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No easy answers to the resolution of an ancient enmity |
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Thursday, 08 May 2008 |
Rev. John C. Blackford
Religion Columnist
The troubled Mideast situation, perhaps the greatest threat to world peace today, can be traced to the ancient enmity existing between Israel and its Arab neighbors. This enmity is almost 4000 years old, and goes back to the time of the prophet Abraham, who is revered alike by Jews, Christians and Islamists.
It centers around the sacrifice of a son of Abraham and the descendants of that son, and is recorded in Genesis 22 in the Old Testament In the holy book of Islam, called the Qur’an (or Koran, as it is also known) there is also a reference to this sacrifice.
In this significant passage is the account of two women who figured prominently in Abraham’s life, Sarah and Hagar. When Sarah, his wife, was not able to have children, she gave him her servant, Hagar, who bore him a son who was named Ishmael. All continued together in the home.
Thirteen years later, when Sarah was long past the age of childbearing, she and Abraham had a son, who was given the name of Isaac. Both offspring became prominent.
The centuries-old issue, which is the basis for the longstanding enmity, centers in the question of which of the two was preeminent. In Genesis Isaac is the more important, and is recognized as such by Jews and Christians. The Islamic faith holds that Ishmael was more significant, and that the Bible story has been altered and is inaccurate.
A brief resume of Islamic teaching, based on the Koran, will help us understand some of the reasons for the underlying animosity. Islam teaches “there is no god other than God,” and calls this personage Allah.
There is no concept of the Trinity, as in Christianity. They believe they are descended from Abraham through Ishmael. They follow the teachings of their prophet, Muhammad, who was born in the city of Mecca, Arabia about 570 C.E. (Christian Era). A few Christians and Jews lived in and around Mecca at that time, but the vast majority were Arabs, who worshipped idols.
Muhammad disliked idol worship, equating it with superstition. That is partly why Allah chose him to be his last prophet to the world, according to Islamic teaching.
Islam considers Jesus to be a prophet of God, born of the virgin Mary, as a special miracle, but that the absence of a human father placed him on the same level as Adam and Eve in the creation account. It denies Jesus was killed on a cross, and that it only was made to appear so.
Rather, God saved him from death, and took him to himself. Original sin has no place in Islamic theology; instead, every person has the potential to be good or to be bad. All are born pure, but when Adam and Eve sinned God forgave them after they asked for mercy.
The Koran teaches that “No sin was passed on to their descendants. Thus, it is our cumulative faith and actions that determine our salvation.”
There is agreement that one of the sons was prepared for sacrifice by Abraham, and that there was heavenly intervention, followed by the appearance of a lamb, which became the sacrifice. However, Jews and Christians believe Isaac was bound on the altar, and Islamists contend it was Ishmael. Both sides claim God showed his favor to the one released, and his offspring became forever his chosen people.
Out of this disagreement has come the enmity that endangers humankind.
Today there are 1.2 billion followers of Islam, and only 13 million Jews, about 5 million who live in Israel. Jews have been returning to Israel in large numbers since the World War II era. In 1948 the nation of Israel was reestablished through the efforts of the war’s victorious countries, and the Jews were given part of the city of Jerusalem. (The writer remembers well this event because he and his bride were on their wedding trip at that time).
The complaint of the Islamic people is two-fold. First, they believe they have been treated unjustly by the rest of the world in matters of trade and political influence. But, perhaps even more so, they have had to share Jerusalem, which they believe belongs totally to them, with the Jews.
Hence, there is the constant conflict.
As they grow in power and numbers, followers of the Islamic faith are increasing pressure on Israel and its friends, primarily the United States, to withdraw their presence in the Mideast. Some of the actions are violent, and bring great grief to those attacked.
There are no easy answers to the resolution of this ancient enmity.
Our hopes and prayers are that it will be contained as much as possible until divine intervention brings an end to it.
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