-Fateh, Islamist website for children, Internet, Issue 2, October 1, 2002] 46

  38. The Quran states: {We have sent you as a mercy to mankind} [Al-Anbia: 107]; this mercy includes all human beings including Jews, Christians, and non-believers. • {On the day of reckoning, each group shall be called to its Book…This is Our Book which speaks about you the truth} [45: 27].

  39. {"We ordained for them therein a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds is legal retribution. But whoever gives up his right as charity, it is an expiation for him. Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, then it is those who are the wrongdoers.“ } -(-Surah Al-Ma’idah5:45) • }وَكَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فِيهَا أَنَّ النَّفْسَ بِالنَّفْسِ وَالْعَيْنَ بِالْعَيْنِ وَالْأَنفَ بِالْأَنفِ وَالْأُذُنَ بِالْأُذُنِ وَالسِّنَّ بِالسِّنِّ وَالْجُرُوحَ قِصَاصٌ ۚ فَمَن تَصَدَّقَ بِهِ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَّهُ ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ{5:45 سورة المائدة

  40. {…indeed the more honorable among you, in the sight of God, is one who is more pious among you..”} {Hujurat Surah; verse 13} {"The most honored in the sight of God is (he who is) most righteous.”} (AalImran Surah; verse 86) 49

  41. {“Your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection regarding the things about which they differed.” (16:124) “So God shall Judge between you on the Day of Resurrection”(4:141).

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