Jefferson Corner

The culture of co-existence is a core value of Islam. In many past societies  that were ruled by Islamic laws,  we see many examples of this co-existence that left their mark on history: TheOttoman Empire is surely one of these. However the winds of Islamophobia instigated by the Western world and the enmity against the West experienced by the Islamic countries aim to drive these two great civilizations apart to the point of setting them against one another. Meanwhile the worldwide disaster that will arise from such hostility – which is being advocated by some circles – is not given due consideration.

This being the case, how can the culture of co-existence be fortified?

The best way to hinder the conflict between the West and the Islamic Civilization is to deepen the common concepts such as love, compassion, mercy, cooperation, tolerance and justice, and to bolster solidarity and all sorts of cooperation between these civilizations, for in point of fact, there really are no deep differences, cultural gaps or conflicting cultural values between Islamic civilization and the Western world  as is so often asserted. On the very contrary, there are many common values shared by the Judeo-Christian cultures that lay the basis of   Islamic civilization and the Western civilizations. The members of the three divine religions believe in the existence of Allah, in the resurrection after death, in paradise, hell and the angels. They believe that Allah created the universe from nothing and that He created everything in line with an explicit destiny. These common values are not limited to issues related with faith alone: The moral values of the People of the Book – that is to say the Christians and Jews as they are referred to in the Qur’an – and Muslims are in great harmony. In our day, when moral degeneration has rapidly gathered speed, the People of the Book and Muslims aim for a model of a human being who is just, chaste, self-sacrificing, honest, compassionate, merciful, humble, truthful, loving, forgiving and gracious. They believe that every individual in this world should avoid pretension and hypocrisy, should respond to  evil with goodness and to display all these virtues.

This being the case, what must be accomplished is to resolve the problems of the world by giving emphasis to these common values – which exceed   the differences – and work towards cooperation based on love, compassion and mercy. It does no good  to insist on settling  the accounts of the past and to dwell on previous conflicts in order to come with new desires for revanchism. This is the time to close the pages of the history books  and to unite our forces for a better future.

Ebru Altan

Building Bridges - Istanbul, Turkey

http://en.a9.com.tr/video/86/Building-Bridges/

http://en.a9.com.tr/video/97/Building-Bridges-Gateway/

This year US presidential election is perhaps the most expensive in history with the least issues concerning America and Americans with the American/Israeli Jewish businessman Sheldon Edelson calling the shots and shaping the election.

2% of the US population, 60% of political donations and with “Israel First” as the only agenda, no wonder both candidates are tripping over themselves and each other in winning the votes and donations of the American Jewish community. In this US presidential election, America and Americans is the loser and Israel is the winner and its Fifth Column reign supreme. Read the rest of this entry »

Sami Jamil Jadallah

Too bad the destruction of Islamic land marks in Timbuktu by the criminal thugs called “Ansar El-Islam/Supporters of Islam” did not generate or illicit the strong condemnations denunciations and material actions it deserves from the religious leaders of Al-Azhar, Mecca, Qom and Najaf. At best the condemnation was muted if not apologetic. Read the rest of this entry »

Sami Jamil Jadallah

No, not the Brothers Karamazov but the Muslim Brothers. Any one who listens to popular media and politicians in Israel and the US would think that the Muslim Bothers are coming from Mars, invading the planet Earth, changing our ways of life and turning democracies to theocracies. Read the rest of this entry »

Sami Jamil Jadallah

I thought the original title “ The Failing Arabs” would be too offensive to a very proud people and nation. People who pride themselves with a rich history enriched by Islam and an Islam enriched by diverse cultures, civilizations, and faiths. The Arab world at one time was a unique and rich mosaic of cultures, faiths and civilizations and yes, success. Sadly all that disappeared. Read the rest of this entry »

Sami Jamil Jadallah

Perhaps President Obama wants to tell Iran something when he decided to award Shimon Peres, the father of the Israeli nuclear bomb, and the killer in Qana 1, the highest civilian honor America can bestow on any one. It is so ironic that this comes at a time when every one from Obama to Netanyahu, to Merkel to Cameron stepping up pressure even threatening war because of Iran’s “suspect” nuclear program. The West almost without exception helped Israel develop its own nuclear program making it the largest in the Middle East coming close to that of the US and Russia. Read the rest of this entry »