Jewish Survival

Question of Jewish Survival - create a better world

Jun 24 2006 10:54PM comments rss:
Suggestions for a better World- Questions of Survival

Being Amin, the trustworthy and the truthful, is a model Prophet Muhammad created for the world. As Muslims we ought to be concerned about the safety and security of the world. Every thing begins with an idea, that transforms into a dialogue and eventually gets acted on.

The following article about the question of Jewish survival burdens me about the security and peace of all children of God. The Good will efforts ought to be unconditional, and we pray that goodwill prevails.

No body has time, but If you can make it, please undertake the responsibility to take care of the Palestinian suffering, the people of Darfur, the Kashmiri Pandits, the Gujarati Muslims ( kindly add at least one more ) and suffering of other people in different parts of the world. May God help us serve his creation.

We have to create positive trends and changes for the best of humankind. I empathize and understand the Jewish concerns and make the following suggestions:

Suggestions for a better World

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/730443.html

1. The Jewish community has been in the forefront of leading the world with education. We the Muslims acknowledge their efforts for building a pluralistic society in the United States. The following report appreciates their contribution.
http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/TG2005_REPORT.asp

2. The Muslims through the Foundation for Pluralism, sponsored, perhaps the first non-Jewish commemoration of Holocaust in the World. As humans we have to share each others grief, we need to connect on human level and we have to take that step. http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Images_HolocaustDay/HMD2006_ProgramReport.asp

3. The American Jewish Congress has taken the initiative called Prejudice reduction center. It goes a long way to protect the interest of Jews as well as improving the life for all humanity.

4. Never make friends on the basis of 'they are enemies of my enemies so we are friends', that is a weak foundation to base any relationship on as it will collapse this very minute or next.

5. The World Muslim Congress is gearing up to represent voice of the silent majority. Silent no more, we are developing a board of advisors for our organization representing every faith. Every one is a neighbor to every one else, we aspire to nurture the concept of good neighborliness in the world. Our advisory board will be represented by individuals from every faith. It is time for us to be equal citizens of one world, our home. This is a major paradigm shift in how the religious organizations would conduct their business in the coming years. May be if all religious groups consider this alternative over living in secretive worlds, we may open up avenues, we never knew existed.

6. There is a flawed understanding of Muslims, and it is propagated by people with short term goals. Neither they are serving the interest of Jewish people nor America. In the interest of promoting co-existence which would lead to peace and security for the entire mankind, we need to identify the evil and tackle without worsening it. We have to have villains and as such we had created evils like communism, Soviet Union and others. They are gone now and we quickly found Muslims to bark against; the wrong tree.

7. The United States (and Israel) has the resources to really find the culprit, let there be two opposing teams to find the truth. We don't need to assign the research to those who will report what the macho men want to hear. Report exactly what the truth it. I believe, neither Islam nor Muslims are the bad guys, it is the oppressive regimes that has lead the people to resort to terrorism. We need to take up the challenge to see if there are more than 1% of Muslims are involved in Ugly terrorism - then blaming the 99% for the acts of <1% is humorous and unproductive. That is pushing the wrong people. Let's not forget "if you want the honey, you don't kick the beehive".

8. Taking food off their plates, pushing any one to the corner will make them a bitter enemy. This policy will engage all of us in a battle that no one would win. Oppression has never worked in human history, the Jewish people can understand this more than any other community on the earth. Our arrogance is destructive to us, God is mightier than all of us, when we die, our body would end up disintegrating the same way as the ones upon whom we cast our wrath.

9. It is time for all of us to work together in whatever we do. Let's get people of different beliefs involved in all things we do. It will build the platform for co-existence. It is one chance we can afford to take.


