For the love of Palestine

Spahic, Omer (2024) For the love of Palestine. Dar al-Wahi Publication, Kuala Lumpur. ISBN 9789670729596

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Abstract

Serving as a sequel to my previous book, "A Tribute to Gaza," this book presents a deeper understanding of the Gaza tragedy and the Palestinian issue as a whole. The book offers an intellectual, moral and spiritual – rather than a sheer impassioned - response to the grave crimes against humanity in Gaza committed by the Zionist state of Israel and its Western benefactors. Despite the situation in Gaza quickly becoming a genocide, it is disheartening that the majority of the institutionalized Western world continues to turn a blind eye to the unfolding tragedy. Without even trying to distinguish between the oppressors and the oppressed, and the violators of all conventions, all goodness and all constitutional as well as human rights and their innocent victims, the West keeps demonstrating its true colours. This book has ten chapters, shedding light on a series of important issues that are directly and indirectly related to the theme of Palestine. A very broad framework of subjects and their burning questions - such as those pertaining to history, theology, morality, socio-cultural studies, travel literature and inter-religious polemics - is covered. What stands out is the question of the Abrahamic Covenant, showing that the Covenant was conditional and that, at last, it was not the Jews who fulfilled or were supposed to fulfil the Covenant, but Prophet Muhammad and his followers (ummah) within whose bosom everyone, including the Jews, is welcome. This is followed by analysing the relationship between the Gaza genocide and the Jewish lack of sanctity of human life in general, which in turn, was constructed by the Jewish distortions of history and scriptures. A comparison between the destinies of Palestine and Bosnia and their respective experiments with the idea of nationalism, needs also to be highlighted, underscoring that while a uniquely Bosnian style of nationalism in a uniquely Bosnian set of circumstances was a good thing, the Palestinian counterpart was a misadventure. In addition, the reasons for and the circumstances in which the Israelites lost the Promised Land to its enemies, has been discussed; as were the reasons and circumstances due to which the Palestinians in particular and Muslims in general have lost Palestine to their enemy, the Zionists, representing the most aberrant form of reprobates and degenerates from the lineage of the historical Children of Israel. Some intriguing parallels can be drawn between these two somewhat similar but separated-by-ages instances. The rest of the topics are as follows: the state of Israel stands for an ultimate display of antisemitism; the significance of the Rock (Sakhrah) inside the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem; Prophet Musa’s rebellious people as an unfulfilled potential versus Prophet Muhammad’s faithful ummah as an actualized ambition and hence, the saviours of the world; and lessons in colonialism, civilization, antisemitism and peaceful interfaith coexistence from the accounts of Ali Bey el Abbassi’s visit to Jerusalem in 1807. The book is titled “For the Love of Palestine” because, although written from a scholarly perspective, each chapter has also been infused with a dose of love. This renders the book as much an academic as spiritual and even emotional yield. Besides, the content of each chapter has been fully internalized and identified with. Indeed, the book has been taken to the heart. The book is not about Palestine as a distant subject that only relates to the unknown and anonymous "other", but about our (Muslims' and humanity's) home, our people and our destiny. It is about us, for in the ontological sense, we are all Palestinians. As followers of the truth, believers in all prophets, and advocates of the revealed virtue and righteousness, we regard Palestine - as the epicentre of the truth, the land of prophets, and the microcosm of the perennial confrontations between good and evil – as a part of us and as our sanctuary, yet our spiritual home. We, therefore, are all called to share in the suffering of the innocent Palestinian people, continuously condemning and opposing the intimidators and tyrants, just as we are ready to share in the triumphs of Palestine and the triumphs of the truth. Meeting our Creator tomorrow on the Day of Judgment and facing the consequences of the Palestinian misfortune is something we hope to avoid. We aspire to be hailed as fighters and victors instead. Hence, by hook or by crook, the West-Israel axis of evil must not be allowed to win. It is expected that everyone will make a contribution. This book represents a modest stride towards that objective.

Item Type:	Book
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Palestine; Gaza; Israel; Zionism; Muslims
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc > BP1 Islam > BP170.82 Unity of Islam
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of History & Civilization
Depositing User:	Omer Spahic
Date Deposited:	05 Sep 2024 10:45
Last Modified:	05 Sep 2024 10:55
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/114264

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