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Aziz Abu Sarah

04 February 2010

WASHINGTON, DC – In the last three decades, Palestinian identity has undergone tremendous changes. According to a UNDP poll published last April, 47 percent of residents of Gaza and the West Bank identify themselves first and foremost as Muslims. This is surprising, considering that the Palestinian community was once regarded as one of the most secular in the Arab world, and that three decades ago political Islam had a very limited role in the Palestinian national movement. Tellingly, the study also found that 80 percent of young Palestinians are chronically depressed, demonstrating a widespread belief that the future holds little hope for them.

The Hamas victory in the last Palestinian elections is only one of the latest signs that the community is looking for answers in a time of desperation, corruption and oppression. In their pursuit of change, Palestinian voters turned to Hamas hoping for honesty, inclusion and a vision for the future.

However, polling shows that many Palestinians grew disenchanted with Hamas soon after the elections, as Hamas failed to deliver on its promises for a unified Palestinian agenda. Many voices have been arguing that the Islamic leadership has failed and that religion should not play a role in Palestinian political life. This secular movement claims that religious groups like Hamas and radical Jewish groups are a big part of the problem and therefore should be eliminated from the political and civil process.

But while it is true that religious leaders and organizations have added fuel to the conflict, this doesn’t mean that a secular leadership is the only answer. On the contrary, religion can and must play a greater role in solving the problems faced by the Palestinian community.

There is ample historical precedent for the dual role that religion can play in shaping political ideology. In the United States, for example, the period before the Civil War was a time of anger and hopelessness, and then too religion was used to justify oppression and corruption. Religious and political leaders cited Judeo-Christian biblical arguments to teach slaves that they were inferior to whites, and churches and ministers led the effort to preserve slavery in the South. Baptist Reverend R. Furman spoke for many Southerners when he wrote that “The right of holding slaves is clearly established in the Holy Scriptures, both by precept and example.” Even Confederate President Jefferson Davis used the Bible to claim that slavery was established by heavenly decree. Nor did these beliefs end with emancipation: Christian theologians continued to support segregation, terror and racial attacks against blacks in the community well into the next century.

However, religious leaders were also the ones at the forefront of a massive movement toward emancipation and civil rights in the United States. Whites and blacks like Jonathan Daniels and Martin Luther King Jr. countered religious violence, ignorance and racism with a religious message of love, non-violence and activism. They didn’t turn against religion when religious leaders failed them but rather challenged the status quo on religion. It is well known that King Jr. used his church podium to preach a new message of hope.

In a similar way, although Islam has been used by many Palestinians to support violence and even justify corrupt political institutions, people have forgotten that Islam is also rich with scriptures of peace and compassion. Islam’s Prophet himself refused to fight for 13 years while in Mecca, teaching and preaching under oppression and torture.

In the Palestinian territories where many people are turning to religion, faith cannot be ignored and should not be handed over to the radicals. We must reject the idea that our political choices are limited to either religious extremism or a purely secular vision.

The time is ripe for a non-violent movement in the Palestinian community to rise up from the least expected places—from the mosques, the religious institutes and the Islamic centres. These places are often accused of being the birthplace of violence, but they can also be the birthplace of positive ideas for change. Faith-based non-violent movements have succeeded in the past to rally the multitude and change the political reality where it seemed impossible, and it can provide the same answers today.

Non-violent methods have already achieved some success in Palestinian villages such as Budrus, where both religious and secular Palestinians joined hands to resist the separation barrier which was slated to run through their land. Their protest was successful and the route of the barrier has been changed. However, the Palestinian non-violent movement is still divided and is mostly secular. I believe that the movement needs a moral and spiritual message of justice that can bind us together, and this cannot happen without the strong presence of religious leaders and religious members of the community. Just as Reverend King and Jonathan Daniels countered violent Christians with a different Christian theology to reclaim their religion and morals, Palestinians too must use religion as a force to unify rather than divide.

Freedom of religion doesn’t just mean the freedom to worship—it also includes the freedom to use religion constructively in motivating people to make positive changes in government. In a region where religion has been hijacked for extremist agendas, religion is an essential element for creating a better future. This is why Palestinians today have the opportunity to use religion to inspire the birth of a non-violent movement that can unify them in their pursuit of freedom.

