Middle East crisis: Political or religious? |
I have written previously that the Israel-Palestine conflict is not merely a political or territorial issue; it is fundamentally religious.
The Zionists aim to establish Greater Israel. In my 1992 book The Testament of Truth, in the chapter “Democratic Palestine,” I proposed that Jews, Christians and Muslims could share a democratic Palestine with representation in government based on parliamentary proportion. Similar arrangements work in Lebanon and Nigeria. Yet Israel has rejected all democratic solutions, violating the UN Two-State Resolution. Following the agenda of Herzl Theodore, Israel acts aggressively to create a Greater Jewish State, annexing holy Muslim lands.
The Zionists are extremists, cunningly winning support from some Christians and Jews by portraying Muslims as anti-Christ or anti-Moses, while moderate Jews oppose them. The Quran, however, gives great respect to Moses and Jesus. In my book The Message of Islam (2004), I explained that Islam honours these prophets. Verses in Surah Al-Baqarah (62) and Surah Al-A’araf (159) praise the righteous among Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. Surah Ale Imran (33–61) glorifies Mary and Jesus, affirming Jesus as a righteous prophet. Islamophobia is thus a fabricated prejudice, while Islam promotes peace, justice, equality and humanity.
The present Middle East crisis reflects these tensions. As North Carolina writer Ms. Linda Barto highlighted, vast sums of American taxpayers’ money are directed toward war. Meanwhile, ordinary Americans face economic hardship, unable to pay mortgages or medical fees. The nexus between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu is dangerous for world peace, as both promote violence and fuel religious hatred.
The Israeli attacks on Gaza—massacring women, children and youth, destroying homes, schools, hospitals and markets—are not political actions; they are religiously motivated. Moderate Jews and the wider Christian community have condemned these atrocities. Some Christian hardliners misinterpret scripture, believing Greater Israel will herald Jesus’ return, but such notions lack Biblical support.
The solution is clear: implement the UN Two-State Resolution—two independent states, Israel and Palestine. America must pressure Israel to cease violence and adhere to international law. Escalating conflicts, including the Israel-Iran tensions, have already caused global economic instability and risk Third World War if unchecked. World leaders must prioritize peace over familial or political ties. Trump and Netanyahu’s policies undermine democracy and humanity; they are war criminals in effect.
American presidents, including Joe Biden, have supported Israel, at times claiming Zionist alignment. This is ethically and religiously questionable. Islam respects Jesus; Muslims are not antagonistic toward Christians or Jews. Only by following UN resolutions and promoting religious tolerance can peace be secured. Nobel recognition should honour peacemakers, not war mongers.
—The writer is a contributing columnist, based in New York.