You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'jewish' tag.
Paul Salahuddin Armstrong
Watching recent events, in light of history, has been key to me taking the stance I now have regarding Israel. Before embracing Islam ten years ago, I neither understood the situation in Israel, nor was particularly interested. My view was simply that I wished people would just get along… After embracing Islam, I was given leaflets and videos about the Palestinian cause. I have since watched the news and developments in the region more closely, as well as reading up on history…
History testifies to the fact, that the Jewish people have been one of the most persecuted peoples and religious communities, throughout the history of human civilisation! Why then, should they be denied a state? Some may well note, that since 1948 they have had a state… Well, it’s true, at present they do. But isn’t that precisely what others are ganging up on them, to deny them?!
Why are other countries scared of the success of Israel? Why do so many, wish to bring the struggle of this tiny country to an end?
To tell a state it’s not allowed to defend itself, which is in effect what the United Nations are now doing, is to deny it the right to exist! Whatever mistakes Israel has made during it’s short history, this is an unjust and very worrying move!
There are only 13 million Jews in the world, roughly 6 million of whom live in Israel. On the other hand, there are many times as many Arabs, 1.5 million of whom actually live in Israel too! Jews make up only a tiny minority of humanity, there were around 6.8 billion people living on Earth in 2006…
Surely, it’s plain to see, the Jewish people are not a threat to anyone! So, why all the propaganda and conspiracy theories about them? Now, Israelis are the one’s being accused of war crimes, when they were only trying to defend what’s left of their much reduced country… Isn’t this a disgraceful and shameful situation?
The UN clearly does not understand the dynamics of Middle Eastern politics, either that or they do not care and are willing to turn a blind eye to a potential bloodbath in the region! If the latter, what was the point of their creation in the first place? If Israel’s not safe, bear in mind none of us are, whatever state we’re living in!
There was once a story about a wagon driver who fell asleep while leading his horses. His horses went on their own and landed in a deep pit. Suddenly the wagon driver woke up and saw that he was now stuck in a deep muddy pit.
He jumped off his carriage and started pulling and pulling but nothing helped, the wagon did not budge. People passed by and told him to bring a lift to pull the wagon out.
He listened and went to a nearby city to get a lift. The wagon was easily removed from the pit. Pleased with himself the wagon driver thought, “What do I need horses for? Horses need to be fed and cared for, yet in the end they abandon me, only the lift helped me!”
What did he do? He sold his horses and bought a lift. He placed his wagon on the lift and sat down but the wagon did not move…
They told him “This is not wise!!” the lift can only lift the wagon, but only horses can pull and go…
We just went through Ramadan, but that was only a lift. We need to occupy ourselves with a constant and regular schedule to be able to go on and be successful. Daily prayers, learning something new each day, to uplift ourselves and to be able to find our way to the right goal.
Let’s find a good coach and a good friend to teach us how.
By Binyamin Jadidi
Wulfruna Sufi Association wishes our Jewish brothers and sisters a happy, blessed and peaceful new year! May it herald a time of peace, conciliation and unity for the Jewish people and all humanity!
The Blessed Saint Mary (Maryam al-Muqaddasa) is a sensational film of the life of Saint Mary, the Virgin mother of Jesus, based on classical Islamic texts. The film begins with the birth of Mary and ends with the birth of Jesus, skilfully recreating the major events which Mary went through as well as that of Prophet Zachariah, Mary’s guardian and a righteous Prophet of God.
This two hour presentation is a glorious illustration and depiction of the lofty station held by Mary in Islam, as well as the great stature of Prophet Zacharias.
“To The Onlookers” by William Hayen
When our backs are turned,
when someone stares at us,
we feel them.
You who watched the killing, and did nothing,
still feel the eyes of those dead
on your bodies.
How many see you
as you pick a violet?
How many oak branches twist
into hands begging for help?
How many memories congeal
in the sun’s evening blood?
O the unsung cradlesongs
in the dove’s nightcries–
so many would have loved
their own stars in the night skies,
but now only the old well
can do it for them.
You did not murder,
but looked on, you,
who could have been changed
into light.
The narrative of history always represents the specific political and cultural biases of those who have power, and who want the past to fit into their vision of the present. Hardly offering an objective view of the past, history is cobbled together from tales needed to fit the contemporary political situation, either ignoring or remaking the past to fit in with the expediencies of the present.
The narrative surrounding the contemporary situation between Muslims and Jews, Israelis and Palestinians is no different. As the current political and even geographic situation is certainly dire, only those past tales that fit in neatly with the negative energy surrounding these two peoples are expounded upon. Suicide bombings and strafing retaliations only fit in with one particular reading of history: The most negative stories afflicting this relationship are told and re-told as justification for the ongoing hostilities.
This reading backward of current enmities into the past relationship between Jews and Muslims, however, only illuminates a small segment of a rich and often positive interrelationship between these two peoples. While there has been, of course, many negative events and even periods between Muslims and Jews, there have been as many, and perhaps even more positive accounts between these two peoples.
The open-minded practice of Sufism is known as a mystical system that can easily attract believers from other religions. Today, as in the past, Jews, Christians and followers of other religions have flocked to this practice, studying under Sufi masters and learning the Sufi Way. The Sufi chronicler Idries Shah has outlined past Sufi influence on St. Francis of Assisi, the Troubadours, St. Augustine, the Rosicrucians, Maimonides, the Jewish Kabbalah and a host of other medieval and modern religious movements.
While much of this contact is incidental or indirect – Sufism reached St. Francis, for instance, through the writings of a Jewish intermediary translated into Latin – there was a time of profound Sufi influence on the direction and thought of the mystics of the Jewish religion. Though it is buried beneath centuries of historical disregard and even outright denial, the fact remains that more than 700 years ago, Jewish leaders not only had a wide-ranging dialogue with Islamic mystics, but also borrowed liberally from them to bring an Islamic brand of piousness into medieval synagogue rites. In the 13th century, Abraham Maimonides, son of the great Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides, not only wrapped Islamic mystical practice into his view of Judaism, but also considered himself a Jewish Sufi, a practitioner of both Jewish and Islamic mysticism!
We wish all our brothers and sisters of the Jewish faith a happy and blessed Hanukkah! As you light the blessed Menorah, in prayer reverence and meditation, we contemplate the Light we share…
To mark Holocaust Memorial Day the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Trudy Bowen, will be attending a multi-faith service at the Cenotaph in the citys St Peter’s Gardens.
The service will take place at 10.15am on Sunday, 27 January, and will be attended by representatives from the different faith communities in Wolverhampton, as well as city councillors, ex-service organisations, the trades unions and pensioners’ organisations.
The Mayor, who will be accompanied by the Consort, Mr Paul Kalinauckas, will lay a wreath in memory of the victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution.
As a show of support for the event, the Mayor and Consort will later sign the Statement of Commitment, which was developed for the inaugural Holocaust Memorial Day national event in January 2001, and will invite others present to do the same.
The document calls for people to remember the Holocaust, educate future generations about what happened and to recognise that everyone has a responsibility to fight the evils of discrimination, racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism.
Members of the public are invited to attend the service at the Cenotaph.
Attending this event
- Where is the event being held?
- Cenotaph, St Peter’s Square, Wolverhampton
- When is the event being held?
- Sunday 27th January 2008 starting at 10:15
- How can I attend this event?
- People can just turn up
- What will it cost?
- none
- Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