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* Aziz Abu Sarah is the Director of Middle East Projects at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University at George Mason University, and a winner of the Eliav-Sartawi Award for Common Ground Journalism. His blog can be found at http://azizabusarah.wordpress.com. Email: azizabusarah@gmail.com. This article is part of a special series on freedom of religion in Israel and the Palestinian Authority and was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Palestine between religion and secularism by Aziz Abu Sarah 04 February 2010

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WASHINGTON, DC – In the last three decades, Palestinian identity has undergone tremendous changes. According to a UNDP poll published last April, 47 percent of residents of Gaza and the West Bank identify themselves first and foremost as Muslims. This is surprising, considering that the Palestinian community was once regarded as one of the most secular in the Arab world, and that three decades ago political Islam had a very limited role in the Palestinian national movement. Tellingly, the study also found that 80 percent of young Palestinians are chronically depressed, demonstrating a widespread belief that the future holds little hope for them.

The Hamas victory in the last Palestinian elections is only one of the latest signs that the community is looking for answers in a time of desperation, corruption and oppression. In their pursuit of change, Palestinian voters turned to Hamas hoping for honesty, inclusion and a vision for the future.

However, polling shows that many Palestinians grew disenchanted with Hamas soon after the elections, as Hamas failed to deliver on its promises for a unified Palestinian agenda. Many voices have been arguing that the Islamic leadership has failed and that religion should not play a role in Palestinian political life. This secular movement claims that religious groups like Hamas and radical Jewish groups are a big part of the problem and therefore should be eliminated from the political and civil process.

But while it is true that religious leaders and organisations have added fuel to the conflict, this doesn’t mean that a secular leadership is the only answer. On the contrary, religion can and must play a greater role in solving the problems faced by the Palestinian community.

There is ample historical precedent for the dual role that religion can play in shaping political ideology. In the United States, for example, the period before the Civil War was a time of anger and hopelessness, and then too religion was used to justify oppression and corruption. Religious and political leaders cited Judeo-Christian biblical arguments to teach slaves that they were inferior to whites, and churches and ministers led the effort to preserve slavery in the South. Baptist Reverend R. Furman spoke for many Southerners when he wrote that “The right of holding slaves is clearly established in the Holy Scriptures, both by precept and example.” Even Confederate President Jefferson Davis used the Bible to claim that slavery was established by heavenly decree. Nor did these beliefs end with emancipation: Christian theologians continued to support segregation, terror and racial attacks against blacks in the community well into the next century.

However, religious leaders were also the ones at the forefront of a massive movement toward emancipation and civil rights in the United States. Whites and blacks like Jonathan Daniels and Martin Luther King Jr. countered religious violence, ignorance and racism with a religious message of love, non-violence and activism. They didn’t turn against religion when religious leaders failed them but rather challenged the status quo on religion. It is well known that King Jr. used his church podium to preach a new message of hope.

In a similar way, although Islam has been used by many Palestinians to support violence and even justify corrupt political institutions, people have forgotten that Islam is also rich with scriptures of peace and compassion. Islam’s Prophet himself refused to fight for 13 years while in Mecca, teaching and preaching under oppression and torture.

In the Palestinian territories where many people are turning to religion, faith cannot be ignored and should not be handed over to the radicals. We must reject the idea that our political choices are limited to either religious extremism or a purely secular vision.

The time is ripe for a non-violent movement in the Palestinian community to rise up from the least expected places—from the mosques, the religious institutes and the Islamic centres. These places are often accused of being the birthplace of violence, but they can also be the birthplace of positive ideas for change. Faith-based non-violent movements have succeeded in the past to rally the multitude and change the political reality where it seemed impossible, and it can provide the same answers today.

Non-violent methods have already achieved some success in Palestinian villages such as Budrus, where both religious and secular Palestinians joined hands to resist the separation barrier which was slated to run through their land. Their protest was successful and the route of the barrier has been changed. However, the Palestinian non-violent movement is still divided and is mostly secular. I believe that the movement needs a moral and spiritual message of justice that can bind us together, and this cannot happen without the strong presence of religious leaders and religious members of the community. Just as Reverend King and Jonathan Daniels countered violent Christians with a different Christian theology to reclaim their religion and morals, Palestinians too must use religion as a force to unify rather than divide.

