Lauren Gelfond
(LGelfond@zahav.net.il) writes in Jerusalem. She has a special ability to
see beyond the surface and the obvious, to the essence -- relationships.
Hate and violence will destroy us," says
East Jerusalem Sheikh Abdhul Aziz Bhukari. "God doesnt want people
to kill each other. He created our three religionsdifferent looks and
ideas and languages so that we can learn from one another, he said, quoting
from the Qoran
We are all your children -- Jews, Christians and
Muslims, said Jewish participant Hanna Jaffe in a prayer she read aloud. . . Do
not let us become indifferent to the hopes and fears of our adversaries.
And for those of us who have been silent, let our voices be heard.
Ibrahim Ahmad Abu El-Hawa, a Muslim Native of the
Mount of Olives, concluded: Every meeting between our peoples helps a
lot. Now I can go home and tell my friends about the different kinds of
Israelis I met and the diversity of thought, he said.
I always did think the problems we have are because of
the leaders and the laws. To build peace, we need to meet human being to
human being.
You can do this where you live. Consider
it. -- L&L
=======================================
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2002/03/11/Features/
JERUSALEM POST, FRIDAY MARCH 8, 2002
Jewish and Muslim Faithfuls Find Common Ground Amid the Chaos
By Lauren Gelfond
It was a sunny day at the ancient tomb of Shmuel
HaNevii (Samuel the Prophet), and Ibrahim Ahmad Abu El-Hawa was standing on the
cobblestone roof smiling, his time-worn face lifted to the sun.
Flanked by a Muslim on one side and a Jew on the
other, hands locked together, he swayed in time to Sufi Muslim Zikr chants and
Jewish prayers.
I like to come together with people who have love in
their hearts, he said.
El-Hawa, a Muslim native of the Mount of Olives, was
one of 20-plus Muslims, Jews and Christians who gathered in a solidarity circle
this past Sunday, in the wake of Palestinian suicide and sniper attacks and IDF
incursions that left more than 20 dead on both sides, Israeli and Palestinian.
As a response to the continued bloodshed, East
Jerusalem Sheikh Abdhul Aziz Bhukari called on his interfaith friends to meet
for prayers and meditation at the tomb, a neutral site near Jerusalem that is
holy to both Jews and Muslims.
Hate and violence will destroy us. God doesnt
want people to kill each other. He created our three religions different
looks and ideas and languages so that we can learn from one another, he said,
quoting from the Qoran and explaining that the purpose of religious devotion is
to fill the heart with love of God so that life can be directed toward helping
others.
On judgement day, we wont be judged by our religion,
but by our good acts and bad acts.
The sheikhs sixteen-year-old son Izzadin looked-on
solemnly.
Nestled high in the hills overlooking Neve Yaakov and
Ramallah, sounds of singing birds, helicopters, an army radio, and an
occasional shot in the distance resonated in the background, behind their
rooftop prayers. An IDF soldier stationed at the roofs side paid no
attention to the gathering, peering instead into his binoculars focused on the
surrounding villages.
Shmuel was interned here for the Jews and then for the
Muslims. Now on the roof were going to pick up his spirit, joked
Dr. Yitzhak Hayut-Man, director of The Academy of Jerusalem, dressed in a
long brown robe and cippah.
Reading from the book of Schmuel, Hayut-Man and Dotan
Arad explained the significance of the prophets story, teaching the power of
humility and prayer, they said. A Jerusalem nun and a native-American
descendant living in the US also joined in, offering thoughts from their own
traditions.
The unusual gathering caught the curiosity and ire of
one onlooker.
Your little peace activities are cute but naive, said
David, 24, of Jerusalem.
The only solution is to kills as many Arabs as we can
to stop them from killing us once and for all. Just as this is a holy war
for them, it also is a holy war for us, he said quietly to fellow Orthodox Jew,
Eliyahu McLean, the Jerusalem-based director of the Peacemaker Community.
Our path is a different one, explained McLean, one of
the organizers. We believe that love leads to healing and that revenge
only leads to more violence.
Dont worry, said David, asking his last name not be
mentioned. I will let you pray in peace, but you know that most of our
people think as I do.
At the tomb, where a mosque and an Orthodox synagogue
are separated only by a stairwell, Muslims and Jews pass each other frequently
on the way to prayers. Here we are in good relations, said one Jewish
attendant, in a black suit.
The last 17 months and especially the last two days
have been very difficult times between the children of Abraham in the land of
the prophets, said McLean. But here it is an island of tranquility, and
from here we must put out positive healing vibes.
If you change your heart, everything will change
around you, said a Muslim teacher from Europe who lives in Gaza, and who asked
that his name not be used.
Brought in by Sheikh Bukhari, it was the teachers
first interfaith experience, and in his opinion, a very good idea.
Once, religious people didnt need to share experiences
with others, they could live their religious lives independently from one
another, he said. Today its definitely necessary to go beyond the outward
appearances of things. We must reach for what every spiritual person has
in common with each other the light of god in our hearts.
Finding inspiration from God for strength, courage and
love was the common theme.
We are all your children -- Jews, Christians and
Muslims, said Jewish participant Hanna Jaffe in a prayer she read aloud.
Cast out the darkness that has polluted our
lives. Pour your love into our suffering heartsand teach us everyone
reverence for every life. Do not let us become indifferent to the hopes
and fears of our adversaries. And for those of us who have been silent,
let our voices be heard.
While various prayers and mediations were translated
into Arabic, Hebrew and English, the group followed their prayers with one
universal word: amen.
Later after the meeting closed, El-Hawa continued to
smile, as the afternoon sun melted into haze and wind around him. Every
meeting between our peoples helps a lot. Now I can go home and tell my
friends about the different kinds of Israelis I met and the diversity of
thought, he said.
I always did think the problems we have are because of
the leaders and the laws. To build peace, we need to meet human being to
human being.