A Short History of Muslim-Jewish Harmonious Co-Existence: Negation of Islamic Anti-Semitism
By
T.O. Shanavas, New Age Islam
12 December
2023
In the
current portrayal within Western media, there’s a common belief that Muslims harbour
intolerance towards Jews and other faiths. This myth originated from natives of
some Western historians after Israel was establishment as nation. An example of
such fabricated history is in the web site of the largest American Jewish
organization (Anti-Defamation League). It states: “When Jews began arriving in
Palestine en masse in the late 19th century, the land had an Arab presence. The
number of Arabs in Palestine at the time and questions surrounding when many of
the Arabs came to the land remain the subject of dispute among historians.”
(REF:
https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/israel-arab-conflicts-creation-state-israel).
Dismissing
ADL’s propaganda of a minimal Arab presence is necessary, especially concerning
Jerusalem and its surrounding areas—a place steeped in history and religious
significance, making it among the most hotly contested religious centers in
history. It is troubling for the ADL to inaccurately downplay the significant
Arab demographics in this revered and contested region. When considering global
population growth—rising from 2 billion in 1940 to 10 billion in 2024—a
fivefold increase, the scale becomes clearer. With around 10 million
Palestinian refugees today, a proportional estimation suggests that the Arab
population in 1940 could have been around 2 million. These figures emphasize
the potential magnitude of the Arab population before the creation of Israel
and accurately portray historical demographics. The motivations behind this
skewed history might be twofold: to mask past atrocities against Jews in the
Western world and to validate our role in the creation of Israel, resulting in
the expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland and to whitewash human rights
violations by Israel.
Regrettably,
I find myself agreeing that the contemporary Muslim world exhibits a disturbing
level of animosity towards Jews, a stark contrast to the practices of the
Prophet and his early followers in Islamic history. This hostility doesn’t
align with the core principles of Islam. Had this widespread hostility between
Jews and Muslims originated from Islam itself, history would have witnessed the
persecution and eradication of Jews and Christians from the Muslim world. In
reality, Jews migrated to the Middle East from the West to escape European
persecution and anti-Semitism, indicating a more complex dynamic than religious
teachings fostering animosity.
An
examination of historical records illuminates the amicable relationships and
goodwill that historically existed between Muslims and people of various
faiths. This scrutiny discredits the narrative of inherent animosity between
Muslims and Jews before the establishment of Israel. A comparative study of the
historical events surrounding both the Crusader and Muslim invasions of
Palestine reveals significant insights into the treatment of the Palestinian
people. The observations of American historian and scientist John William
Draper (1811-1882) are particularly illuminating:
“[In] the
capture of Jerusalem [by Crusaders], the brains of young children were dashed
out against the wall; infants were thrown over the battlements; every women
that could be seized was violated; men were roasted at fires; some were ripped
open, to see if they had swallowed gold; the Jews were driven into their
synagogue, and there burnt; a massacre of nearly 70,000 persons took place; and
the pope’s legate was seen ‘partaking in the triumph.’ ” [REF: John W. Draper:
“History of Intellectual Development of Europe.”1876. Vol.II. Page 23].
Draper then
proceeds to describe the Muslim invasion and the arrival of Caliph Umar ibn
al-Khattab in the following manner:
“When Calif
Omar took Jerusalem, A.D. 637, he rode into the city by the side of the
Patriarch Sophronius, conversing with him on its antiquities. At the hour of
prayer , he declined to perform the devotions in the Church of Resurrection, in
which he chanced to be, but prayed on the steps of the Church of Constantine; ‘for
‘said he to the patriarch, ‘had I done so, the Muselman in a future age would
have infringed the treaty, under colour of imitating my example.’”
[REF: John
W Draper The Intellectual Development of Europe. 1876. Vol 1. page 23.)
