Israel-Gaza War: Why do Interfaith Dialogues, Popular in Peaceful Times, Collapse During Humanitarian Crisis and Despair
Introduction
In an opinion piece published in The Economist on January 25, 2024, Sheikh Muhammad al-Issa, the secretary-general of the Muslim World and former Saudi Arabian minister of justice, calls on leaders to heed the lessons of Auschwitz and advocates for "stronger moral leadership in the Middle East".
Dr Al-Issa highlights that Jewish-Muslim interfaith dialogues, typically celebrated during times of stability, are now facing significant hurdles in terms of effectiveness during this crisis. He points out that the terror attacks on Israel on October 7 and its subsequent disproportionate response have led to a significant loss of trust between Jews and Muslims globally. He emphasises that extremist actions on all sides are eroding the trust that took years to build between these communities in the region and beyond.
As someone deeply engaged in interfaith dialogues, I can attest to the validity of his observations. Since October 7, 2023, I have witnessed discussions deteriorate into hostile "us versus them" dialogues, friendships strained or severed, and a noticeable decline in mutual respect. In light of this, I reflect on Dr. Al-Issa’s opinion, drawing from my engagements, experiences, observations, and dialogues.
Oversight of Social and Political Contexts in Traditional Interfaith Dialogues
One of the most significant challenges I've encountered in fostering Jewish-Muslim dialogue aligns with Dr. Al-Issa's observation: the oversight of social and political contexts in traditional interfaith dialogues. While true, the assertion that the Israel-Palestine conflict isn't inherently religious overlooks the profound connection shared by religious communities, mainly Jews, Muslims, and Christians, concerning this issue. While these interfaith dialogues usually skirt around the historical connection these faith traditions have with Jerusalem, they avoid sentiments held by members of these communities towards the ongoing conflict.
In many instances, interfaith dialogues involving religious leaders from these faith traditions commence with a cautionary note to avoid the sensitive topic of the Israel-Palestine conflict. While this is intended to prevent debates and discomfort among dialogue participants, it often fails to address the biases, prejudices, and negative sentiments lingering beneath the surface. This approach operates under the notion of separating religion from the conflict without recognising that dialogue participants include Muslims and Christians disturbed by the actions of Israeli Jewish settlers in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as Jews concerned about groups like Hamas and terrorist attacks on Israel, which they regard as their refuge.
For years, we in the interfaith community harboured concerns about potential escalations in Israel and Palestine, dreading the spectre of antisemitism and Islamophobia. Yet, despite the purported goal of improving relations between the respective religious groups, these interfaith dialogues fell short of addressing the biases, fears, and insecurity that underlie these interactions.
Rarely did we dedicate sufficient time in these discussions to comprehend the conflict from diverse perspectives, navigate how to approach the topic amidst differing opinions, seek ways to transcend the contentious debates on social media, and unearth a clearer understanding of the truth. While religious leaders and grassroots movements diligently laboured to foster interfaith relations, there was a notable lack of effort in establishing trusted channels for discerning truth and facts about the sociopolitical aspects during times of crisis that strain these relations.
By convincing ourselves that the conflict in Israel and Gaza is unrelated to religion, a stance I also adopt, interfaith practitioners have overlooked the presence of religion and religious individuals within and surrounding the conflict. Moreover, we fail to acknowledge that although people may not view this war through a religious lens, their perspectives may be influenced by their experiences and values as members of certain religious communities. Interfaith dialogues have not adequately addressed these phenomena.
“Do you condemn”?
Mistrust & Insecurity Below Interfaith Relations
When the events of October 7, 2023, unfolded, we were repeatedly questioned about condemning Hamas. In a conversation with some young people, we discussed the offensiveness of this question, "Do you condemn?"; especially for the Muslim community, which has been the strongest voice against terrorism since 9/11, despite the escalating Islamophobia. Why must we continually explicitly prove our moral principles to the world against the actions of radical extremist murderers who hijack our religion for political purposes, especially when we are the victims of such perpetrators?
While I had empathetic Jewish friends, I felt hurt during a dialogue where the other person seemed to question my stance on the events of October 7 or doubted my capacity for compassion. I asked this person: Why would a community that has consistently spoken out against extremism and terrorism not extend the same voice towards the events of October 7, 2023? What was the need to doubt this principle? How do you think I, who is sometimes the only Muslim woman in gatherings commemorating the Holocaust, where I stand alongside Jews and Israelis as they sing 'Am Yisrael Chai' out of respect for everyone in the room, would feel?
Conversely, there appeared to be a lack of understanding regarding why Jews and Israelis wanted such a condemnation openly. It wasn't solely about October 7, 2023; it emanated from an existential fear deeply rooted over centuries, reiterating almost every Shabbat.
Amid their shock and anguish, claims attributing the attacks by Hamas as a response to the Israeli occupation and atrocities in Gaza made them question whether even their friends perceived any justification for these terrorist acts. They viewed this situation through the lens of "Jews are always targeted for being Jews," thus feeling the constant need to defend their very existence. I observed how, in many social media posts, criticisms of Israel’s military actions crossed the line and were anti-Jewish and anti-semitic, vilifying Jewish people in general. I witnessed this when I received attacks for sharing my posts about my Jewish friends. Their feelings as Jewish civilians were being disregarded by the debates about Israel’s military actions, with some of them becoming targets of anti-Semitism in different parts of the world.
