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Last update - 00:00 12/10/2008
This year, this Jew is embracing jihad
By Bradley Burston
Tags: Bradley Burston, Islam 

Click here for more from Bradley Burston

The Jewish High Holidays are a time for reassessing preconceptions, redressing misconceptions, and making personal decisions for the better.

This year, this Jew is embracing jihad.
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"... jihad does not mean war in the Koran, as there are other words for it, like qital and harb," Islamic scholar Asghar Ali Engineer wrote
this month. "Jihad has been used in the Koran in its root meaning, i.e. to strive and to strive for betterment of society, to spread goodness (maruf) and contain evil (munkar)."

"There are four most fundamental values in the Quran. i.e. justice ('adl), benevolence (ihsan), compassion (rahmah) and wisdom (hikmah) ... Terror attacks are a gross violation of all these Islamic rules [on the conduct of warfare] and there is no way these attacks can be characterised as jihad."

As Asghar Ali Engineer goes on to note, revenge attacks, and doing harm to all non-combatants, especially women, children and the elderly, are directly contrary to Islam.

In this new century, the first of a new millennium, no word has attained more force nor been associated with more horror than jihad. Because of its perversion by the mass-murderers and blasphemers of radical Islam, not only the concept of jihad, but Islam as a whole, have been grievously defamed.

In the West, Islam has been treated as pestilence, the most moderate and peace-loving of its adherents suspected and at times persecuted as sleeper-cell terrorists.

The essence of humanity is the ability to get beyond the external, and see to the heart of the person who may be cloaked in unfamiliar religious garb or cultural costume.

The most profound proof of God's existence, I believe, is the fact that every group, race, geography, or faith notwithstanding, has within it its share of feral hotheads, bigots and thugs, alongside people of saintly generosity, constructive wisdom, life-affirming humor and contagious grace.

As this Jewish New Year approached, my Jewish neighbors and our neighbors in the Arab village down the road found ourselves quietly delighted to be able to wish each other a happy holiday at the same time.

In a rare confluence, the Muslim holiday of Eid al Fitr and the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashana coincided at the end of September.

I decided to take it as a sign. I thought about it in earnest when, during the fast of Yom Kippur 10 days later, rumors began to circulate about Arabs and Jews carrying out pogroms against one another in the northern town of Acre.

I have decided to take on a jihad of my own. A New Years resolution, if you will. Eight years into this accused century and this benighted millennium, I want to make a new start. I want to root out the vengeance I feel as a resident of this region and this world.

May I learn to discern the real villains of this world, and counteract the epidemics of anger and hatred they spawn, propagate, and feed on. May I learn to delineate between those who must be fought and defeated, and those who despise them, but may look just like them.

In the course of the blood-fire that overtook Jews and Arabs in Acre, we received the following talkback response, one which stood out with rare nobility and profound humanity against a sea of calls for violence, and permanent expulsion of one side or another:

As a man who practices Islam, I have to say both sides ought to be ashamed of themselves. Why are you committing such crimes? In the name of religion? No, I don`t think so, because God-fearing men contemplate God throughout their day.

This has got to end. We are children of Abraham - not children of Satan. People, wake up! Monotheism is under attack because of such actions. Let not ignorance prevail over your emotions but rather let your intellect achieve peace, love, stability & closeness to God. Let's stop pointing fingers. Let's forgive and forget and live for the future for the sake of our children. Salaam/Shalom/Peace everyone.

Peter Dames.

It is a New Year. The world has been turned upside down. Old assumptions have been reversed. New leaders are on the threshold. May they, and we, have the wisdom to rebuild a world for the sake of those who love, and not at the mercy and in the image of those who hate.



Previous blogs:

