Inter Religious Idiocy

JTA (Article by Eric Fingerhut July 23, 2009)

The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding sponsored a conference of Rabbis & Imams to promote ethnic understanding. At the end of the four days of meetings, including visits to New York City and Washington D.C. , a joint statement was issued. Selected excerpts are reproduced below. [Emphasis added.]

• We should explore together the commonalities in our faiths and traditions. We affirm here that we respect the sanctity of each other’s houses of worship and will stand together in case of an assault on either a mosque or a synagogue. We also stand in solidarity with each other in affirming that both Islamophobia and anti-Semitism are wrong and unacceptable, and we will fight against them together. Bigotry against any Jew or any Muslim is an attack on all Muslims and all Jews. In addition we are united in support of human rights for all peoples.

• We denounce all forms of violence in the name of any religion or ideology and will do everything we can to prevent the spread of extremism in the name of any faith—including our own.

• We feel sorrow and pain over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the great suffering it has brought to both peoples involved in that conflict. We pray for a non-violent resolution of that conflict that will allow both Palestinians and Israelis to live with dignity in peace and security. We have resolved to work together to strengthen Muslim-Jewish ties in our own countries and around the world. We will not allow future eruptions of violence in the Middle East to derail our efforts to strengthen Jewish-Muslim ties in Europe and North America because we understand that good Muslim-Jewish relations are necessary for the health of our own communities and our societies.

The condemnation of "Islamophobia" stands out as a token of idiocy or insincerity. Fear and loathing of Islam is not irrational, since 270*10⁶ innocent people have been slaughtered by Islam in the last 1400 years. Bigotry against Jews is founded in the Qur'an, including 1:7, 2:76, 3:64-65, 4:47, 9:30 & 98:6.

Denunciation of "all forms of violence in the name of any religion" stands out as a clear case of al-taqeyya. Jihad against Jews is mandated by Surah At-Taubah 29. Renouncing Jihad is an act of Apostasy punishable by death under Shari'ah. Refer to Reliance of the Traveller, O8.7-7.

Considering the Qur'anic mandate to make war upon Jews and the hadith which prescribes the final genocide as a prerequisite for Judgment Day, the prayer for non-violent resolution of the attempted reconquest of Israel rings hollow.