Freedom of religion doesn’t just mean the freedom to worship—it also includes the freedom to use religion constructively in motivating people to make positive changes in government. In a region where religion has been hijacked for extremist agendas, religion is an essential element for creating a better future. This is why Palestinians today have the opportunity to use religion to inspire the birth of a non-violent movement that can unify them in their pursuit of freedom.

###

* Aziz Abu Sarah is the Director of Middle East Projects at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University at George Mason University, and a winner of the Eliav-Sartawi Award for Common Ground Journalism. His blog can be found at http://azizabusarah.wordpress.com. Email: azizabusarah@gmail.com. This article is part of a special series on freedom of religion in Israel and the Palestinian Authority and was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

From France 24’s The Observers:

Last month, on the controversial Palestinian children’s program, “The Pioneers of Tomorrow”, a cartoon was aired (on the Hamas owned Al-Aqsa TV) ostensibly aimed at teaching kids Islamic values. The cartoon features a conversation between a Palestinian boy and a young Israeli Jewish settler. Through their dialogue and interaction, the Jewish settler learns to question everything negative he had been taught about Palestinians. The problem is that while the cartoon is designed to empower Palestinian children, it does so through the use of anti-Semitic stereotypes. This is not all together uncharacteristic for the Hamas run TV program: Past episodes of the show, for example, have shown a cute and cuddly rabbit who desires to kill and eat Jews. Yet, unlike previous shows, the message of this cartoon is less than clear: Is Hamas (in its unique way) calling for dialogue with the enemy, or is the organization using dialogue to perpetuate fear and mistrust? Have a look and decided for yourself:

[Below are my comments, along with Palestinian and Israeli peace activists Aziz Abu Sarah and Kobi Skolnick.]

Roi Ben-Yehuda: From an Israeli, Jewish and humanistic perspective, this is a disturbing cartoon. The faces of the Jews (who are all settlers) are evil looking: they have angular shapes, scowling eyebrows, and thin mouths. This is in contrast to the rounded facial features of the Palestinian boy, which make him look friendly and unthreatening. Moreover, the film uses some subliminal techniques to carry the anti-Semitic messages home. The opening close-up of the Jewish child, for example, appears (for a second) to have blood spilling from his mouth. While the older brother, with his red eyes and goatee, literally looks like Satan. The physical posture, vocal intonations and actions of the Jewish teacher and father clearly portray them as sinister and diabolical characters. All together, the cartoon depicts the Jews as fearful yet demonic figures who, on the one hand, believe it is necessary to fight against the evil Palestinians, and on the other hand, actually enjoy killing their neighbors. Ironically, this is exactly the type of negative misrepresentation the cartoon criticizes the Jews for originally engaging in vis-à-vis the Palestinians.

However, behind the anti-Semitic caricature of the Jews and the self-righteous image of the Palestinians, I do see a silver lining. Whether intentional or not, the cartoon is teaching Palestinian children that Jewish hatred is a consequence of learned fear, which could be overcome through dialogue (albeit one-sided) and positive experience. This is an important and valuable lesson – all the more so coming from an organization that has vigorously and violently disapproved of dialogue as a type of “normalization.” One can only hope that for the sake of consistency and peace, Palestinian children will grew up and turn a critical eye on the institutions that have spoon-fed them hateful and distorted images of Jews and Israelis.

Aziz Abu Sarah: The cartoon featured in the program starts with a positive message of encounter between an Israeli and a Palestinian child. However, while confronting Israeli stereotypes of Palestinians, the story quickly dissolves into Palestinian stereotypes of Israelis and self-righteous proclamations.

Such videos are aimed at socializing Palestinian children, imprinting a sense of injustice and providing warnings about “the enemy.” This is important because Palestinian children face a reality characterized by violence, death, separation, settlements, and soldiers. Hamas’ programs reflect this existence. Unfortunately, they also perpetuate and feed preexisting notions among Palestinian youth that an Israeli is either a soldiers or a settler. They also reinforce the Palestinian belief that Israeli Jews don’t desire peace but to destroy and kill Palestinians.

Palestinian children do not need self-aggrandizing messages about Palestinian existence in the face of suffering, and they do not need to internalize stereotypes about the depravity of Israeli Jews. Instead, they need to learn about the faults of both sides and the suffering of both sides. Just as the Palestinian boy in the cartoon tried to communicate his suffering to the Jewish boy, Palestinian children need to learn about Israeli suffering. Israeli children should also learn about Palestinian suffering, but Palestinians must realize that the self-righteous tones of the boy in the video will only hinder communication.