The
American philosopher and historian Will Durant (1885-1981) provides a
comprehensive overview of the lives of non-Muslims under Muslim rule:
“To these
Dhimmi-Christian, Zoroastrians, Sabaeans, Jews-the Umayyad caliphate offered a
degree of tolerance hardly equalled in contemporary Christian lands. They were
allowed free practice of their faiths, and the retention of their churches, on
condition that they wear honey-coloured dress, and pay poll tax of from one to
four dinars ($4.75 to 19.00) per year according to their income. This tax fell
only upon non-Moslems capable of military service; it was not levied upon
monks, women, adolescents, slaves, the old, crippled, blind, or very poor. In
return the Dhimmi were excused (or excluded) from military service, were exempt
from the two and a half percent tax for community charity, and received the
protection of the government…Omar himself continued in Egypt the allowances
formally made to the Christian churches by the Byzantine government. The Jews
of the Near East had welcomed the Arabs as liberators. They suffered now
diverse disabilities and occasional persecutions; but they stood on equal terms
with Christians, were free once more to live and worship in Jerusalem, and
prospered under Islam in Asia, Egypt, and Spain as never under Christian
rule…Christians of western Asia usually practiced their religion unhindered;
Syria remained predominantly Christian until third Muslim century; in the rein
of Mamun (813-33) we hear of 11,000 Christian churches in Islam-as well as
hundreds of synagogues and fire temples. Christian festivals were freely and
openly celebrated; Christian pilgrims came in safety to visit Christian shrines
in Palestine…Christian heretics persecuted by the patriarchs of Constantinople,
Jerusalem, Alexandria, or Antioch were free and safe under a Moslem rule…In the
ninth century the Moslem governor of Antioch appointed a special guard to keep
Christian sects from massacring one another in church. Monasteries and
nunneries flourished under the skeptical Umayyads…The Mohammedan administrative
bureaucracy had hundreds of Christian employees…The Christians of the east in
general regarded Islamic rule as lesser evil than of the Byzantine government
and church. Despite or because of this policy of tolerance in early Islam, the
new faith won over to itself in time most Christians, nearly all the
Zoroastrians and pagans, and many of the Jews of Asia, Egypt, and North
Africa…Where Hellenism, after a thousand years of mastery, had failed to take
root, and Roman arms had left the native gods unconquered, and Byzantine
orthodoxy had raised rebellious heresies, Mohammedanism had secured, almost
without proselytism, not only belief and worship, but a tenacious fidelity that
quite forgot the superseded gods.”
[REF: Will
Durant: “The Story of Civilization”. New York.1950. page 218]
Before the
spread of Islam from Arabia to Spain in the sixth century, Jewish communities
primarily focused on agriculture and manual labor. However, with the ascent of
Islam, Jews transitioned into roles as merchants, artisans, physicians, and
scientists within the Muslim empire of the Prophet Muhammad and his early
followers. This shift in the Jewish way of life during this period highlights
that the early form of Islam was not the fanatical, chauvinistic, or
ethnocentric cult that is sometimes portrayed in today's contemporary Muslim
world. Historical records indicate that Muslims played a crucial role in
safeguarding Jews from European persecution. Notably, in response to the
Alhambra Decree expelling Jews from Spain by July 31, 1492, Sultan Bayezid dispatched
the Ottoman navy, led by Kemal Reis, to Spain to offer refuge to the expelled
Jewish population. Here are few
Jewish
Historian, S.H.Goiten states:
“The Jews
took their full share in this great Middle-eastern mercantile civilization
[Islamic civilization], in particular from tenth to thirteenth centuries; and
it was at that time and in that part of the world that Judaism itself received
its final shape.” [REF: “A Mediterranean Society.” By S.H. Goiten. London:
Cambridge University Press, 1967, Pages. 6-7].
Other
historians repeat the same story. American historian philosopher, Will Durant,
agrees with S.H.Goiten:
“Saadia ben
Joseph al-Fayyumi …grew up in Egypt…Saadia took a leaf or two from Moslem
theologians, and followed their methods of exposition, even, now and then, the
details of their argument. In turn his work permeated the Jewish world, and
influenced Maimonides. ‘Were it not for Saadia,’ said ben Maimon, ‘the Torah
would almost have disappeared.’” [Ref: “The Story of Civilization” by Will
Durant. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1950, Vol. 4. Pages.367-368).
The
earliest Talmud commentaries were written by Rabbi Sa'adiah ben Yosef Gaon (c.
800 - 1000, CE) in Babylonia under the rule of Abasid caliphate. Heinrich Graetz, the leading 19th century
Jewish historian, states:
“Wearied
with contemplating the miserable plight of the Jews in their ancient home and
in the countries of Europe, and fatigued by the constant sight of fanatical
oppression, the eyes of the observer rest with gladness upon their situation in
the Arabian Peninsula. Here the sons of the Judah were free to raise their
heads, and did not need to look about them with fear and humiliation, lest the
ecclesiastical wrath be discharged upon them, or the secular power overwhelm
them. Here they were not shut out from the paths of honour, nor excluded from
the privileges of the state, but, untrammelled, were allowed to develop their
powers in the midst of free, simple and talented people, to show their courage,
to compete for the gifts of fame, and with practiced hand to measure swords
with their antagonism.” [Ref: A History of Jews” by Heinrich Graetz (New York
1894) page p. 3: 236.]
