12 Oct 2023: Affirming my interfaith role in this war
12 October 2023
Affirming my interfaith role in this war
The world has forsaken its clarity; it's no longer just black and white or shades of grey. Instead, it feels cloaked in darkness. It's as if I've lost sight or something has switched off.
Receiving voice messages from Israeli friend filled with cries and waking up to a text from Gaza that begin with "I don’t know if I will stay alive." I've become numb, as facing reality now means confronting feelings I can no longer access. I cannot reason, and therefore I cannot engage.
Embracing my Feelings & and Affirming my Role
I've come to terms with the fact that this distant war has a tangible impact on me, and I won't deny that. However, I've also chosen to distance myself from it to maintain the peace around me.
My role and responsibility lie in fostering good relationships and preserving peaceful relations in my immediate surroundings. That's where I'll focus my efforts. That is the Singaporean ethos I was nurtured with. That is the lesson I learned from years of working on racial and religious harmony.
I do not want to be part of a social media fight, saying things that could hurt people nearby and far affected by what is happening. I won’t give in to pressure to say something because it will not save lives. That is a hard truth. I'm determined to remain in the middle, even if it means enduring criticism. No criticism can outweigh the pain of the ongoing conflict in which innocent people die.
I will speak where I need to to those who I need to. I will put my opinions across to those who will listen and consider. This is a privilege I earned for the relationships I built, so I have been doing that.
Strengthening my Faith
I believe Allah’s promise to us, Muslims and the world in Quran, 2:45:
“𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 – 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦”
I must have my faith stronger than before.
I am also reminded of the words of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks at p 101 of "Rabbi Sacks and the Community We Built":
“𝘛𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦; 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩; 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 - 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 “
Gaining Confidence and strength
Today, I received this flower with a card from a Muslim friend in hash.peace that said, “𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺”.
This kind gesture from a Muslim friend who has observed what I am experiencing on social media is a light in the darkness. I thank Allah for sending me confidence through her.
Then, I received a message from a Jewish friend in Singapore, who said: “𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘑𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧”.
For someone who shared his confused feelings of unusual anger and sense of personal violation, this a profound expression of understanding and empathy, providing comfort during a challenging time. I thank G-d for sending me strength through him.
This is how I see my part in this situation: to preserve our good relations in Singapore. After all, is that not what years of interfaith relations were about? Keep the relations strong when tested. This is what I dare to do, and I will do.
What can you do?
The cutoff of aid to Gaza is indeed distressing and heartbreaking. I hope this does not continue and changes soon. I sincerely pray for this blockade to be removed as urgently as possible.
Meanwhile, any assistance that reaches the innocent people affected is crucial. However, do not let your emotions cloud your rationality and critical thinking. Insisting on accountability before making donations is a responsible approach. Ask how the aid is reaching the civilians.
For further guidance on responding to the Palestinian people's suffering and finding ways to help, please refer to https://muslim.sg/.../4-ways-to-respond-to-the-suffering....
I also ask you to extend your support and understanding to your Israeli and Jewish friends during this difficult time. They are currently dealing with profound hurt, pain, shock, and trauma following the terrorist attack by Hamas. It's been tough for them.
Regardless of any differences of opinion about the reasons and circumstances behind the attack, it's crucial to demonstrate compassion and kindness to people who both deserve and need it.
Postscript: For those who perceive these statements as overly comforting or simplistic, I urge you to venture beyond your familiar circles. Stepping outside your echo chamber may reveal deeper truths. Engage in sincere, on-the-ground interfaith dialogues with individuals holding diverse perspectives. Such interactions could offer a more nuanced understanding of the realities experienced by those around you.
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.