Kobi Skolnick: Watching this video I became sad because the way the adults taught hatred and violence to children in such a manipulative manner. Then, I felt encouraged by the fact that a dialogue was taking place. In addition, there was a hard look at the radical education that some children in both sides of the conflict still receive. Yet, this is my adult’s mind processing it, not that of a Palestinian child.

As I was thinking about cartoon, I flashbacked to my teenage years. A chill went through my bones but I let the images in. I was walking in the streets of Jerusalem with a black thick marker and wrote on the walls “Death to the Arabs” and “Long live Kahana” [an extremist Jewish leader who called for the expulsion of Arabs from historical Israel]. I was a young teenager looking for a strong identity and a sense of meaningfulness. I had no moral problem with Palestinians getting hurt and in fact had participated in such attacks. I had a strong enemy image of cruel Arabs killing children.

Yet, with time and experience, I had learned to break this image.

In both sides, the extreme communities are creating violent realities that sustain the enemy image of each other. As a result, the young generation is developing destructive moralistic judgments that continue the doctrine of just war. Clearly, Hamas’ manipulation of facts and labeling the Jewish people as bloodthirsty would result in more foot soldiers fighting “the enemy”, but at the same time would provide “the enemy” with more enemies — just a continuation of the vicious cycle of violence and self-fulfilling prophesies.

It is tragic to manipulate young children’s sense of compassion and honesty with self-destructive tendencies. Classifying people promotes violence not compassion. We need to teach children of both sides about the resolution of human conflict through means other than violence.

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By LAUREN GELFOND FELDINGER

JPost – Aziz Abu Sarah was seven when he saw television reports of Palestinians throwing rocks at IDF soldiers. It was 1987 and the first time he heard the word intifada. He wasn’t clear what the differences were between Palestinians and Israelis or Muslims and Jews, though the words were starting to echo through his home. The Palestinian uprising against Israel was just about to burst into his east Jerusalem neighborhood of Eizariya.

Aziz Abu Sarah.
Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski

At the time the village was small, with only a few hundred families. When his neighbors were suspected of joining the gangs of children and teenagers throwing stones at cars, buses or homes, Jewish neighbors would march into town in the hundreds with sticks, he remembers.

“They would come for revenge and we would run up on the roof to be safe. They would go house to house breaking windows, and we would call to each other from the roofs, reporting, ‘Now they are here, now they are there.’ We were lucky because we didn’t live close to the main road and had land around our house, so they never got to us, but I could see them and hear them, 200-300 meters away.”

By the time he was nine, Abu Sarah started packing an onion in his backpack. “It cleans your nose and can maybe save your life,” he explains. “I almost fainted a few times running away when Israeli soldiers were throwing tear gas.”

Over the following years of the first intifada, he would secretly join the rock throwers. And eventually – following tragedy after tragedy, including an intifada-related death in the family – he would join and then become a leader in the young vanguard of Fatah.

Abu Sarah, now 29, dedicated years of his young life to promoting violent resistance and revenge. Until he discovered a different way to fight for Palestinian rights. To read the full Portrait Click Here

Abu Sarah is now the director of ME projects at George Mason University.
Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski

Copyrights C.M Abu Sarah @ azizabusarah.wordpress.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Israel’s approval of hundreds of new housing units in East Jerusalem is currently generating uproar in the international community, as it should. However, as the media has clamored to cover the government decision, many missed yesterday’s demolition of two Arab houses in the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Issawiyah and Silwan.

I was visiting my parents’ home in Issawiyah yesterday when the trouble started. I walked outside, only to encounter hundreds of Israeli police and soldiers on every corner and roof in the neighborhood. It didn’t take me long to realize that a house was about to be demolished.

The soldiers had closed the entrances to the neighborhood to prevent media and protesters from accessing the demolition. But I was most struck by the soldier’s facial expressions. No one would have guessed from their expressions that they were about to leave two families homeless. Some of the soldiers were joking, laughing and having the time of their lives. I was taken aback. How can a human-being enjoy such a thing? Regardless of your political views, ethnic background and religious beliefs, leaving two families homeless should never be a source of joy. At the least, one might expect some amount of sobriety in response to the gravity of the situation.

