Jewish Rabbis Maintain Friendship with Muslim Sheikh
Feb 1, 2011
A delegation of anti-Zionist Orthodox Rabbis met today with the well-known Muslim
scholar, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, at his office in Doha, Qatar, where they were
warmly received by the 84-year old sheikh.
The Rabbis presented the sheikh with a beautiful hand-made silver vase containing
an impressive bouquet of flowers. On the vase was inscribed in Arabic: "To
His Eminence Scholar Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, from the anti-Zionist world Jewry
movement."
The Jewish delegation also presented the sheikh with a framed picture of their
previous meeting on May 1, 2008.
The sheikh opened the half-hour long meeting by recalling his old friendship
with Orthodox Jews. What follows is a rough transcription of the dialogue between
the sheikh and Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, spokesman for Neturei Karta International
- Jews United Against Zionism.
Sheikh Qaradawi: I remember when I visited London [on July 15, 2004] and the
Zionists started a propaganda campaign against me, and you stood up and told
the press that it was wrong. A delegation from your community even accompanied
me to the airport. I also remember your last visit to me here in Doha in May
2008, when you presented me with a clock, which now hangs in my house.
Rabbi Weiss: Yes, when the Zionists demanded that Your Eminence not be allowed
into England, we told the press that it was a great mistake to see the sheikh
as anti-Semitic. The sheikh is our friend, and the friend of the Jewish people.
Thank the Almighty, it was successful.
The great tragedy is that Zionists carry out their actions in our name. They
hijack our identity. The world is not aware that authentic Jews are completely
opposed to them.
Rabbi Weiss showed the sheikh pictures of Jews around the world protesting against
Zionism: in Washington, during Israeli leader Netanyahu's visit with President
Obama; in New York City, in London, in Canada and in Jerusalem, Palestine.
Rabbi Weiss: Everywhere they want to stop us, but they can't. In the Holy Land,
the Zionists murderously beat anyone who stands up against them. If not for these
persecutions, many more thousands of Jews would come out into the open and protest
against them.
Many Jewish communities around the world, including Jerusalem, Palestine, are
very pained over the suffering people in Gaza and the oppressed people of Palestine.
We are frustrated that the world doesn't see our pain over Palestine. The media
doesn't publicize our opposition to Zionism. That is why it is so important that
it should be seen and known about."
The rabbi displayed a picture of a delegation of Jews representing the anti-Zionist
Jewish communities of America, Canada, England and occupied Palestine, visiting
the besieged Gaza Strip, carrying medical supplies. They met with Palestinian
Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.
Rabbi Weiss: The Jewish belief is that Jews were sent into exile at the time
of the destruction of the Temple by Heavenly decree, not due to their physical
weakness. Jews were commanded not to countermand the Almighty's decree, and they
indeed obeyed this command for the past two thousand years.
Our ultimate hope and prayer is that the Almighty alone should bring about a
spiritual change in the world, without any human effort. Then the Almighty will
be recognized as king by the entire world, and all of mankind will join together
to serve Him with their whole hearts.
But if someone comes and tries to force the redemption with physical effort,
it is nothing but falsehood and treason against the Almighty's kingdom. The redemption
will only take place in a supernatural way, a spiritual happening, celebrated
by all and not a criminal State. Therefore, Zionist claims that their state is
the first step toward the redemption are patently false.
That is why it is forbidden by the Torah to found and maintain a Jewish state,
even on an empty piece of land. But now that the Zionists have made their state
in Palestine, an inhabited land, they have transgressed many other serious prohibitions
of the Torah, such as "Thou shalt not murder" and "Thou shalt
not steal."
The Zionist movement is only about 100 years old. They hate our religion and
attempt to desecrate defile everything that's holy. They use Jewish symbols and
call themselves a Jewish state, in order to intimidate all who speak out against
them, calling them anti-Semites.