Questions of survival

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/730443.html

By Shmuel Rosner
WASHINGTON - The following disparity tells us more about human nature than about the future of the Jewish world: The executive branch - the heads of the large Jewish organizations, on the whole - are optimistic and believe Judaism has a glowing future, while the intellectuals and thinkers are much more pessimistic and insist on mentioning the pitfalls and obstacles the coming years hold in store. Those who are entrusted with carrying out affairs must be convinced there is a point to what they do - and what is the point if there is no future? Two groups of Jews gathered together last weekend at Wye Plantation, Maryland for a long discussion on the situation of the Jewish people. The first group, which met Wednesday and Thursday, consisted of the heads of 15 Jewish organizations such as the Presidents' Conference, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the Anti-Defamation League, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, the American Jewish Committee and others. In the second group were the "thinkers," as the organizers termed them: Natan Sharansky from Israel, Charles Krauthammer from The Washington Post, former Canadian justice minister Irwin Cotler, former Jewish Agency head Sallai Meridor and many others. The Institute for Policy Planning of the Jewish People had organized this gathering. It had a somewhat ambitious aim - a strategic debate about the future of the Jewish people. In actuality, it focused on three issues: the challenge posed by Islam, the situation in Israel, and the weighty question of whether the Jewish people are on the rise or on the wane.
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Their conclusions, in brief: The future is unclear. And in greater detail: There are many risks, and it is time to roll up our sleeves. The institute and its heads - Dennis Ross, Prof. Yehezkel Dror, Avi Gil, Avinoam Bar-Yosef - are already doing their homework. One of the papers that was prepared in advance and presented to the participants in the conferences was that written by Dr. Shalom Wald. He chose 14 well-known historians, from Thucydides to Gibbon, Spangler, Toynbee and Kennedy, and examined their theories concerning the circumstances in which civilizations flourish or collapse. Then he tried to examine how these theories can be applied to the context of the Jewish people. Several of his conclusions provoked disagreement. For example: "Getting all Jews into the same shape and country, even if it is Israel, as recently advocated by an Israeli [writer, A.B. Yehoshua - S.R.] is not the best survival strategy." Some of the Israeli participants did not like that idea. Granting official legitimacy to the Diaspora would be a mistake, Meridor said, according to some of those who participated. That would be the end of Zionism as we know it. The fear expressed that "a real decline of the West, particularly the United States, would have dramatic consequences for the Jewish people," also led to controversy. Brandeis University president Jehuda Reinharz agreed that this type of decline can be expected "in the coming two decades" - but Stuart Eisenstadt was less emphatic about it. He believes the United States will remain the leading power. In all events, it was agreed the Jews "should strengthen cultural links with non-Western civilizations, particularly China and also India," powers that are on the ascent. This is not a question of preference or closeness; it is a question of survival, of readiness for the future. How should this be done? That will have to be the topic of discussion in the next gatherings already being planned. Working togetherAbraham Foxman of the ADL says he came to the conference full of skepticism but left satisfied at its conclusion. That was the feeling of most of those who participated in the first gathering. They agree about one thing: The very gathering itself is the achievement. It is the first time the heads of Jewish organizations have sat down round the same table and sought ways to cooperate, pushing aside the competition, suspicions and sometimes even latent hostility. "If there were barriers in the beginning, they were removed," says Malcolm Hoenlein of the Presidents' Conference. "There is a commitment to continue working together," says Rabbi Tzvi Weinreb of the Orthodox Union. It also was possible to sit at the same table without provoking conflicts. One of the participants said Weinre b, an Orthodox rabbi, had no problem calling the Reform rabbi, David Ellenson, up to the Torah - even though President Moshe Katsav refuses to attach the title of "rabbi" to his name. However, on the substance of the agreement to "work together" there are various opinions. Some of the participants believe it was agreed that a mechanism would be set up for "joint work in the future" while others told Haaretz that "not too much came out of it." Nevertheless, they managed to define aims and goals. First and foremost - investing in education for the young generation. The philanthropist Michael Steinhardt put great emphasis on this point, as well as on "lowering the price of Jewish life" in America. This means lowering the price of access to synagogues, Jewish schools, cultural centers and other activities. Last year the institute held similar strategic conferences, but with slightly different participants. Then, too, in general, agreement was reached on more than a few topics. For example, that it was necessary to draw those on the fringes of Jewish civilization inward. This year, at the opening of the meeting, Bar-Yosef, the institute's director, presented a general report on the situation of the Jewish people. One sentence from that survey can sum up the results of that agreement better than any other - "The Jewish people: worldwide zero growth." The better-known historians mentioned in Wald's review, particularly the earlier ones, also agreed for the most part that "the Jews will survive as a people and civilization." But there was nevertheless one who dissented - Oswald Spangler. What kept the Jews together as a people, he stated, was "magic consensus" but, he added, this is vanishing with the years. The Jews of the Western world have assimilated into general Western culture and will disappear with it. The Jews will disappear from a historical perspective; that is inevitable, he said. There were several interesting arguments. One was over whether the Jews of America have to worry about the social welfare of the Jews of Israel. The Americans said yes - "All Jews are responsible for one another." The Israelis said no way; leave the social problems in Israel for us to deal with. Yisrael Maimon, the government representative, proposed a partnership with the Americans in technology, education, "brain investments." But the improvement of the lot of the poor, he said, must be left to the Israeli government. Prof. Dror also stressed the importance of investing in improving the situation of education in Israel. One of the central aims he presented was "to develop Israel into a learning-knowledge society." Those present discussed the level of the universities in Israel and some of them even proposed the level of at least one of these institutions be raised sufficiently to attract students from abroad in higher numbers. Reinharz of Brandeis is among those who are concerned about the situation of Jewish education. The main conclusion from the conference, he told Haaretz, was that Jewish education "is the most important element both in Israel and in the Diaspora." But an important corollary of this is that "it would be worthwhile thinking about education that is carried out in coordination." He terms this a "core curriculum" - that is, a study program whose basic content would be taught to every Jew no matter where he or she is. Real challengeThat is a real challenge, but its difficulty can be clearly seen: Who will decide on the program, who will provide the contents, how will they be agreed upon? Israel has many urgent problems, Reinharz says, and it is hard to see how it will find time to seriously deal with the future of the Jewish people. Other participants were of the opinion that the proposal would lead to quarrels and disputes. Reinharz: "Let us say we have decided there are certain chapters of the Bible that every Jew must know - how exactly will we decide which chapters these should be? Every decision of this sort takes into account values, and there will be tremendous differences of opinion between the preferences presented by the Israelis and those the Jews of the Diaspora would like, as well as divergences of opinion between the different streams of Judaism. The Reform Jews will want to stress universal and humane prophesies while the Orthodox will want to focus on particular prophesies." The Jewish schools in America are currently undergoing renewed popularity. An almost 30 percent growth in the number of those registering - but those, as Bar-Yosef pointed out, are "mostly those who are already affiliated." The schools have to become a center of attraction for others as well. And in all events, the question must be asked - what do these schools teach? Reinharz is concerned that the Jews of the Diaspora do not know enough about Israel. In the Jewish schools today, they concentrate on studying the prayer book and stories from the Bible, with less emphasis on history. He feels pupils both in Israel and the Diaspora should study the history of Zionism and the State of Israel more thoroughly.