For the journalist, on Yom Kippur
Obama-hate, and Sarah Palin's War on Terror
Will Palin win Jews - and Florida - over to Obama?
Erasing Ahmadinejad from the map
What is truly frightening about Sarah Palin
Seven ways Israel could haunt the 2008 campaign
Why the Jewish Vote matters - a guide
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Venezuela's Jews
Jewish community head: 'Chavez's government endorses anti-Semitism.'
Breakthrough start-up
WATCH: Israeli company invents radiation-free lung imaging system.
  1.   Mayans Predicted The World Ends In 2012 07:22  |  Yosemite 13/10/08
  2.   No one prays for peace 09:54  |  ScotGuy 13/10/08
  3.   Say what?! 04:48  |  J in Oregon 14/10/08
  4.   Bradley should choose a more "challenging" target 08:03  |  Natallie Durson 14/10/08
  5.   Well you go Burston, way to go! 08:28  |  BBSNews 14/10/08
  6.   bradley and religion syndrome will never 08:33  |  victor hardman 14/10/08
  7.   Jihad 08:34  |  Paul 14/10/08
  8.   #7, bbs, "forth?" 08:42  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/10/08
  9.   I disagee Natallie, Burston has shaken up the wingnuts... 09:02  |  BBSNews 14/10/08
  10.   Burston 09:36  |  Daniela 14/10/08
  11.   It`s FROTH Cipora #8 10:08  |  S 14/10/08
  12.   Moonbat BBSNews complaining about wingnuts 10:20  |  S 14/10/08
  13.   Yosemite #1 are you serious? 10:31  |  S 14/10/08
  14.   Muslims are oppressed in the West? 10:52  |  Matt C 14/10/08
  15.   Islam 10:57  |  Adam Astan 14/10/08
  16.   Me too Bradley 10:59  |  Edith 14/10/08
  17.   #2 a victory you have when both parties ... 11:06  |  Edith 14/10/08
  18.   if moslims are oppressed in the west... 11:11  |  Daniela 14/10/08
  19.   #14 Matt don`t you know or do you refuse to know? 11:16  |  Edith 14/10/08
  20.   To continue... 11:30  |  Matt C 14/10/08
  21.   not agree 12:24  |  trustme 14/10/08
  22.   Good on ya Matt C 12:45  |  Jit 14/10/08
  23.   wise but careful 13:40  |  Heidi Minke 14/10/08
  24.   Attention Bradley Burston 14:34  |  Robin 14/10/08
  25.   Attention: Natalie Durson 14:54  |  Robin 14/10/08
  26.   Burston 15:27  |  John Allen 14/10/08
  27.   Tolerance............. 15:36  |  John Allen 14/10/08
  28.   Then When Will You Discuss the Truth 15:41  |  Michael Cecil 14/10/08
  29.   New Year? 16:10  |  lady from USA 14/10/08
  30.   ScotGuy 16:19  |  lady from USA 14/10/08
  31.   Victor Hardman 16:30  |  lady from USA 14/10/08
  32.   Good Muslims 16:38  |  lady from USA 14/10/08
  33.   Robin makes a good point 16:47  |  lady from USA 14/10/08
  34.   Which are the nice Muslims? 16:53  |  lady from USA 14/10/08
  35.   It could be better 17:03  |  trustme 14/10/08
  36.   It`s Obvious, You`re Racists 17:08  |  Maral 14/10/08
  37.   Lady from USA on the trump... 17:10  |  BBSNews 14/10/08
  38.   Burston (and Left-Wing Zionism`s) Hyopcrisy 17:33  |  Binyamin 14/10/08
  39.   New Age Physics 17:56  |  Yosemite 14/10/08
  40.   #26 lady from USA - New Year 17:58  |  Yonatan 14/10/08
  41.   How Very PC 17:59  |  Tod Zuckerman 14/10/08
  42.   I vote this year for a free Jerusalem under Israel 17:59  |  Big Sur 14/10/08
  43.   "moderate and peace-loving" 18:00  |  hollingsworth 14/10/08
  44.   Religion; A tool to minipulate the ignorant. 18:08  |  Tom Clark 14/10/08
  45.   agree with durson 18:11  |  ernie 14/10/08
  46.   yosemite 1 18:20  |  potobac 14/10/08
  47.   Jihad 19:03  |  Marc 14/10/08
  48.   OMG............... 19:17  |  Laura 14/10/08
  49.   #19 Edith lives in la-la land.. 19:54  |  KATHY 14/10/08
  50.   ROCK ON, MATT C !!! 20:09  |  Angel of Oregon City 14/10/08
  51.   #32 Big Sur 20:33  |  Jim 14/10/08
  52.   Decency Out for Tod Zuckerman 20:55  |  Bronxite10 14/10/08
  53.   Mr. is truly ignorant 21:02  |  Gee 14/10/08
  54.   Burston`s Article is Full of Gut Feelings 21:08  |  Gary 14/10/08
  55.   To hollingsworth 21:09  |  Muslim 14/10/08
