Is there Justice in the world?

If I would’ve thought about a possible solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict 10 years ago or before 2000, a two state solution based on prior to 1967 borders with the right to return based on UN resolutions would’ve possibly been my answer. Today, a solution for the conflict is very hard to vision. The facts that Israel has worked intensively on implementing the past decade destroyed almost any possibility to resolve the conflict through negotiations and based on previous agreements.

Almost 20 years of negotiations between the Palestinian leadership and the Israeli government did not lead us to become even near reaching a peace agreement. Unfortunately, Palestinian leaderships were willing to give up more and more of the Palestinian people’s rights in order to achieve a peace agreement and resolve the conflict. Today, the Palestinian people realized that the Israeli governments have no intention and never even had one before to reach any agreement or recognize the Palestinian people’s rights.

Negotiations between an occupier who has all the military and financial power and leadership under occupation with no power with the mediation of an unfair and bias third party will definitely result in failure and oppressing the occupied group’s rights.

When I look at the situation we are in today, I realize that negations will not lead us anywhere. Instead mass popular resistance against occupation and colonization and the apartheid policies of Israel is the best path to follow by the Palestinian people to gain their rights back. Nonviolence resistance similar to that approached in South Africa against the apartheid regime has been introduced and increasingly approached by the Palestinian people in the occupied land and around the world. This will pressure Israel and the Western governments that blindly support it to recognize that oppressed people must gain their rights back and no military power could stop these people from resisting.

Resistance against occupation and oppression is a right granted to each human being in the Declaration of Human Rights. One must remember when judging on any type of resistance that it is a result of the occupation. I personally may not agree with armed resistance against civilians or the use of force against any human being, but let’s look at the factors behind some peoples approach to use these methods and resolve these factors which will definitely end all kinds of violence.

A two state solution based on UN resolutions and international law may still have a chance to bring peace to the region, but the main issue here is that from the actions we witness today by Israel there is no intention to reach such an agreement. Looking towards the future, I personally feel that the two state solution will soon no longer be an option and Palestinians as well as Israeli who believe in peace and want to end this ongoing conflict should work together and approach a one state solution for everyone. Palestinians and Israelis, Muslims, Christians and Jews could live together under one secular democratic state where each person is granted right to vote and live as equal with one another. The reminder would be the right to return which is non-negotiable only the refugees have the right to choose their destinies and future.

This map is self explanatory and I would like to leave it to you decide on the future of this land should be!! Does this map bring any hope for peace?

Chapters 14-18

Although Jerusalem is known as the city of peace, learning about its history may prove that this statement is not true. Throughout its history, the city was not able to enjoy a long lasting peace period. People from different religions and different regions from around the world always wanted to take control of the city and always used religion as their reason for doing so. This always ended up in the suffering and oppression of the other groups living in the city even before the arrival of the conquerors of each period.

We see that the only time that the people of the city were actually able to live in peace and harmony was when the leaders or rulers of the city accepted and acknowledged the rights of the others to live in the city and practice their religions freely. History has always proven that no matter how strong a leader or country becomes, it will eventually fall apart if it is not built on justice and freedom.

I feel like I have no doubt today that the Palestinian- Israeli conflict in Palestine and Jerusalem is not a religious conflict and that all religions are innocent from those who use it to justify killing and oppressing and taking other people’s rights.

Throughout the last chapters, Armstrong stops at many very important periods since the creation of the Zionist movement through the 1900’s and the creation of Israel and the Catastrophe of the Palestinian people. Although she passes by many important dates and events without mentioning them or discussing them, I felt that she was able describe the roots of today’s conflict in a fair way.

An interesting point that she mentioned was that the founders of the Zionist were influenced by Marxism and socialism and were not religious people. She did not mention that in the initial stages of forming this movement, the founders were debating on choosing the location where they shall build the state of Israel and Palestine was one of the options they had. My point here is to argue that this movement was not based on religious beliefs and that religion was a cover they decided to use in later stages to justify the displacement, colonization and ethnic cleansing of an entire nation. Armstrong also points out that the movement even used the Holocaust and the suffering of the Jewish people from the Nazi’s to achieve their goals.

I think that this Holy city will not be able to enjoy peace again until it is able to find a just and brave leader who is willing to treat all people and religions in the city equally. History has witnessed many great leaders such as Salah Al-Din and Omar Ibn Al-khatab who accepted the rights of the other religions to exist in the city and were able to bring peace to it and maintain it. We have also seen many others who had so much greed and hatred to towards others and did not bring to the city anything other than destruction and hate.

The Covenant of Omar

The full text of the Covenant of Omar:
http://www.alzaytouna.net/arabic/?c=1596&a=95175

Islam.. A Religion of Peace

Islam is considered by many westerns as a threat on their countries and religions. If these people just give some time to read about Islam and understand this great religion they will realize that they were misunderstanding it or mislead by the political propagandas against Islam. Prophet Mohammad had a universal message calling people to worship only God and no one else. His message was not a message against Judaism or Christianity, it was a message based on the pervious prophets and their messages. It teaches people how to respect each other and live peacefully together under one God.

Prophet Mohammad asked Muslims to have Jerusalem as their first kiblah or direction when praying. At the time, the people living in Jerusalem were mainly Jews and Christians and Islam hadn’t yet reached the holy city. This proves that even though Muslims weren’t there it was still a holy place and that if a Christians or Jews are living in it that doesn’t make it any less holy. My point here is that if you believe in the holiness of a place, it does not matter if you are controlling it or someone else is, it should still be holy for you. If a Moslem is praying in a room, and someone from a different belief prays next to him in the way he believes in, this doesn’t mean that any or both people’s prayers were not accepted just for the fact that someone from a different faith is next to them.

The story of Caliph Omar Ibn Al-khatab and the well known Covenant of Omar is a topic I’ve been learning about since I was in elementary school. In the Islamic religion classes, almost every year starting from first grade up to high school, we used to learn about Caliph Omar and his Covenant and governance of Jerusalem and the Islamic State. His covenant shows the great respect that Islam has for Jesus and his message. It shows how people must respect each other and other faiths and religions in order to live safely in peace and harmony. I’m originally from a city called Al-Bireh which is next to Ramallah and today both cities are considered as one city for the dependence on each other. Al-Bireh is a Moslem city and Ramallah is a Christian city. Both cities have a shared history and very similar traditions. The Covenant of Omar always remembers people how they should respect each other’s believes and rights to live in this land. If a person has any doubt that people from different faiths can ever live with each other in harmony and without discrimination or conflicts, I encourage them to visit the cities especially during the holidays. In the holy month of Ramadan, both cities celebrate the month together and respect those fasting every day during the month. During Christmas, both cities are decorated and celebrate the birth of Jesus together in the same festivals and walks.

When the Aqsa mosque was built by Caliph Omar, he respected the areas holiness to Jews and allowed them to continue on going and praying in the area where the Temple was believed to be. All people around the world and not just Muslims should read about Caliph Omar and learn from him. We should all learn how we should respect each other.

Even before Caliph Omar, when prophet Mohammad went to Medina were Jewish tribes lived, he gave them protection that no one will harm them and they will be free to live their lives and practice their religion as long as they did not harm the others.

Questions to Ms. Mariam Said

Questions to Ms. Mariam Said:
1) Today, after almost 20 years of negotiations and peace talks between the Israeli Governments and the PLO, do you believe that we are moving forward towards achieving peace and justice to the region?
2) Is the Barenboim Said Foundation a pure music and arts institution or does it also have a political message and goal?