Most families in the neighborhood had turned out to watch the demolition. Children seemed especially interested in the presence of the soldiers. I can only imagine what these kids thought of the event. Perhaps, like me in my childhood, their minds were racing with anger, hatred, and a growing desire to pay back these soldiers. I can’t help but think these kids are the best candidates for future extremists. No one should be surprised if any of those children turn out to be the next “terrorist.”

The best terror prevention is not walls, guns, and oppression. No one will experience true peace, freedom or security by inflicting suffering on others. The soldiers at the demolition yesterday are part of a larger ethos in Israeli and Palestinian society that rejoices in the suffering of others. We must learn to rejoice together and cry together rather than rejoice when they suffer and cry when they rejoice. Why? Because when we rejoice in the suffering of the other, we lose the core of our humanity and further inhibit a solution founded on dignity, freedom, and human life.

WASHINGTON, DC – The struggle for civil rights, freedom and independence is not unique to the Palestinian people. Many nations have travelled the same road. Palestinians today have the advantage of looking back and learning from those who succeeded in their struggles.

The American civil rights movement in particular has important lessons for those working to forge peace between Israelis and Palestinians. It succeeded in using non-violent strategies to bring about the end of legally sanctioned segregation in the United States. What principles can the Palestinians learn from the movement?

The civil rights movement in the United States based its struggle on messages that were hard to disagree with, even for those who did not identify with its aims and objectives. Prominent civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for instance, reminded the American people of one of the most basic principles in their constitution: “all men are created equal”. He highlighted the law of humanity and lifted it above man-made laws. He called any law or practice that denigrates human dignity or limits freedom unnatural and immoral, and said these laws shouldn’t be obeyed because they inspire a false sense of superiority in one race against another. He touched people’s hearts by reasoning with them and speaking their own language.

Dr. King appealed to the deepest consciousness of the American people. He invoked the highest standard of American values: the constitution and the writings of the founding fathers. Thus, his appeals reached millions of American people and resonated within their hearts and minds.

In the same way, Palestinians can reach the hearts and minds of the Jewish citizens of Israel by appealing to their hopes and fears, ideals and principles. But as Israel has no constitution, this means calling on the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish traditions.

By presenting Jewish morals, standards and beliefs in a new light, Palestinians can make their arguments more salient to Israelis. For example, the words of the prophet Isaiah are particularly resonant, especially as they are read during the Yom Kippur service: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?”

Moses’ cry to Pharaoh is also powerful: “Let my people go”. Moses was asking for freedom, and his words are sharper than any sword. It is a phrase that can reach the hearts of the Jewish community far more effectively than any angry slogan or threat.

Palestinians should also appeal to Israel’s democratic ideals. As Israel maintains a belief in liberty and self-determination, so should Palestinians insist that Israel live up to its own ideals. This means highlighting that true democracy cannot allow for the occupation and oppression of others.

In recent years, many Palestinians have chosen non-violence as a form of resistance, from weekly demonstrations against the Israeli separation barrier to economic and cultural boycotts. However the majority of activities have been unilateral or have failed to reach the mainstream Israeli public.

In America, the civil rights movement geared its campaign toward the large silent majority of white Christians. It is time for Palestinians and Jews who support freedom to do something similar, and call on Israel to uphold the principles it claims to espouse. This appeal should not just be made with words, but through non-violent actions aimed at evoking symbols that will reach every Israeli and Jew, from the soldiers at the checkpoints and the settlers in the West Bank to the businesspeople in Tel Aviv.

The Palestinian struggle shares many similarities with Jewish history. From its fight for existence to the Diaspora experience, Jews and Palestinians have both desired a secure and free homeland.

These struggles have been burdened by disappointment. Here we can also learn from the American Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King wrote in his letter from Birmingham Jail about his own disappointment, but he did not let his frustration distract him from his ultimate goal. Instead, he kept building bridges between people who were divided by walls of fear, racism and even hatred. He was sustained by a belief that he was not fighting a war that would be won or lost by conventional weapons, but a struggle for the triumph of humanity over extremism.

Palestinians, like King, should fight not only for freedom, but also for humanity to defeat separation and prejudice.

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* Aziz Abu Sarah is the Director of Middle East Projects at Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University at George Mason University. His blog can be found at http://azizabusarah.wordpress.com. Email: azizabusarah@gmail.com. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).