The three religions in Israel share not only a common theistic faith but also a common biblical heritage. Moses, is for example mentioned no less than 79 times in the New Testament and 162 times in the Koran, Jesus have a whole chapter in the Quran. Musa We prefer you on the other, Musa, peace be upon him and prayers (from the Quran).
From the above it seems that everything is fine and in perfect condition but, religious fanaticism has a long history but, blessed be the peacemakers, with long periods of reprieve. Its present phase can be traced to its rebirth or, more accurately, to its assisted birth during the period of Cold War as a countervailing ideology against the “godless” creed of communism. The religious forces in the Judeo-Christian and Muslim world were mobilized to face a common enemy together. That collective religious fanaticism. The Alliance of Abrahamic religions, despite many tensions, did work as a powerful tool against the common enemy, Having no common enemy in sight the forces of fanaticism turned against each other.
Even so the Abrahamic religions have a long history of clash and conflict that makes them easy prey for manipulation by religious fanatics and political opportunists. In this long history of conflict the past two decades happen to be the worst since the 13th century.
Not hard to mark those responsible for this extreme like the TV channels, magazines, newspapers, publishing houses – and authors, preachers and televangelists, whose business it is to sell and spread religious hatred. Once injected it spreads like an insidious disease, and is all the more dangerous for that very reason.
For my opinion is that The policy makers in the Judeo-Christian and Muslim societies have yet to fully grasp the truth that the religious extremists in the two camps pose a threat not so much to each other as to their own societies. And not only to the interfaith harmony but also to the rational and humanist worldview within every society.
The residents from the three religions stands helplessly by for it has not yet realized that the clash is not so much between good and evil as between two irrational forces, each against the other and both against Reason.
My vision is to see Jerusalem as a place that belongs to all nations and religions, a place that is not controlled by any cause not religious, not political, to be conducted by a committee consisting of three sectors, being a place of prayer, belief, pilgrimage, and only for this purpose.
Thank you for an enlightening post!
ReplyDeleteDespite being a non-religious (or irreligious ?) person I've always been interested in and fascinated by the history of different religious. I even dabbled in Baha'i faith and Jehovah's Witness in my youth. The more I learned and read about different religions, the more I realised how many of them share common symbolism, rituals and customs. As Baha'i followers would say, they are all different paths leading to the same G-d. What I could never understand - if religion has a place in modern society - how come the leaders of different religions don't come together and do something to promote peace and reconcile the differences between "their people"?
I found your blog interesting. I also hope that religious wars will stop, and that extremists will defeated!
ReplyDeleteInteresting topic!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this with us.