Islam and different religions

NOTE for NonMuslims: People of the book refers to Christians and Jews. I can't sleep. Seems I am an insomniac these days. Was thinking about a conversation MOP and I had about Israel the other day. BTW, anyone very well informed about the history of the state of Israel and its creation, it is dangerous trying to talk to Omanis about Israel, even if they are your sweet, loveable,educated husband, and yes, even if you are Muslim and want for the Palestinian cause, because they [Omanis in general, not all the population but a majority] have been partially indoctrinated with propoganda, the way many Westerners have been about Muslims (hijab is suppression, Islam is terrorism, ect). Most of them know the truth about the wrongs and war crimes committed against Palestinians. Most of them know about the legal right of Palestinians to certains land that are indeed occupied, stolen, and were before that, internationally stolen. Most of them know that few Western news sources report on the issue without a strong Israeli bias. Not all, but most. As a Westerner even before I was Muslim, I also know this, but not all Westerners do. The most uninformed of Omanis will not know however, how the state of Israel was created, and who to properly blame, what percentage of the State of Israel had been legally sold to Jewish people before the state was created ect ect. So anyone saying kick all the jews out, well, you'd be doing the same injustice that was done to the Palestinians. Alot of Palestinians also, do not know this. The most educated of Omanis on the issue, like my husband, still, will not know, what the general Jewish population of Israel is taught about Palestine. They will blame all the population, while they will not condone terrorist (military action on civilian and non-militray targets [no practicing and ecuated Muslim CAN BTW]) they will continue to blame the entire population for the acts of its government.

Dear Omanis. I have a friend from back west named Mischa. Mischa is Jewish, from Tel Aviv, originally. He grew up thinking Palestinians were militant and evil. He grew up knowing Muslims sent bombs into neighborhoods where children were. He was not taught why his people were thus so hated. He was proud of his government. You would, perhaps blame him for planning to work in support of the government one day. Mischa believed all this until he was of age to join the obligatory military service of the army. Then Mischa realized he would be kidnapping Palestinians without legal cause and they'd disapear and that he never would know what happened to them. So Mischa ran away from the army. His conscience dictated he leave his country behind, his family, his means of supporting himself. You, Omanis, will probably applaud him, but understand, not every person out there has the means to do this. And not every person out there has the oppurtunity to see through the propaganda they are fed.

Me, I left my country to inshaAllah, live a more Islamic life in Oman. Not every Muslim in the West, has the means or ability to do this. So it sickens me that people blame every Jewish person in Palestine. When you generalize, you cause racism, tribalism, what have you. Not every person is the same.

Mischa had the ability to leave because he was young, and smart, and could surrvive. He'd want me to tell you who do not know any better in Oman, that there truly is a difference between the religion of Judaism and the policies of the state of Israel which he and I call "Zionism". Allah of the Torah does not condone the murder of innocent civilians, of theft, of unlawful inheritences, anymore than Allah of the Bible, or Allah of the Qu'ran.

Mischa: "I am Jewish of course, the Chosen people of God in the Torah. I don't think that means I can take what I want, it means I must accept what God gives me. God gave the Jewish people Jerusalem, and we believe, He will restore it to us. If God wants us to have it, He will give it to us, without unlawful blood on it. So I would rather wait and recieve it with a clean soul."

I despair when I hear Muslims refer to Zionism as the religion of Judaisim. That's like having the Taliban referred to as Islam. It's really, truly, not how it is. I do believe many of Israel's laws have to change, and that Palestine has to be accepted as its own state, for people to coexist but either side saying drive out the other insane, ignorant, and never gonna happen unless there is a mass genocide which no god and certainally not Yahweh, God, i.e Allah could condone.

Famous Jewish people in Islamic history:

One of the first to recognize Mohamed was a Prophet even before the angel Gabriel (Jibreel) came to him was a Jewish priest.

The Prophet Mohamed's wife, Saffiyah. "It was well known that some of the Prophet's wives (not Aisha or Hafsah), out of jealousy, would insult Saffiyah's Jewish heritage. She made a complaint to the Prophet and he said to her 'Saffiyah, take courage, and be bold. They are in no way superior to you. Tell them: I am a daughter of the Prophet Harun (Aaron), a neice of the Prophet Musa (Moses), and a wife of the Prophet Mohamed.'" This is an early example of how Rasoolulah (the Messenger) tried to erradicate anti-semitism among the Arab Muslims.

Famous Christians in early Islamic history:

King Negus of Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia) gave shelter and protection to the Muslim converts of Mecca who fled the persecution of the Arab Quraiysh tribe.

Mariya al Qibtiyya was a Christian slave sent as gift to the Prophet Mohamed from a Byzantine official. He freed her, and then they married.

[I'm sure there are more, but I am tired now].

People, think before you generalize, hope and pray before you hate. The Prophet Mohamed never hated his enemies, only their actions. One last thing. Remember that town that threw rocks at him, and it seemed everyone therein was his enemy, and Jibreel came to the Prophet and asked if Mohamed wanted the entire town and all the people therein destoryed? Did Rasoolulah say yes? No, he said: "There might be good yet in their children."