Integrative Issue Essay (IIE) #2
Various theologies and beliefs have shaped the historical relationships among Muslims, Jews, and Christians. However, the historical circumstances that they have found themselves in have also affected their relations. Consequently, history is the foundation for religious comprehension because, at every period, the definition of the relations between the major religions changed and probably became more complicated. Religious identities, as well as other social, economic, or political factors, played an essential role in the way the different groups treated the other. The factors included linguistic behaviors, religious identities, and cultural heritage, including race. In some regions, ethnic identities intersected with religious identities, for example, the equating of Muslims with Arabs and Christians with Jews.
Thesis: Although religious groups could play a decisive role in promoting peace, the historical relationship between Jews, Christians and Muslims within the political states of Western Europe, North America and the Middle East is mostly characterized by conflict and war.
Although the interaction between Christians, Muslims and Jews has historically been from the perspective of conflict, they have also engaged in attempts to achieve peace in various parts of the world. The international community has, in many instances, brought representatives from the main religions on the peace negotiation table to find lasting solutions to major conflicts.[1] Peace negotiations involving the major world religions appeal to their values, such as peace and forgiveness. Basically, during negotiations, peace brokers appeal to people with different religious affiliations to forget historical differences and embrace peace and forgiveness. However, most of the history of the interactions is typified by significant wars and conflicts.
Geographical regions and societies were essential foundations for the relationship between Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Many countries in the middle east, such as Palestine, were home to Muslims and Christians, who interacted from the perspective of land ownership. During the Ottoman Empire, for example, Palestine consisted of 80% Muslims and Christians Arabs, who interacted on numerous avenues, such as land ownership.[2] However, with time, the Jewish community increased in Palestine due to migration and birth. Zionism was born and took roots in Palestine, informing the disputes mostly between Muslims and Jews regarding the control over the Holy City, Jerusalem.[3] Besides, Zionists, especially under the British Mandate, made attempts to build their state in Palestine, which made the conflict with Muslims worse.[4] The ideological differences are the reason for the enduring conflict in the Middle East.
The relationship between the different religions in the political states of Western Europe, North America and the Middle East are founded on the history of historical injustices. For example, although North America is founded on the respect for universal human rights, the country has a long history of discrimination and other historical injustices, such as a denial of the right to own property. For example, the European colonizers in the country were mainly Christians. They built their wealth around the enslavement of individuals, mainly from Africa. Although conducted slave reparations and apologized to the freed slaves, the actions did not end the history of discrimination in the US.[5] The historical injustices in North America created the grounds for later discrimination against other groups, including Muslims and Jews, on religions and racial grounds.
Although other religious groups have had complicated relationships, Jews have been the worst affected in terms of religious interactions. Historical interactions between Christians and Jews and between Muslims and Jews reveal how Jews have been discriminated against, excluded and even persecuted. Some texts trace the relationship from the middle ages to establish the differences in the way Christians and Muslims treated Jews. In most societies in the middle east and Europe, Jews were significantly excluded from society.[6] In fact, the whole history of Jews is characterized by efforts to belong, which was difficult to the point of massacre and genocide.
More than any other group, Jews experienced significant discrimination and even persecution in the hands of Christians, especially in Europe. The primary genesis of the conflict between the two groups was the death of Christ, which Christians blamed on Jews. Christians considered them a condemned lot “brood of vipers” [Matt. 3:7]. They further used John 8 [39,44] “If you were Abraham’s children ye would do what Abraham did” to justify their treatment of Jews. Using the verses and the blame on Jews for the death of Christ, Christians were completely against Jews and treated them with disdain.[7] The hatred led to the worst massacre of Jews in the history of Europe under Hitler.[8] Among the three religious groups, Jews appear to have experienced the worst form of discrimination and racism in history.
The history of racism in the United States and Europe has a major association with religion. European colonists who colonized America and other regions across the world were mostly Christians. In fact, besides their skin color, religious status was an essential condition in the relationship between the master and slave.[9] Although the relationship between Christians and Jews and between Christians and Jews and Muslims kept changing throughout the history of their interactions, for the most part, they were conflictual. European Christians, for example, believed that they were the dominant race and discriminated against Jews and became the genesis of racism in Europe and America.
The theme that relates to the relationship between the three religions is “The Roots of Contemporary Conflicts”. The readings indicate the deep historical roots of conflicts between people with different ideological systems and religious beliefs. Various conflicts around the world were initiated by the differences in the religious beliefs of Christians, Muslims and Jews. For example, in the middle east, the difference regarding who owns the holy city, whether Muslims or Jews, is the leading cause of the perpetual war between Muslims and Jews (the Palestine-Israeli war). Furthermore, although other conflicts, such as the massacre against Jews in Europe ended, the history of racism remains. The theme relates to numerous case studies of historical wars and disputes emanating from religious differences.
In conclusion, the history of the relationship between Muslims, Jews and Christians in Europe, North America and the Middle East is complicated. It is marked with periods of conflicts between the followers of the religions based on ideologies, such as resource ownership (Muslims and Jews in the Middle East), and the belief in dominance (the conflict between Christians and Jews in Europe and North America). The relationship remains critical to-date because of the ongoing conflicts, such as between Palestine and Israel. History can aid the understanding of the conflicts and other historical injustices, such as racism. An important question raised in the readings is whether the conflicts will ever end amid current religious peace-keeping attempts to end enduring wars around the world.
Bibliography
Cohen, Mark R. Under Crescent and Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages, rev. ed. (Princeton: Princeton University Press. 2008)
Fredrickson, George M. Racism: A short history. Princeton University Press, 2015.
Gettleman, Marvin, & Stuart Schaar. The Middle East and Islamic world Reader (New York: Grove Press, 2003)
Lackey, Michael. “Nazi Children, Christian Anti-Semitism, and the New Atheist in William Styron’s Sophie’s Choice.” Modern Fiction Studies 60, no. 1 (2014): 138-164.
Lewis, Bernard. The Jews of Islam: Updated Edition. Vol. 86. Princeton University Press, 2014.
Martin H. Bertram, “On The Jews and Their Lies, Luther’s Works, Vol 47” (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1971).
Shelton Dinah. Chapter 6 Litigation and Political Action to Address Historic Injustices in the United States Problems and Prospects, pp. 97-124
Stearns, Peter N. Peace in World History (New York: Routledge, 2014)
The Israeli-Palestinian Struggle: Primary Sources
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