Violence between Jews, Christians, and Muslims
in the 20th century
by Rit NosotroComparative Essay
Other than official war, recount the violent interactions between Jews, Christians and Muslims in the last 100 years.
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Summary:
Since the beginning of time, there has been violence between people of different religions. In the last 100 years though, the three religions to have the most conflict have been Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Ignoring official wars, there has been considerable violence between these different religions over the years.
When we think of Christian violence directed at Jews and Muslims, the first thing that pops into mind is the Crusades, but that is not in the last one hundred years. Within the last hundred years, the times when Christians have acted violently towards Jews are primarily the Holocaust, and Russian Pogroms. In recent years though, there are examples where Americans, claiming to be Christians, have engaged in shootings, arsons, and other violent crimes against Jews residing in the US.1 These people have believed false concepts such as white people alone being God's Chosen people, or that Israel is descended from Satan.1 There are other false ideas and teachings, most of which are flagrantly unfounded, but some of which have been cleverly twisted from the Bible.
Christian violence towards Muslims is not so common in the US, although examples can be found. Outside the US, it is much more common. Albert Weatherhead, a professor at Harvard writes, "In the 1990s violence occurred between Muslims and non-Muslims in Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Chechnya, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kashmir, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, the Middle East, Sudan and Nigeria"2 What he fails to mention is that in almost everyone one of those cases the conflict is between Muslim and Christian. As you look at Christian violence towards Muslims in Indonesia, it becomes clear that the Christian militias that have formed there are generally acting in self-defense against Muslim aggressions. 3 In Kosovo, Serbian Christians committed acts of violence against the Muslims of Kosovo. Some of this was a result of Muslim violence, and some as a result of an influx of Muslims into the area, which the Serbs felt was threatening to them, perhaps along the same lines that the US felt towards Jews leading up to WWII.
From 1389 to 1829, Muslims persecuted the Orthodox Eastern Church in the Balkins after defeating a European coalition of Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian and Wallachian armies. After the Ottoman Empire was defeated by an international allience, the Balkins continued to be religious tenderbox that was most recently set a flame after the collapse of Yugoslavia only to be quenched by the offensive actions of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
Jewish violence towards Christians is practically nonexistent. Tempers flare over statements from various Christians, but physical violence is rare indeed, because many Christians are supportive of Israel, and Jews are able to get along with them on that issue.4
There has been significantly more violence from Jews to Muslims. Even before Britain withdrew from Palestine, there was already a great deal of conflict between the Muslims and Jews. In response to Muslim violence directed at Jews, the Haganah was founded in 1920.5 The word Haganah means Defense, and reflects the fact that it existed to defend the Jews. The Haganah became the Israeli Army after Independence. The Haganah was primarily a civilian group, until the Muslim attacks on Jews in Hebron in 1929, when they responded to the Muslim attacks by becoming a well trained and armed army.6 Since that time, whenever the Muslims have attacked the Jews, the Jews respond with their own attacks. These violent responses have often taken the form of bulldozing terrorist buildings, and killing all suspected terrorists. If a Muslim blew himself up in an attack on Jews, his house was more than likely to be bulldozed.
Muslims have been by far the most violently minded religion of the 20th century. It isn't politically correct, but it is none the less true. Muslims have attacked and killed Jews in Israel at every possible opportunity, despite being defeated by the outnumbered Israeli army, they have switched to using terrorist tactics. Within Muslim countries, Jews and Christians are treated like second rate citizens, and if a Muslim takes it into his mind to mistreat a Christian or Jew, there is little recourse.7 In Indonesia, Muslims attack and destroy churches and Christians on a regular basis, trying to terrorize them into forsaking Christ and converting to Islam.3 Muslims have been blowing themselves up in Israeli cafes and buses for many years now. They make no differentiation between Christians and Jews, they are all dogs to be destroyed in the Muslim mind. One excerpt from a cleric's sermon, "The Jews are Jews, whether Labor or Likud... They do not have any moderates or any advocates of peace. They are all liars... they are the terrorists. They are the ones who must be butchered and killed, as Allah the Almighty said: 'Fight them: Allah will torture them at your hands, and will humiliate them and will help you to overcome them, and will relieve the minds of the believers.."8 shows this very clearly.
There has been considerable violence between these three religions over the years, and sometimes it seems like it is at its worst during these last one hundred years. The truth is though, that when we compare the behavior of Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the last one hundred years, the Jews have been on the receiving end of most of the violence, and the Muslims have been on the providing end of the violence, directed at both Muslims and Christians.
Commentary:
The continued religious violence of Muslim nations and terrorists attacking
the state of Israel brought about the doomed idea that peace for Israel could
be be purchased by giving away their land. This extortion is evident as the
EU considers Jerusalem to be "occupied territory" and not under Israel
jurisdiction. Using the successful NATO offensive against Serbia as a precedent,
it will not be long before the UN (which is predominately Muslim) will try to
force the internationalization of Jerusalem. The USA, EU, and Russia have declared
their support the declaration of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as
its capital.
Jewish Jerusalem, like Christian Kosovo, was taken over by Muslims. It is no surprise to see international forces that have departed from their Judeo-Christian foundations to be preparing the way for the Battle of Armageddon when " the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army" (Revelation 19:19) and, "I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land." (Joel 3:2)
QuickQuiz:
1. All of the following are reasons why people claiming to be Christians engage
in violence towards Jews EXCEPT:
a) Belief that Israel is descended from Satan.
b) Knowledge that God loves all people
c) Only Aryans are God’s chosen people
d) Good old fashioned jealousy.
2. Muslims and Christians were engaged in violence in all of these countries
EXCEPT:
a) Kosovo
b) Indonesia
c) Sudan
d) Japan
3. Muslims and Jewish violence is centered primarily around:
a) Dietary differences
b) Free trade difficulties
c) Hurt pride, religious differences, and the land of Israel
d) American interference in both sides lives
Endnotes:
1. Stern, Kenneth S. Understanding the Summer of Hate http://www.ajc.org/InTheMedia/PubAntisemitism.asp?did=136
2. Weatherhead, Albert J. The Age of Muslim Wars http://www.wsfi.net/Documents/THE%20AGE%20OF%20MUSLIM%20WARS.HTM
3. LoBaido, Anthony Muslim-Christian Violence Rampant in ‘New’
Indonesia
http://www.contenderministries.org/articles/indonesia.php
4. Kress, Michael Interfaith Relations http://jewish.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1770
5. http://www.biography.ms/British_Mandate_of_Palestine.html
6. http://haganah.biography.ms/
7. Bard, Mitchell The Treatment of Jews In Arab/Islamic Countries http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/Jews_in_Arab_lands_(gen).html
8. http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1418.cfm
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