Jews and Muslims

JCS Visit to a Masjid

Published on November 2, 2008 By Larry Kuperman In Current Events

As regular readers of my blog know, I teach 8th Grade and Adult Education classes at the Jewish Cultural Society (JCS) of Ann Arbor. Today the 8th Grade and the JCS Youth Group visited the Muslim Community Association (MCA) of Ann Arbor.

First, let me give the abbrobation due to the kids and their parents who attended. They gave up time on a beautiful Sunday morning, perhaps one of the last that we will see in Michigan this year, to learn about another faith. It should also be noted that during the process of setting up our visit NOT ONE PARENT OR MEMBER WAS LESS THAN ENTHUSIASTIC IN LENDING THEIR SUPPORT. (Capital letters intentional and deserved!)

We were met at the door by Kristine and Loretta, two teachers at the school. The MCA shares buiding space with the Islamic Center, a school and an active Sunni Islamic congregation. Our students were given a handout listing the Six Aricles of Faith of Islam and the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars are Shahada (Witnessing of Faith), Salat (the five daily prayers), Zakat (charity), Seyyam (Fasting) and Hajj (pilgramage to Mecca).

Once the fundamenetals had been disccussed, our discussion expanded to a variety of topics, religous, political and personal. Both women had converted to Islam from Christian backgrounds and were willing to share their personal experiences.

Towards the end, we discussed the Middle East Peace process. This was not the forum for a discussion of political detaik, but we all agreed that the current situation is unbearable and that peace is a necessity.

The adults of the world can't seem to agree; perhaps the coming generation will be more successful.

It was a wonderful day and a step toward Tikkun Olam, the healing of the world.

Shalom/Salaam to all.

Comments (Page 3)

Leauki

on Nov 04, 2008

HEEEEEYYYAAAA finally the fact prevailed ...

that shows us all that reasonable discussions always reveal the truth ....

What do you mean "reveal"?

I had absolutely no doubt that I would be totally safe in northern Iraq. I also had absolutely no doubt that my Aram room mate in Haifa U was friendly. (In fact we had many discussions about religion.)

But I also don't have a doubt that I wouldn't be quite as safe in random Arab cities.

no one knows more than the arabs how the good old days of coexistence of arabs/jews/christians can produce the best in the three of them.

I do not necessarily doubt their knowledge as much as I doubt their conviction.

The civil war of Arabs fighting Christians in Sudan is thankfully over. But Iraqi Christians are still fleeing the Arab part for the Kurdish part.

Bethlehem used to be a Christian town, it is now 80% Muslim.

Egyptian Christians are being harrassed and their churches attacked.

There are no Jews left in Arab countries except for a small community in Morocco and Tunisia and 25 individuals in Bahrain. Most fled beginning in the 1930s with the rise of Arab nationalism.

The Kurdish lieutenant told me that the last Jew fled the Sulimeiniya area in the 1930s or 1940s.

Did you ever wonder why despite the often-quoted peaceful co-existence between Jews, Muslims, and Christians in the Arab world, Christians kept fleeing Arab countries and 95% of Jews now live in Israel, America, and Europe?

Leauki

on Nov 04, 2008

As I said, it's not about what the the people in those countries really want, but how they see the situation. In their mind, Israel is in the wrong, and is not acting properly to bring peace. Wether you agree with them is irrelevant to the point, go argue with THEM.

Well, they see a fantasy. Israel cannot change their fantasies.

Seriously, Germans had all sorts of weird beliefs about Jews, Gipsies, and Americans. Those beliefs didn't change because America, Hipsies, and Jews changed their behaviour.

They changed because Germany was beaten to bits.

Many Germans still have those beliefs and you can still find extremely right-wing (and extremely left-wing) parties organising anti-American (and anti-Israeli) demonstrations. But Germans do not go to war over it any more.

And apart from that incident in the 1980s when Germany sold poison gas to Saddam Hussein, Germans have been pretty good in the genocide-avoidance too.

Leauki

on Nov 04, 2008

I did not say "That enforced the military occupation of another country", but "That enforce", present tense.

Morocco is occupying Western Sahara NOW, present tense.

Syria is occupying large parts of Kurdistan.

Only last month did Syria acknowledge that Lebanon is indeed another country and not a part of Syria. But "Palestine" is still a part of Syria, according to Syria.

You might say that Kurdistan is not "another country". But then neither is "Palestine".

Dr Guy

on Nov 04, 2008

I truly believe that, as Edmund Burke is supposed to have said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for a few good men to do nothing." The organization to which I belong, the JCS of Ann Arbor, is all about teaching our kids that individuals and small groups can bring about positive change.

One man cannot do a lot. But one man can start a movement which can. Dont know who started it, but your group is headed in the right direction.

I did not say "That enforced the military occupation of another country", but "That enforce", present tense.

True and that is why I qualified my answer. But you still missed Syria. It is not the lack of desire that so few examples are present today, it is lack of opportunity.

Leauki

on Nov 04, 2008

But you still missed Syria. It is not the lack of desire that so few examples are present today, it is lack of opportunity.

Actually, there is a lot of opportunity and a lot of examples.

It's just that we have defined away the problem by deciding what the borders should be (except in the case of Israel for some reason).

Opportunities are abound, especially since the same people who criticise Israel for the "occupation" (which costs Israel a lot of money and is not wanted by Israel) never criticise the others.

When people scream about "the occupation", do they mean Syria's occupation of Kurdistan? Or do they mean Sudan's occupation of Darfur and Nubia? Did they mean Syria's occupation of Lebanon or Iraq's occupation of another part of Kurdistan?

DrJBHL

on Dec 03, 2008

But on the other hand, they see Israel as the only country that military enforce the occupation of another territory.[/quote]

Really? Your folks are Native American?

Same with the other countries. Israel don't seem to actually want to make any peace offering, or compromises. They simply roll over their muslim population's opinion when they are bent on doing something. What do you really think the arab countries will see that country on the long run?

I think the key is Israel's attitude toward it's neighbour, and Israel's attitude toward the Palestinians. If Israel acted with a little less aggressiveness and arrogance in their dealing with both, and didn't purposely blew every peace initiative when a fanatic uncontrollable zealot makes a blunder, it would be quite a large step.

Too bad you believe the media's presentation of Israel. Maybe you should research the history of the Middle East before expounding on it.

I will never accept a biblical argument for something as important. It's ludicrous to actually base your argumentation on anything religion-related when you are treating about a Religion Vs Religion conflict. Specially if your argument is originating from the Jewish/Christian holy books.

OK...How about "It was taken from us and we took it back."? Grow up and realize the Israelis aren't about to leave. THEY built a modern state. What did the Philistines build?

[quote who="Cikomyr" comment="12"] Israel has never had better connections with Arab countries than today. There is open trade with Gulf countries and Morocco and many Arab countries today accept Israeli passports. Even Tunisia does now and only 30 years ago they were still a PLO base.Still strange that if you have a stamp of Israel on your passport, you may be refused entry into many GCC Countries. How can it be described as "good"?

In fact, in the Arab scholls in ALL the middle eastern nations, Israel does not appear on a single map. THIS is how they are preparing the coming generations. WAKE UP!

Larry, thanks for the story.

I lived in Israel for 13 years, went to Med School there and served in Tzahal. I'd enjoy discussing things with you anytime.

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