The
Christian Patriarch of Jerusalem insisted with Caliph Omar to include a clause
in the edict (see the edict above) preventing Jews living with Christians in Jerusalem . However, later Caliph Omar realized the
injustice of this provision and invited Jews to live in Jerusalem.
Karen
Armstrong documents this:
“Umar [the brother-in-law of Prophet Muhammad]
invited seventy Jewish families from Tiberias to settle in Jerusalem…They were
also allowed to build a synagogue—known as the ‘Cave’ near Herod’s western
supporting wall…Muslims had not only liberated them [Jews] from the oppression
of Byzantium but had also given Jews rights of permanent residence in their
Holy City…Towards the end of the seventh century, a Hebrew poem hailed the
Arabs as the precursors of the Messiah.” [REF: Jerusalem by Karen Armstrong. page.233]
American
historian Philosopher Will Duran repeats the story:
“A rapid growth of Palestinian Jewelry followed
the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin in 1187; Saladin’s brother, the Sultan
Al-Adil, welcomed the 300 Rabbis who in 1211 fled from England and
France…Despite conversion and occasional persecution, Jews remained numerous in
Moslem Syria, Babylonia (Iraq) and Persia, and developed a vigorous economic
and cultural life.”
(REF: Story
of Civilization by Will Durant. Age of Faith. Page 366).
Jewish
Historian, Max I. Dimont states:
“The image
of modern man holds of the Jew in the Islamic Age in no way corresponds to
reality.” (REF: “Jews, God and History.” by Max I.Dimont. New York.1962. Page
193)
“The
improbable but true tale of a camel driver’s establishment of a world empire in
the name Allah, wherein the Jews rose to their Golden Age of creativity, only
to be plunged into a Dark Age with the eclipse of the Crescent and the ascent
of the cross.” (Ref: “Jews, God and History.” by Max I.Dimont. New York.1962.
Page 183).
“Span of
Jewish Golden Age in the Mohammedan civilization corresponded to the life span
of the Islamic Empire itself.” (Ref: “Jews, God and History.” by Max I.Dimont.
New York.1962. Page 192)
“Within a
hundred years the Mohammedan Empire rose to challenge Western civilization.
Yet, within this religion, the Jews not only survived but rose to one of their
greatest literary, scientific, and intellectual peaks…Seven hundred years
passed and the pendulum swung. The Islamic world crumbled and the Jewish
culture in the Islamic world crumbled with it.” [Ref: “Jews, God and History.”
By Max I.Dimont:. New York.1962. Page 17].
So great
was the fame of Rabbi Moses ben Maimonides (1134-1204 A.D), the author of
Mishneh Torah (The “Second Torah”). When Richard the Lion Heart got sick during
3rd crusade against Calif Sulaiman the Magnificent, the Calif sent his
physician, Maimonides.
“Richard
the Lion Heart, King of England, offered him a post as his personal `physician,
but Maimonides refused, feeling more at home in the culture of Arabic
civilization than in the barbaric atmosphere of feudal Europe.” [Ref: “Jews, God and History.” By Max
I.Dimont: New York.1962. Page. 179].
Maimonides’s
refusal of the offer shows that Jews felt more at home and free in Muslim
empire than in the Christian empire.
“Though the
Mohammedan Empire is dead, the human elements which shaped its grandeur is
still living…It sprang from a deep well of human creativity within the people
themselves. For seven hundred years Arab and Jew lived side by side in peace
and with mutual respect.” (REF: “Jews, God and History.” by Max I. Dimont. New
York.1962. Page 205)
“In
Spain…King Reccared, with fearful zeal of a new convert, spread his newly found
Christianity with sword so fierce that not only were the Visigoths baptized,
but large number of Jews as well. When the Mohammedans conquered Spain and
granted everyone religious freedom, many of these forcefully converted Jews did
not return fully to the Mosaic religion”.
(REF:
“Jews, God and History.” by Max I. Dimont. New York.1962. Page 213)
“Throughout
North Africa, Egypt, and Ottoman Empire, Jews enjoyed almost complete religious
and economic freedom for several centuries.”.” (REF: “Jews, God and History.”
