New York — Understanding the issues that underlie the distrust between Jews and Muslims is key to fostering mutual respect and dialogue between these two groups. These issues include significant differences in viewing the legitimacy and territorial integrity of the State of Israel, theological differences and the lack of authentic knowledge each group possesses about the other.
Despite these challenges, Islamic-Jewish relations will necessarily form a key component of future interreligious encounters in the United States. Clearly, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have increased the difficulty of successful dialogue. But now, such dialogue is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. Here are some guidelines to help it develop:
• Rules of engagement: Jews should not meet with Muslims who, either explicitly or implicitly, condone acts of terrorism and the public vilification of Jews and Judaism, or who are unwilling or unable to publicly affirm the legitimacy of the State of Israel. Conversely, Jews in the dialogue should be open to finding a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• Allow ample time: Participants from both sides need time to engage in purposeful conversations about perceptions of one another, personal histories and shared experiences. Additional time must be allotted to unpack misrepresentations, caricatures and stereotypes, as well as to gain accurate information about one another’s faith.
• Be prepared for conflicting interpretations: Talented, sensitive leaders must recognize that in an authentic Islamic-Jewish encounter, profound theological differences and sharply different interpretations of historical events, especially in the Middle East, will surface.
For example, Jews view Israel’s successful War of Independence in 1948-49 as an act of national liberation following nearly 2,000 years of powerlessness and homelessness. Muslims term the same events “The Disaster,” a time when an Islamic society was uprooted and became a minority in a land that was once “dar al-Islam.”
Most Jews do not separate Zionism from its deep religious roots within Judaism. However, many Muslims make a distinction between Zionism and Judaism, failing to recognize that Zionism is an integral component of Judaism and not a “racist” ideology.
• Begin step by step: A foundation of mutual trust and respect is best built step by step. For example, Muslims and Jews in a community might begin with reciprocal visits to synagogues and mosques, followed by developing joint strategies on critical issues such as church-state separation, environmental protection, quality education, affordable housing, fair immigration laws and discrimination in employment, as well as maintaining a distinctive religious identity in a society that promotes conformity to the majority culture.
If the challenges in achieving Muslim-Jewish dialogue in America seem insurmountable, consider the significant advances in Christian-Jewish relations since the end of World War II. Surely one of the great success stories of the late 20th century, Christian-Jewish dialogue arose despite profound theological differences and vocal skeptics in both communities who were convinced Christian-Jewish amity was unachievable after so many centuries of alienation and distrust.
The fact that we have succeeded, along with Christian leaders, in building mutual respect and understanding does not mean, of course, that this model can be applied to Islamic-Jewish relations with the same positive results.
Jews and Muslims today carry far different memories and issues than the historical baggage brought to encounters with Christians. While there have been nearly six decades of fruitful Christian-Jewish dialogue, building positive Islamic-Jewish relations is in its early stages. From the perspective of interreligious relations, this represents the new frontier.
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