Islamic Attitude Towards Judaism - Tel Aviv University Interfaith Encounter on 15th July 2008:

On July 15th the Interfaith Encounter Association's students' group in Tel Aviv University hosted two special guests from the Science and Research Foundation, founded by the Islamic thinker Harun Yahya – Istanbul, Turkey. The two lecturers presented their view of the good attitude of Islam towards Judaism.

First spoke Dr. Oktar Babuna who spoke about the fact that the Koran sees faithful Jews as believers who submit to God, just as Muslims. The Koran (5:44) acknowledges the divinity of the Torah and allows for Muslims to befriend with Jews and eat their food.

Radicalism, which is the wish to promote significant and abrupt change through hard line and uncompromising policy, existed in all three religions and was always a result of lack in real religious education.

The Islamic moral forbids extremism. Any one who kills one human is as if he killed the whole of humanity. The real roots of extremist approaches are in anti-religious and materialistic views.

The way to counter extremism is through cooperation of the Abrahamic religions to promote the faith in God and the morals that is derived from that faith. There are, of course, differences between the religions – due to differences in nature and circumstances – but the common basic principles are a strong enough basis for joint improvement of the world. Such common principles are for example: prayer and its power, promotion of justice, support of God in his believers etc.

The Koran (3:64) calls Jews for cooperation in the promotion of the faith in one God. Jews, Muslims and Christians should be living in peace and joint prosperity (Koran 5:69 and 3:64).

Followed Dr. Cihat Gundogdu who stressed that there is no such thing as "Islamic terrorism"; since there is no way to reconcile the Holy Book of the Koran with terrorism, even though some terrorists carry a Muslim identity.

In all three religions, killing of innocent is a crime that brings torment in Hell. The religions encourage love and compassion, while terrorism comes from secular ideologies.

Karen Armstrong, in her book "The True, Peaceful Face of Islam, stresses that the word "Jihad" does not mean "Holy War", but rather a struggle. A struggle of the human with his urges.

Ramuz el Hadith Vol. 1, 8/48 says that even in war it is forbidden to hurt elderly people, women or children. In 76/12 it adds: not even trees or houses.

Suicide is strictly forbidden by Islam (Koran 4:29).

The Koran calls for respect to Synagogues as well as Churches (22:10).

 

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