On the Role of Islam in the Gaza Conflict
C. Gourgey, Ph.D.
It is with great regret that I have come to the conclusion that I must withdraw my article “The Qur’an and the Question of the Jews.” I believe that after October 7, 2023 that article is no longer relevant.
There are anti-Jewish passages in the Qur’an. The purpose of my article was to put those passages into historical context and to show that the Qur’an need not be interpreted antisemitically. While this may be true in theory, in practice it has not worked out that way. The Qur’an has been and still is interpreted in ways that condemn the Jewish people, and today we are seeing the disastrous results of many years of anti-Jewish hatred inspired by Islam in the way that it has developed, using the Qur’an for justification.
The hatred of Jews that Hamas, with very considerable civilian support from the Gaza population, expressed on that fateful day was metaphysical. The Jewish people have not experienced anything like that since the Holocaust. And yet it happened on that day, completely unprovoked. The intention was to ignite a regional war in which Hamas would be joined by its allies Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other elements in the Muslim world, with Iran at the head, in a campaign to extend the atrocities of October 7 to the entire Jewish population, creating nothing less than a second Holocaust. This was Hamas’s stated intention, of which it made no secret.
And what was the reaction in the Muslim world? Not to condemn this genocidal agenda and the atrocities Hamas committed, but in large segments of the Muslim world, to support them wholeheartedly. This became evident in demonstrations worldwide, and even in the United States infecting our college campuses. The pro-Hamas, antisemitic tone of many of those demonstrations was undeniable. This is not simply a question of criticizing Israeli policies, which can be done legitimately. This is a movement for the eradication of Israel, against coexistence, and for the elimination of any Jewish presence in the Middle East in any form. And that is as antisemitic as it gets, no matter what rationalizations are used to justify it.
One major factor in creating this atmosphere of anti-Jewish hatred has been completely ignored in the media. That is the systematic, institutionalized incitement against Jews in much of the Muslim world and most especially in Palestinian culture. Jews have been portrayed, in schools and in mosques, as unscrupulous, dishonest, unethical, the worst humanity has to offer, and even less than human. Reputable clergy, quoting the Qur’an, still call Jews “apes and pigs.” When a society raises its children this way, what do we expect the result will be? Religion-inspired violence has fueled Muslim desires to wipe out the Jewish state ever since the day it was founded. And several attempts have been made, fortunately none of them successful.
The war in Gaza is horrible. I will be the first to admit that Israel is guilty of excess. The war itself was morally justified, to counter what could have easily become a threat to Israel’s existence. But not all of Israel’s actions can be defended.
Nevertheless, the unilateral condemnation and even demonization of Israel that we see today misreads the situation. The conflict cannot be resolved by pressuring only Israel. We need to remember that every single Gaza war - and there have been several - was triggered by Palestinian violence. By the refusal of Palestinians to accept Jews as human beings who, just like them, have a right to live in the land. If the religion-supported anti-Jewish incitement still prevalent in Palestinian society is not addressed, then it will not matter how much pressure is applied against Israel, the conflict will flare up again, and probably even worse.
So I cannot at this time post an article defending the Qur’an when it is still weaponized against the Jews in the religion of Islam, which has not overcome its antisemitic roots. I hope someday that will change. It may not happen in my lifetime, but I pray someday it will. But until that day arrives, the best I can do when discussing Jews and the Qur’an is to issue a challenge that we all need to face, not just for the good of Jews, not just for the good of Muslims, but for the stability of the world: can we find in our religion, and in the way we interpret its texts, a path that will no longer divide us but will bring us together? Muslims and Jews believe in the same God - or at least we say we do. How would God look at the strife and the violence that has separated these two communities? Can we learn, on both sides, to see each other the way God sees the other? Is that not exactly what we say our faith calls upon us to do? If we truly want peace, as most say that we do, then no one should escape the blade of self-examination unscathed.