Monday, April 14, 2008
In an unusual gesture of solidarity for Israel's 60th anniversary, villagers in one Arab-Israeli town have have painted the dome of their mosque in the national colors, blue and white.
The gesture in A-Taibeh, a village in the Galilee near the Gilboa, comes at a time when Arab-Jewish relations in the region have been marked by tensions, and many Israeli Arabs have vowed to boycott the anniversary celebrations and commemorations.
"We are residents of Israel. Our religion encourages love and closeness among nations. Jews, Muslims, we are all cousins, right?" A-Taibeh Mayor Hisham Zuabi was quoted as telling Maariv newspaper.
"We decided to paint the mosque's dome, the most important, dear, and holy site for us, in the national colors. We are all citizens of the state of Israel. As far as we are concerned, there is no difference here between Jews, Muslims, and Christians."...
...Zuabi was quoted as saying that village residents don't fear criticism or threats because of their decision. Instead, they hope it will serve to unite Arabs and Jews. "The goal is purification, coexistence," said Zoabi. "A Jew who enters the mosque will not feel hostility, but rather will feel at home."
This has been widely reported, and isn't it really nice? Sort of adds something to what some of us have been saying -- that American Islam has the potential to develop a moderate and Enlightenment-friendly version that can then set an example and set up for export. This is a nice unexpected twist, though it shouldn't be so unexpected, that Israel itself could foster the development of an "other-friendly" Islam.
But, according to an emailer from Israel, as reported on Israeli television:
A resident assaulted a TV crew saying that the publication caused them shame all over the Muslim world and painted (pun intended) them as collaborators. They say they only wanted the blue to symbolize the sky and white as the color designating the pure soul of the Muslim.
Interesting. Muslim Dhimmitude to the Ummah. It sort of gives you a glimpse into what the Arabs themselves know to be the real balance power and threat in the Middle East. They're (some, anyway) more worried about retribution from the greater Arabia than they are counting on their place in the Israeli polity to protect them.