by Max I. Dimont. New York.1962. Page 223)
“Even the
Black Death, or bubonic plague (1348-1349), …was put into the service of
killing Jews (in Europe). Before the Black Death swept Europe, it had hit
Mongolia and Islamic Empire. Mongols, Mohammedans, and Jews had all died
together without anyone having thought of blaming Jews”.” (REF: “Jews, God and
History.” by Max I.Dimont. New York.1962. Page 237)
“Technically,
all non-Mohammedans had to pay a head tax for protection, which exempted them
from military service and denied them the right to hold public office. But as
far as the Jews were concerned, these were neglected laws, for the Jews seldom
had to pay such a head tax, often served with great distinction and high rank
Moslem armies and rose to the highest posts in government services, including
grand viziers and princely rank.” .” (REF: “Jews, God and History.” by Max
I.Dimont. New York.1962. Page 192)
Jewish
Historian, Ilan Halevi States☹
“It is true
that the Arab world was much more tolerant than Christian West towards the Jews
living within it, and that, in the land of Islam, especially in the Arab world,
the concept of anti-Semitism such as it developed in Europe in the 19th century
lacks the roots and encrustation that it has in Germany or Russia.” [REF: “A
History of Jews, Ancient and Modern.” by Ilan Halevi. P. 199].
would not claim that there were intermittent
persecution of Jews and Christians by some Muslims. However, according to Karen
Armstrong, these persecutions occurred only during the time when the House of
Islam was invaded by Christians and Jews. [REF:Holy War by Karen Armstrong.
Page 30].
Karen
Armstrong, Professor at Leo Baeck College for Study of Judaism and the Training
of Rabbis and teachers, states in her book, Holy War:
“Indeed,
the word ‘Islam’ comes from the same Arabic root as the word ‘peace’ and Koran
condemns war as abnormal state of affairs opposed to God’s will: when the
enemies of Muslims ‘kindle a fire for war, Allah extinguishes it. They strive
to create disorder in the earth, and Allah loves not those who create disorder’
(Koran 5:64). Islam does not justify a total aggressive war of extermination,
as Torah does in the first five books of the Bible… Islam recognizes that war
is inevitable and sometimes a positive duty in order to end oppression and
suffering. The Koran teaches that war must be limited and be conducted in as
humane way as possible… [Mohammad instructed Muslim army that] they must not
molest priests, monks, nuns nor the weak and helpless people who were unable to
fight. They must not massacre of civilians nor should they cut down a single
tree nor pull down any building. This was very different from the wars of
Joshua.” [REF: Karen Armstrong. Holy War. Page 25]
Henry Grady
Weaver from The Foundation for Economic Education, Inc, Irvington-On-Hudson,
New York, states in his book, “The Mainspring of Human Progress:”
“Prior to
the Crusades, it had never occurred to the invaders that a strong man needs not
be brutal. The Saracens (i.e., Muslims) were fierce in battle, but they were
not cruel. They did not kill the wounded; they did not torture their prisoners.
When they struck down an opponent, it was not uncommon to help them. (Read Sir
Walter Scott). They did not persecute Christians. They were honourable. They
told the truth; they kept their word. The English knights were especially
impressed; and due in small measure to the lessons learned from the Saracens,
the British aristocracy developed into one of the finest ruling classes the
world has ever known.” [REF: Henry Grady Weaver: “The Main Spring of Human
Progress.” New York 1984. Page 122]
Bernard
Lewis, contemporary American Historian in ““With few exceptions, whatever was
creative and significant in Jewish life happened in Islamic lands. The Jewish
communities of Europe formed a kind of cultural dependency on the Jews of the
far more advanced and sophisticated Islamic world, extending from Muslim Spain
in the west to Iraq, Iran, and Central Asia in the east.” (REF: Jews OF ISLAM”
Bernard Lewis. page 66)
These
historical facts demonstrate that Muslims and their faith have historically
been progressive and hospitable to others. They facilitated the uplifting of
all people, not solely benefiting Muslims alone. But unfortunately, Israel
relentlessly grabs Palestinian land, destroy their home, uproot trees and
wrecks water cistern. Palestinians are not allowed to even The collection of
drinking water from rain is made illegal for Palestinians. (REF: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2017/11/the-occupation-of-water/
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/12/05/does-israels-treatment-palestinians-rise-level-apartheid
The
distressing reality in Gaza highlights a tragic situation where children have
become victims, prompting questions from observers. It's puzzling how a nation
that endured the Holocaust could be involved in practices reminiscent of
apartheid, leading to persecution and hindering the delivery of essential
resources like water, food, and fuel to a people who gave shelter when Western
nations expelled ancestors of Israel.
----
T.O. Shanavas is a native of Kerala, but is now
based in the USA. He is the author of “Islamic Theory of Evolution The Missing
Link Between Darwin and The Origin of Species.” Co-author of the book, And God
Said, "Let There Be Evolution!": Reconciling The Book Of Genesis, The
Qur'an, And The Theory Of Evolution. Edited by Prof. Charles M. Wynn and Prof.
Arthur W. Wiggins.
URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/muslim-jewish-existence-islamic-anti-semitism/d/131299
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