Palestinian author condemns Antisemitism
Palestinian author condemns Antisemitism
by Itamar Marcus
A Palestinian TV cultural program interviewed a Palestinian author who criticized the tendency to demand hatred of Jews.
Author Ounallah Abu Safieh: “Why now, in the present situation, do I hear that I have to hate the Jew because he is a Jew? No!”
[Official PA TV, March 14, 2016]
He argued that from a religious perspective, God is one and the source of all religion. He also argued that in the past, Jews, Christians and Muslims lived together and that Muslim leaders often had Jewish advisors:
“I also see that all of us are from one source, even the religions. Servant of the One God [the main character in Abu Safieh’s book, Ed.] has a theory about the matter of religious division. The source of religion is one, and what is added was created by man in his opinion. It is something that we men created, which caused one to be a Shi'ite, one to be a Sunni, one a Christian, and one a Jew. Originally He is one. As the source is one, what prevents me from praying in a church, or a mosque, each one according to his way? [...] Salah Al-Din's doctor was a Jew. In the kingdom of Muslim Spain, all of the advisors in Muslim Spain, the advisors of the kings and rulers were Jews, those in charge of the treasury and economy and information.”
The following is a longer excerpt of the PA TV interview with Palestinian author Ounallah Abu Safieh, condemning Antisemitism:
Official PA TV program Culture Talks, hosting author Ounallah Abu Safieh
Official PA TV host: "I would like to speak about the hero of your novel, Servant of the One God. He is a youth from Gaza, but he decided to marry a Jewish woman. According to our traditional way of thinking, marriage to a Jew is offensive, but what is amazing is the youth's logic, because he is essentially a servant of the one God, and he doesn’t see huge or significant differences between him and others, whether Christian or Jewish, or any type of person. Why did you choose to emphasize the concept of returning to the source, and that the source is one?"
Author Ounallah Abu Safieh: “As you noted previously, the world is trying to split us apart. For instance Europe, it has become one country, despite the differences between them, religious, linguistic, and cultural, and despite the wars that took place between them. They are one nation. For instance, America, despite its geographic size, several times that of the Arab world, is unified, even though it is 51 states. For instance the Soviet Union, or Federal Russia today, is a combination of several states with different languages. Why are we specifically sentenced to be divided? Why do we accept this? So that one will become president and another a king? I, as a cultured person, with a national awareness, my job is to preach that we need to unite. I also see that all of us are from one source, even the religions. Servant of the One God has a theory about the matter of religious division. The source of religion is one, and what is added was created by man in his opinion. It is something that we men created, which caused one to be a Shi'ite, one to be a Sunni, one a Christian, and one a Jew. Originally He is one. As the source is one, what prevents me from praying in a church, or a mosque, each one according to his way? Therefore he does not call himself a passer on of tradition, but a Sheikh, even though people look at him and say: 'I do not understand you. You pray in a mosque and a church and a temple, what is your religion?' He says: 'Religion is one, religion belongs to Allah.' He asks the one facing him: 'What is this?' and points to a church. He says to him: 'It is Allah's house. And the temple? Allah's house. And the mosque? Allah's house. He said to him: I pray in Allah's houses, and only to Allah. Therefore, we need to unite. The West and our enemy do not want us to unite. How will we win? By uniting.'"
Official PA TV host: "You think a man cannot be judged based on his religion? What is your personal opinion?"
Author Ounallah Abu Safieh: “No, I say the homeland is wide enough for everyone. [...]
In the days of the great Islamic state, in the days of Salah Al-Din [Muslim leader and Sultan of Egypt and Syria who defeated the Christian crusaders and conquered Jerusalem in 1187], Salah Al-Din’s doctor was a Jew. In the kingdom of Muslim Spain, all of the advisors in Muslim Spain, the advisors of the kings and rulers were Jews, those in charge of the treasury and economy and information. Why now, in the present situation, do I hear that I have to hate the Jew because he is a Jew? No!”
[Official PA TV, March 14, 2016]