Zionism: A briefing from an Islamic perspective

 

                                           Zionism: a briefing from an Islamic perspective

                                                              By Shamsuddin Waheed

 

 

The latest round of violence to hit the Middle East has prompted a number of questions for Western audiences, particularly Americans, regarding the core reasons behind the conflict.  While much has been made on legacies, revenge and a host of other rhetorical devices, the core issue is actually a political ideology known as Zionism.

 

Zionism, in short, is the name of an ideology of a Jewish land for Jewish people. While this is in and of itself not necessarily an evil goal, the way it was brought about was without due consideration to others. This makes perfect sense when we see that the ideology itself is born out of a colonial mindset, in which the “native” peoples are viewed as inconsequential. The Balfour declaration of 1917, initiated by the British, had as a stated goal the transformation of Palestine (a land already populated by what we call today “Palestinians”) into a Jewish homeland, to the disenfranchisement of those already there, both Arab Muslims and Christians.

 

While it is a political ideology (akin to Apartheid), it does use religious language, the latter being very appealing to Christians. There is a bit of irony present here, because many of the early Zionist preachers of it, including its principal founder Theodor Herzl (d. 1904) was atheist, and even today extreme Jewish Zionists tend to dismiss Christians as idolaters. Nonetheless, Christian Zionists believe that God has promised the land to the Jews, based on Biblical texts (such as Gen.15:18), and that Jewish presence is necessary for the return of Jesus. If this wasn’t bad enough, many in both Israeli and American religious/political leadership desire that Israel grow from its current borders. John Hagee, a leading Texas-based pastor, has stated that “the day will come when Israel owns and control all of present-day Israel, including Jerusalem, Lebanon, the West Bank of Jordan, and most of Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia..” (CAN AMERICA SURVIVE? 10 PROPHETIC SIGNS THAT WE ARE THE TERMINAL GENERATION, PAGE 109, 2010 HOWARD BOOKS, NEW YORK).

 

In light of the current Genocidal policies clearly enacted by Israeli forces, fears of Israeli expansionism are legitimate. Yet, Islam has a totally different teaching from Zionism. Islam has morals, ethics, a recognition of human rights and religious liberty. Allah says that his covenant will not extend to oppressors ( Q 2:124). He forbids oppression of people on the basis of religion, color or gender (2:256, 60:8-9). Indeed, it can even be said that trying to jumpstart Armageddon and the return of Jesus is in itself an action of idolatry (Q 16:1-2), a mentality that –if eternally held- risks generating Divine wrath.

 

May Allah give freedom to those who are oppressed, and may we be protected from having the mentality of oppressors.