Jews and Muslims hate each other a lot. But both Jews and Muslims have a great deal in common in the way they perceive their respective histories. Judaism developed as a monotheistic religion in the Middle East in the 12th century BCE. Islam originated in the 7th century CE. But Judaism and Islam, the two religions share similar values, guidelines, and principles. Hebrew and Arabic, the languages of Jews and Muslims are both Semitic languages.
Let’s see the similarities between the Jews and the Muslims.
The Bible and the Quran are having almost the same stories but the names are changed little bit for the Quran to make it different from the Bible. Adam and Eve of the Bible are Adam and Hawwaa in the Quran. Cain and Abel are Qabil and Habil. Noah is Nuh. Joseph is Yusuf. Moses is Musa. Korah is Qarun. Saul,David and Golith are Talut, Dawud and Galut. Jonah is Yunus. Zachariah and John are Zakariya and Yahya. Mary is Maryam. Jesus is Isa.
Muslims adopted almost all Jews and Christian practices and rituals.
Jews and Muslims both perform circumcision,an ancient Egyptian practice. Both wear hats or caps and beards. Both hate women. Both slaughter animals using the same painful method to get halal and kosher meat. And both do not eat pigs. They should try to get some peace on the basis of their common ground.
I like Tim Minchin for writing wonderful songs. His Palestine anthem or the pig song is one of my favourites.
‘We don’t eat pigs,
You don’t eat pigs,
It seems it’s been that way forever
So if you don’t eat pigs,
And we don’t eat pigs,
Why not, not eat pigs together?’
In places like Germany Jewish and Muslim organisations are working together to preserve circumcision and ritual slaughter. They are co-operating !
Actually, what became Judaism emerged in the 4th century BCE. Evidence strongly suggests that the early Hebraic religion was henotheist (there are many gods, but we are allowed to worship only one) and became monotheist during the Babylonian Captivity, which stretched from 598 BCE to 520 BCE. Modern Judaism is essentially a different religion from even that; it appeared after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.
But Taslima,
what would they do with themselves if they didn’t have hatred and revenge? Take up knitting? Book clubs? Study & learn? Research?
Yes.