I believe certain Christian holy sites are being guarded by the Muslims. Actually, they all got along pretty well, and lived side by side as neighbors until the illegal state of Israel came along.
Indeed
That's something that isn't talked on often whenever it comes to seeing the many times/places Muslims and Christians have worked together...and Jews as well.
Christine Mallouhi, in her book
Waging Peace on Islam , (more
here,
here, here and
here ), shared the story of St. Francis of Assisi,
who during the height of the Crusades traveled to Egypt and visited the Sultan Kamil (the nephew of the great Islamic leader Saladin). Francis came in humility and peace, in contrast to the conquering Crusaders. His approach and attitude so impressed the Muslim Sultan that he invited Francis to send his Little Brothers throughout his territory. It is out of this experience that we have perhaps Franciss wisest counsel: Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words. He saw the dignity of God in every Muslim person. Such grace toward Muslims was radical in his day, and still is in ours..
As it concerns Christine, Ms. Mallouhi was a
Christian missionary to the Middle East for many years and writes that she found Muslim people to be the among the most compassionate and hospitable people she has ever known. Some Muslims even risked their own lives to protect her and her husband from their own Muslim governments. Their goal was to demonstrate the love of Jesus to Muslims and to convince them that Jesus was the way to God. They developed a deep love for their Muslim neighbors and many of their Muslim neighbors reciprocated that love.
There has always been times of great peace between Muslims and Non-Muslims. For other examples, I'm reminded of Saladin (Salah el Deen Ayyubi) and the Crusades. It was in response to the horrific oppression in Jerusalem at the hands of the Crusaders in the 11th century and the need to free the area of their control that Sultan Salah el Deen Ayyubi (Saladin) liberated Jerusalem from them in 1187.
His arrival brought relief for the local Christian population, who helped him, after the oppression they suffered at the hands of their co-religionists, the Crusaders. Not only did Saladin treat the Crusaders with kindness, he ensured that Muslims and non-Muslims lived in peace and harmony with each other.
For another, I'm reminded of what occurred on behalf of the Jewish people. The
Ottoman Empire is a good example of that....as well as other places. In the Ottoman Empire, Jews were often given great respect/influence, especially as it concerns trade and being merchants...and this is seen especially in the case of the Sephardic Jews. Many Jews found refuge and sanctuary in the Ottoman Empire...
Adding to that, although others today don't get along as in previous times, there are many who go against that...and I say that in light of the many who are Muslim supporters of Israel: Muslims who support self-determination for
the Jewish people, and a homeland for them in Israel. For more, one can go
here or here to
A Muslim Zionist or
The Zionist Imam. Some Muslim clerics, such as Sheikh Prof. Abdul Hadi Palazzi, Director of the Cultural Institute of the Italian Islamic Community, and Imam Dr Muhammad Al-Hussaini, believe that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and the establishment of the State of Israel, are in accordance with teachings of Islam (more
here ). Notable Muslims who publicly support Zionism include
Dr. Tawfik Hamid,
Tashbih Sayyed, a Pakistani-American scholar, journalist, and author, and the Bangladeshi journalist Salah Choudhury. Additional Muslim people who voiced public support for Israel included figures such as Irshad Manji, Salim Mansur, Abdurrahman Wahid, Mithal al-Alusi, Abdullah Saad Al-Hadlaq, Zuhdi Jasser and Khaleel Mohammed.
Abdul Hadi Palazzi, leader of Italian Muslim Assembly and a co-founder and a co-chairman of the Islam-Israel Fellowship, quotes the Qur'an to support Judaism's special connection to the Temple Mount. According to Palazzi, "The most authoritative Islamic sources affirm the Temples,". He adds that Jerusalem is sacred to Muslims because of its prior holiness to Jews and its standing as home to the biblical prophets and kings David and Solomon, all of whom he says are sacred figures also in Islam. He claims that the Qur'an "expressly recognizes that Jerusalem plays the same role for Jews that Mecca has for Muslims".
When asked what the Qur'an says about the State of Israel, Palazzi replied:
"The Qur'an cannot deal with the State of Israel as we know it today, since that State came into existing in 1948 only, i.e. many centuries after the Qur'an itself was revealed. However, the Qur'an specify that the Land of Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people, that God Himself gave that Land to them as heritage and ordered them to live therein. It also announces that - before the end of the time - the Jewish people will come from many different countries to retake possession of that heritage of theirs. Whoever denies this actually denies the Qur'an itself. If he is not a scholar, and in good faith believes what other people say about this issue, he is an ignorant Muslim. If, on the contrary, he is informed about what the Qur'an and openly opposes it, he ceases to be a Muslim
Of course, those Muslims actually being consistent in their views have gotten A LOT of persecution brought their way. In 2004, Sarah Nasser, a Muslim college student in Canada known for her pro-Israel views, received death threats after expressing support for the Jewish state's right to exist. "Being a supporter of the existence of Israel does not conflict with Islam, it complements Islam," she said. "The Koran does not have any verses that do not allow for the Jews to return to the Land of Israel (...) "I love Jews as I love true Muslims," she said. "Therefore, I believe Jews should have a right to live legitimately in their homeland." More on her thoughts can be seen here in
A pro-Israel Muslim speaks out
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