----------------------------------------------------------------------We are drawing the blue prints, and developing a 14 year plan to find our space in the world of communities, as contributors and active participants in the peaceful co-existence of the people of the World.
God willing (Insha Allah) by the September 11, we plan to role out a Seven point program achieving the mission encrusted in the press release below. We are driven by the thought "How can we make the world a better place for every one".
Nothing has ever happened without taking a step forward.
The website www.WorldMuslimCongress.com is scheduled to be launched on Monday, September 11, 2006. It will be interactive and accommodative of diversity within Islam and aims to be a voice of the Majority of Muslims who chose moderation.
Islam is not a monolithic religion and has allowed diversity from its very inception. Justice, Liberty and freedom are its core values. God could have made us desire-less and sinless angels, instead he chose to make us human, giving guidance on one hand, temptations on the other – then giving room to make mistakes, and room to correct ourselves thru repentance. Forgiveness is a full cycle concept and not merely utterance of words. Hence, Islam is a deed based religion.
I ask whether I should seek any god besides God--when he is the Lord of all things. All people will reap the harvest of their own deeds; no one will bear another’s burden. Ultimately, all of you will return to your Lord, and he will resolve your disputes.-Qur'an, Al-An'am, Surah 6:163-164
Our silence has done a lot more damage to us than the damage done by the extremists. We have a forum now to speak up and present the majority view to the world.
If you would like to join the discussions on any topic, please send your email request to AmericanMuslimAgenda-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
--------------------------------------------------------
99% of Muslims are moderates: they want to get along with all, they want a hassle free life and they respect all that God has created, humans as well as the environment. With the exception of 1%, all our Imams are a representation of this moderate group.
You may have encountered disbelief reading the first word of this letter. Figure out 1% of 1.3 Billion Muslims and check out the figures released by the Department of State last year in May - all combined they had figured 450,000 Muslims world wide who are possibly involved in insurgent activities. Of that, a small percent is hard core terrorists. Run the numbers, the insurgents make up 1/30th of 1% of Muslim population and terrorist possibly 1/50th of 1% or less. Statistically they are not representative of Muslims or Islam in any fashion.
The responsibility for the terrorist goof up falls squarely on Muslims as well as the media. Muslims, because they acted like the silent majority of any group, minding their own business and go on living a normal life. They have condemned them bad boys, but not enough to shut them up. The media, on the other hand feasts on terrorism, look at the TV anchors and the neocons, they come alive on television. They instantly produce terrorism experts every minute of the day. This encourages the bullies as they get the flood light, it is wrong, dead wrong to shine the light on those who are not representative of Muslims.
Then there is a flawed understanding of Muslims, and it is propagated by people with short term goals or self interests and certainly not in the interest of people or even America. In the interest of promoting co-existence which would leads to peace and security for the entire mankind, we need to identify the evil and tackle without worsening it. We have to have villains and we created evils like communism, Soviet Union etc.. when they are gone, we have started barking against Muslims, the wrong tree.
Silent no more, the World Muslim Congress is forming to represent the voice of the silent majority. we are developing a board of advisors representing every faith. Every one is a neighbor to every one else, we aspire to nurture the concept of good neighborliness in the world. Our advisory board will be represented by individuals from every faith. It is time for us to be equal citizens of one world, our home. This is a major paradigm shift in how the religious organizations would conduct their business in the coming years. May be if all religious groups consider this alternative over living in secretive worlds, we may open up avenues, we never knew existed.
www.WorldMuslimCongress.com