Clarification and Disclaimer
I am therefore writing this as a clarification of what has been misinterpreted as antisemitism and hate speech, and as a disclaimer with regards to my personal views for future reference.
Firstly: The accusations against me are based on decontextualizing what I said and sheer ignorance of commonly used idiom in the Arab and Muslim world, and are therefore disingenuous, mala fide and libelous.
The khutbahs (sermons) and articles that were cited were all in the context of Israel’s military invasion of Gaza in 2008 and 2014, both illegal military operations where gross violations of international law and human rights took place, something attested to by the international community (for example, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights criticized Israel’s military operation on the basis of the strong possibility that international law had been violated).
My statements were made in a certain context, when innocent civilians, including women and children in Gaza were being bombed indiscriminately. So, when I made those particular statements of condemnation, it was – by context – clearly referring to those specific entities who were carrying out the indiscriminate bombing, not innocent civilians, men, women or children who belong to the Jewish community in general. This is something well known to anyone who is familiar with Arab or Muslim culture. In the context of the Palestinian issue, the term, “Yahud”, is widely used in the Arabic-speaking world to refer to “Israeli forces” or the “Israeli occupation”. In this particular modern, geopolitical context, it is not used as a sweeping reference to all ethnic and religious Jews at all.
Secondly: There is a clear difference between antisemitism and opposing the imperialist policies of a particular state or country. Antisemitism is hostility to or prejudice against Jews as a race or people. On the other hand, the right to disagree with the politics of any country or condemn the violence perpetrated by it upon civilians is a fundamental part of our freedoms, in addition to being a moral imperative. To criticize the imperialist policy of a particular country that has led to the illegal occupation of another and the indiscriminate bombing of innocent civilians cannot be labeled as antisemitism. An anti-imperialist critique, when it comes to the state of Israel, is not inherently antisemitic – and claiming it is, uses Jewish suffering to erase Palestinian suffering (these sentiments are also shared by certain Jewish groups, like “Independent Jewish Voices Canada” and “Jewish Voice for Peace”, as well as prominent Jewish intellectuals like Dr. Noam Chomsky and Dr. Norman Finkelstein).
As such, any statement in which I mentioned, “Jews”, was specifically referring to imperialist entities that take part in or support the persecution and killing of innocent Palestinian civilians. It does NOT refer to all Jews in general at all. These statements were only expressions of condemnation and did NOT, in any way, imply, encourage or call to any form of bigotry or violence against any individual from any community.
The position I adhere to in this regard is the position outlined in the Qur’an; that the Jewish people (just like any other community) are to be treated as individuals. Allah says about the Jews and the Christians:
{ لَيْسُوا سَوَاءً ۗ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ }
“Yet they are not all alike: there are some among the People of the Book who are upright, who recite Allah’s verses throughout the night, prostrating [in prayer].” [Aal ʿImran 3:113]
Moreover, the Qur’an has granted Jews, along with Christians, the honorific title of, “The People of the Book”, which entails specific rights and privileges.
It is also important to highlight here the historic relations between Muslims and Jews, which stem from the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), where he afforded the Jewish community rights and responsibilities as co-inhabitants of the city of Medina alongside the Muslim community and did not stereotype them based on their race or religion.
History testifies to these Quranic and Prophetic principles throughout the subsequent centuries of Muslim rule, where Muslims stood up to defend Jews and gave them refuge from those who persecuted them. For example, during the waves of persecution they faced all over Medieval Europe, many Jews found refuge in Muslim lands, such as during the aftermath of the Spanish Inquisition, when Jews were expelled from Spain and found sanctuary in Ottoman lands. Moreover, in Muslim lands, no laws or social barriers restricted their commercial activities, so Jews who moved there found themselves free to engage in any profession as opposed to the general situation in Europe where such restrictions were still in force.
Thirdly: The theme of the article that was cited against me from my website was about how vital it is to follow scripture. In fact, I actually began by criticizing both sides, beginning with my fellow Muslims in Palestine for that very same point, i.e. their negligence in following the guidance within their own scripture.
Continuing in that same vein, what I referred to after that, towards the end of the article, were characteristics the Qur’an uses to describe only those from amongst the Jews who had disobeyed the teachings of their own Jewish Prophets and acted in ways that opposed their own scripture, the Torah. This is completely at odds with the claim that this is antisemitic or anti-Jewish when those who are described thus are being criticized by the Qur’an, not for being Jewish by race or religion, but only for how they acted as individuals, for not obeying those very same Prophets and Scriptures that they themselves owned; Jewish Prophets like Moses, David, Solomon and many others, all of whom Islam also recognizes and reveres as its own.
The intent behind this was to draw parallels between these unprophetic and unscriptural stances taken by those who, according to the Qur’an, violated the guidance in the religious scriptures of Judaism on the one hand, and the indiscriminate violence wrought upon Palestinian civilians by Israeli forces on the other.
As a theologian, the consistent theme in my sermons and articles directed towards my fellow Muslims is about returning to the true spirit and meaning of scripture. This is often illustrated by giving examples from the Qur’an which condemn Muslims who don’t follow scripture in the harshest of terms. In this case, I was giving exactly the same message that I give to my own fellow Muslims, but to the forces bombing and killing women and children in Palestine, by quoting what the Qur’an says about those of their people who didn’t follow the guidance in their own Jewish scriptures.
What is important to note here is that the part of my article that was selectively cited, only comprised of texts and passages that I quoted directly from the Qur’an and that these were not my own words or personal views. I firmly believe that theologians of all religions should have the right to quote directly from their scripture without fear or persecution as this is a part of basic Canadian values, especially the value of freedom of religion.
It is regrettable that the mis-characterization of my sermon by taking it out of context and the accusation that the points mentioned in my article were, “antisemitic canards” being “repeated by me”, without mentioning the fact that they were actually verses of the Qur’an, verbatim, shows a deliberate agenda to malign me and represents a lack of integrity in reporting the facts.
And Allah is the source of all strength.
Kamil Ahmad,
21st of Ramadan 1441