When the sheikh stands up and speaks out against Zionism, they accuse him of
being an anti-Semite. They always want to portray Muslims as hating Jews.
But we know that not only the sheikh is a friend of Jews, but that in all generations
Jews lived in peace among Muslims. Jews fleeing persecution were warmly received
in the Muslim lands. There was no United Nations or human rights groups then
to protect them, nevertheless Jews lived in peace. Jewish communities flourished,
and some of the greatest rabbis in history emerged from those countries.
Sheikh Qaradawi: Muslims have never had anything against Jews. They have always
respected Jews. When the Jews were expelled from Spain, they found refuge in
Muslim countries. There they could live together in peace. In my books I write
that the Muslim religion is very similar to the Jewish religion. We both believe
in the Oneness of the Creator. We don't worship idols. Not only in belief are
we similar, but in practice as well. Muslims practice circumcision, and so do
Jews. Muslims eat only animals that were ritually slaughtered, and so do Jews.
And Muslims and Jews are both prohibited to eat pork.
Rabbi Weiss: It is a real naqba, a real tragedy for us, that instead of remembering
our peaceful coexistence in the past, the Zionists say that Muslims are our enemies.
G-d teaches us in the Torah that we must show gratitude to those who helped us.
But instead of being grateful to the Muslims for giving us a safe haven throughout
our exile, they build a wall between our peoples. Moreover, they do so in our
name.
The Zionists want Muslims to hate Jews. They want as much bloodshed as possible,
because that gives them the excuse to say that they need a state to protect themselves.
The truth, however, is that Muslims don't hate Jews. All the unrest in Palestine
and the Middle East is due to the existence of the Zionist state. Zionism and
its State are the root cause of the bloodshed of both Jews and Arabs, and the
reason for the animosity and mistrust between these two peoples. We need only
to remove the Zionist State from the picture – with the Almighty's help peacefully
– and then Jews and Muslims will once again be able to live together in peace
in Palestine and in the other Muslim countries.
We always try to meet with Muslim leaders and clarify to them the tremendous
difference between Judaism, which is a religion, and Zionism, which is a nationalism
- the difference between the People of the Book, the Jews, who worship the Creator,
and the Zionists, who are only interested in pursuing their political ambitions.
Around the world, including Occupied Palestine, the more religious that Jews
are, the more anti-Zionist they are. We want to make clear that all the Zionists'
actions are not done in the name of the Jewish people, and that our hearts are
pained and filled with sympathy for the plight of Palestine.
Sheikh Qaradawi: You have to publicize this information more.
Rabbi Weiss: We view the Zionists as greater enemies of the Jews than of anyone
else, because according to the Torah, causing another person to sin is worse
than killing him. They attempt to uproot the souls of the Jewish people from
their connection to the Almighty and to transform their Judaism, from a religion,
a subservience to the Almighty, into nationalism and materialism.
As an example, Jews are commanded strictly regarding modesty and the Torah forbids
alternative lifestyles. Yet the Zionists hold gay pride marches regularly in
the holy city of Jerusalem. They beat and oppress authentic Jews in the Holy
Land. For the sake of archaeology and development (highways and hotels etc.),
they dig up ancient cemeteries where holy Jewish sages lie buried. No one talks
about these things; they aren't covered in the media. We humbly ask of Your Eminence,
perhaps Your Eminence could condemn these things in your public addresses and
stand up for us? This would be very helpful to us.
Sheikh Qaradawi: You would have to make newsletters in Arabic for me to use.
Rabbi Weiss: I would like to express what a great privilege and honor it was
for our delegation to meet with the esteemed sheikh. May the Almighty bless Your
Eminence with long healthy and happy years, so that Your Eminence should be able
to promote the fear of the Almighty, righteousness and peace, in order to bring
real peace to the world. May we Jews and Muslims once again live side by side
peacefully in a free Palestine and a free Gaza, as well as in all the other Muslim
countries.
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