Disturbingly, there was also an absence of empathy for the Palestinian lives being lost due to Israel's military actions. Some people who immediately messaged their Jewish and Israeli friends after the attack on 7 October 2023 noticed a lack of similar compassion-filled messages to the civilians in Gaza. The question that haunts the interfaith community is: Was it not possible to cry together for help for both and condemn the acts of violence on either side? This is not a rhetorical question but rather a genuine inquiry.
Interfaith dialogue during peaceful times did not adequately prepare us to address these questions and comprehend the sentiments and emotions from various perspectives surrounding a war. While we grappled with battles of truth and mental exhaustion from the inundation of social media headlines, interfaith dialogue, meant to keep us connected, faltered because we failed to make an effort to listen to and empathize with each other. This requires us to engage in uncomfortable conversations and tolerate differing opinions, skills that peacetime dialogues did not equip us with. Additionally, discussions about the war were often sidelined as geopolitics in the Middle East rather than seen as critical aspects of people-to-people diplomacy within the interfaith realm.
Peace-time Dialogues Cripple Curiosity & Courage
Over the past 100 days, Israel initiated its military response, heavily bombing Gaza and resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians under the pretext of a defensive war aimed at destroying Hamas, bringing back Israeli hostages, and making Gaza safe for Palestinians. This has been characterised as the genocide of Gazans by many human rights activists and states around the world opposing Israel's military actions. The International Criminal Court of Justice has ordered Israel to take all necessary measures to prevent committing the alleged crime, pending further adjudication by the court.
Against this backdrop, Jews, Muslims, and Christians found themselves categorised into labels such as pro-Israel or pro-Palestine, Zionists or anti-Zionists, caring or complicit, neutral or ignorant, among others. These identities were never included or addressed in interfaith dialogues. Perhaps it did not align with the agenda of interfaith stage shows, which aimed to showcase the unity among different religions.
No one wants to involve a Zionist or a pro-Palestine supporter in the room. These perspectives were considered irrelevant to interfaith dialogue, which primarily focused on discussing the history of religions, faith traditions, spiritual practices, and shared values. We stop with understanding why Jerusalem was important to the three religions, with no patience or courage to discuss what was happening in and around the holy land.
Barely any discussion addressed how to manage the different identities and perspectives that repeatedly emerged during the Israel-Palestine conflict. This issue became glaringly apparent each time the conflict escalated, yet interfaith dialogues consistently overlooked it. Instead, these gatherings often revolved around sharing meals and discussing how our respective religions promoted peace without delving into the uncomfortable questions.
There are some valid reasons for the reluctance to broach such topics in interfaith dialogue. Over the past year, I've attempted to understand Zionism within the Jewish community, recognising the necessity to explore this topic with those I engage with. However, this effort came at a cost, as I encountered trolls and faced personal attacks.
I've been asked to remove my hijab on account of being deemed a bad Muslim and have even been subjected to derogatory remarks. I was also called Muslim Zionist and half-Jewish; terms I never identified with. While these were remarks by a minority group of radicals and activists, they present another challenge.
Interfaith Dialogue Must Be Rescued From Its Echo Chamber
Interfaith dialogue has oddly become ensnared within its echo chambers, constrained by social cohesion frameworks designed to present a semblance of orderliness. We adhere to predefined templates and invite the same individuals to the table to pursue predetermined goals and outcomes. While this approach isn't inherently ineffective, we must acknowledge its limitations in fostering our ability to remain connected and engage in critical conversations about a conflict we are all concerned with.
The ongoing Israel-Gaza war presents a significant challenge for many of us engaged in interfaith work. It serves as another wake-up call, forcing us to reassess our efforts. We must critically evaluate interfaith dialogues and consider how they can be effective during times of conflict, which impact not only Israelis and Palestinians but also Jews, Muslims, Christians, and others around the world.
Establishing trust among communities must extend beyond speeches and into genuine interactions. This requires us to confront and acknowledge the insecurity within our interfaith relations, which we may have boasted about establishing through dialogues and diplomacy over the years. We must honestly examine our identities and how we navigate situations where there are conflicting perspectives, each with its sense of right and wrong. While this process may be uncomfortable, it is essential for building unconditional empathy and understanding of the viewpoints of others that we may choose to disagree with.
How will we achieve this? Interfaith leaders and practitioners must urgently address this question. Now is the time to confront and address this pressing issue.
Holding the Ropes: Interfaith Dialogue & Reflections Surrounding the Israel-Gaza War is a blog series that follows the events, dialogues and reflections experienced by Nazhath Faheema in the aftermath of the 2023 Israel-Gaza war. Triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and Israel’s military response, there continues to be widespread destruction and civilian displacement in Gaza. Additionally, Israeli hostages remain in captivity.
Against this backdrop, Nazhath Faheema, through her reflections, provides insights into the dynamics of the war, its impact on interfaith relations, and the inherent challenges and opportunities in fostering understanding and empathy between Jewish and Muslim communities.
