HAMAS and its Qur'anic Playbook
Murderous Antisemitism and the Qur'an
Carnage. There really is no other word to describe the aftermath of the HAMAS attack on southern Israel. Inevitably people are searching for answers. What on earth could motivate such a psychopathic murderous rampage?
Of course the pundits are not slow in providing ‘answers’. Inevitably these often shade into victim blaming. It is all, somehow', Israel’s fault.
However, the very words of the organisation (HAMAS) who carried out these atrocities are ignored. Let’s start with the name. HAMAS is an acronym for ‘Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Islamic Resistance Movement). Surely that should tell us something? In case this is not obvious enough, many HAMAS fighters go into battle with headbands containing the Islamic confession of faith (Shahada) and/or verses from the Qur’an.
At the very least, we should take the members of HAMAS at their word and acknowledge that attacks such as these are deeply intertwined with Islamic teaching.
You do not have to dig too deeply into the Qur’an to discover that Muslims are counselled to reserve particular hatred for the Jewish people, even beyond the general contempt that they should have for unbelievers. A few examples:
If the Jewish people turn away from Allah, he will distort their faces and curse them: O ye People of the Book!* believe in what We have (now) revealed, confirming what was (already) with you, before We change the face and fame of some (of you) beyond all recognition, and turn them hindwards, or curse them as We cursed the Sabbath-breakers, for the decision of Allah Must be carried out. (Qur’an 4:47. Note: This verse is behind the grotesque distortion of Jewish faces in cartoons in the Muslim press)
Jewish people are uniquely sinful, leading many away from truth, causing Allah to burden them with laws: For the iniquity of the Jews We made unlawful for them certain (foods) good and wholesome which had been lawful for them;- in that they hindered many from Allah's Way (Qur’an 4:160)
Jews are ready to listen to any lie: O Messenger! let not those grieve thee, who race each other into unbelief: (whether it be) among those who say "We believe" with their lips but whose hearts have no faith; or it be among the Jews,- men who will listen to any lie,- will listen even to others who have never so much as come to thee. (Qur’an 5:41)
Allah condemned the Jewish people to lives of humiliation and wretchedness: And when ye said: O Moses! We are weary of one kind of food; so call upon thy Lord for us that He bring forth for us of that which the earth groweth - of its herbs and its cucumbers and its corn and its lentils and its onions. He said: Would ye exchange that which is higher for that which is lower? Go down to settled country, thus ye shall get that which ye demand. And humiliation and wretchedness were stamped upon them and they were visited with wrath from Allah. That was because they disbelieved in Allah's revelations and slew the prophets wrongfully. That was for their disobedience and transgression. (Qur’an 2:61)
Muslims must never befriend Jews (or Christians): O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust. (Qur’an 5:51)
Allah himself fights against the Jewish people because of their ‘perversity’: And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah. That is their saying with their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved of old. Allah (Himself) fighteth against them. How perverse are they! (Qur’an 9:30. (An interesting side-note to this verse is the question as to where on earth Muhammad got the idea that Jews regard Ezra as divine?)
Allah turned some Jewish people into apes: And well ye knew those amongst you [Children of Israel] who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath: We said to them: "Be ye apes, despised and rejected." (Qur’an 2:65. Note: Far from being a ‘dead letter’, this statement is included in the charter of HAMAS)
Because of their rebellion and obstinacy the Jewish people will be accursed until the Day of Judgement: The Jews say: "Allah's hand is tied up." Be their hands tied up and be they accursed for the (blasphemy) they utter. Nay, both His hands are widely outstretched: He giveth and spendeth (of His bounty) as He pleaseth. But the revelation that cometh to thee from Allah increaseth in most of them their obstinate rebellion and blasphemy. Amongst them we have placed enmity and hatred till the Day of Judgment. Every time they kindle the fire of war, Allah doth extinguish it; but they (ever) strive to do mischief on earth. And Allah loveth not those who do mischief. (Qur’an 5:64)
All of the above means that the Jewish people are identified (along with pagans) as the mortal enemies of Muslims: Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews and Pagans; and nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, "We are Christians": because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant. (Qur’an 5:82)
The verses above should convince any fair-minded reader that Jew-hatred was baked into Islam from the very beginning (and not simply a response to modern political realities). This conviction is reached before we even get to the hadiths (traditions) where the invective against the Jewish people is, if anything, even more over-the-top.
In a sane world the grotesque anti-Semitism of the Qur’an must be a factor in any analysis of recent events. Sadly, however, it is far too easy to lapse into political platitudes that shies away from asking the hard questions.
For much more about the connection between Islamic teaching and violence, please see my book ‘Nothing to do with Islam - Investigating the West’s Most Dangerous Blind Spot’.
Regards,
Peter
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