  56.   Laura. see Haganah and Irgun history... 21:23  |  BBSNews 14/10/08
  57.   #33 hollingsworth "moderate and peace-loving" 21:41  |  KATHY 14/10/08
  58.   Jihad 22:01  |  Jan Vlaming 14/10/08
  59.   The Two Faces Of Jihad 22:08  |  Jeff Northridge 14/10/08
  60.   #20 Matt, did Iraq and Afghanistan evaporate? 22:30  |  Edith 14/10/08
  61.   BBS # 45. Which I hope Haaretz prints... 22:39  |  Laura 14/10/08
  62.   Jeff Northridge post 49 22:51  |  Jeffrey 14/10/08
  63.   Perhaps if a peace agreement is achieved shortly, then there`ll 00:27  |  Smadar 15/10/08
  64.   Mr. Burston....there is a wonderful web site 00:43  |  Lynn 15/10/08
  65.   #19 Edith......there is a new documentary out 00:46  |  Lynn 15/10/08
  66.   #52 Laura All I have to say is thank you.I am off now.And 02:27  |  Israeli 15/10/08
  67.   Uhhh Jeffry, are you paying attention to the totality of history? 03:13  |  BBSNews 15/10/08
  68.   "British enemy of the Jews"... 03:24  |  BBSNews 15/10/08
  69.   And when, Mr. Burston 03:55  |  Mark Lincoln 15/10/08
  70.   Laura on my agenda for a safe and secure Israel... 2nd try 04:23  |  BBSNews 15/10/08
  71.   Which are the nice Muslims? 04:23  |  Mark Lincoln 15/10/08
  72.   An easy answer BBCNews 04:27  |  Mark Lincoln 15/10/08
  73.   It happens - BBCNews 04:29  |  Mark Lincoln 15/10/08
  74.   Gee Mark, our servicemark? 05:03  |  BBSNews 15/10/08
  75.   Well, Bradley, They Were Nice Enough To Me. 05:22  |  Gray 15/10/08
  76.   #69 BBS News - the context was totally different then.... 05:23  |  Smadar 15/10/08
  77.   69 05:25  |  Laura 15/10/08
  78.   BBSNews - Hamas 05:40  |  Mark Lincoln 15/10/08
  79.   Mark Lincoln 06:11  |  Yosemite 15/10/08
  80.   "to strive for betterment of society" 06:29  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/10/08
  81.   "to spread goodness" 06:33  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/10/08
  82.   "contain evil" 06:37  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/10/08
  83.   "JIHAD" 06:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/10/08
  84.   Cipora on human rights... 07:00  |  BBSNews 15/10/08
  85.   Jeff and his two faces observation 07:09  |  Angel of Oregon City 15/10/08
  86.   #11, S 07:42  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/10/08
  87.   #78, Mark Lincoln 07:59  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/10/08
  88.   #71, Mark Lincoln 08:06  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/10/08
  89.   bradley burston; you`re a phoney with a touch of gold! 08:19  |  eric 15/10/08
  90.   # 6 to victor hardman re: sons and prophets 08:46  |  eric 15/10/08
  91.   remember "deborah almontaser" and the jackals of hate? 10:08  |  eric 15/10/08
  92.   Cipora-to M. Lincoln.#87 11:28  |  John Syracuse 15/10/08
  93.   THANKS GOD FOR THAT 13:06  |  indrajaya 15/10/08
  94.   #37 13:27  |  Deborah 15/10/08
  95.   #94 Deborah A very good post.Would you address my point on? 16:35  |  KATHY 15/10/08
  96.   #94 Deborah.Although your response was addressed #37(third try) 17:29  |  KATHY 15/10/08
  97.   #95 - Kathy 19:49  |  Deborah 15/10/08
  98.   Burston`s jihad? 23:28  |  Friend of Israel 15/10/08
  99.   Yonatan 14:52  |  lady from USA 17/10/08
  100.   Here`s PROOF that Burston doesn`t know what he`s talking about! 19:37  |  Historian 17/10/08
  101.   Bradley Burston 13:32  |  Tom Gerber 18/10/08
  102.   #74 BBS News 12:48  |  J in Oregon 19/10/08
  103.   ScotGuy, what about checking what you say 01:32  |  Captain Obvious 20/10/08
  104.   #30 you too lady from USA 01:36  |  Captain Obvious 20/10/08
  105.   Jihad Jew 00:35  |  Robin 21/10/08
  106.   #105 fresh Aussie air thank you for the smile 08:47  |  lily 23/10/08
  107.   Origins of Violence/Terrorism 05:38  |  John 12/11/08
  108.   stop , stop and stop 23:23  |  youssef 01/12/08
  109.   cut the crap 23:27  |  y 01/12/08
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