In trying to understand the origins of Islam, we may have to
consider the consequences of the close tribal relationship of Jews and Arabs,
and that the Arabs might have felt offended by the claim of their ethnic cousins,
the Jews, of being chosen by God. Given the conditions of tribal rivalry a majority of
Arabs might not have been able to embrace the insights revealed to the other
branch of their family. That could also explain, why Christianity gained hardly
more than a foothold among Arabs – after all, the Christians took over the
complete Jewish Bible without any
changes.
Anyhow,
the interest of the greater part of the Arabs in the revelation to the Jews was
aroused only after a prophet had arisen in their midst, Mohammed, who felt the
divine order to reformulate the entire treasury of Biblical wisdom from an Arab
perspective. Since the new revelation which he received from the archangel
Gabriel was an Arabic one, the Arabs were now not merely at eye level with the
Jews, they were even favored.
Thus
the entire essence of Biblical wisdom became fully available to the Arabs. It
was now a wisdom given to them. As such, they could pass it on to others, as
the Christians had done before them. However,
they could accept only the Arabized Koranic versions of the Biblical
narratives as being truly revealed; the Jewish-centered Biblical versions
appeared to them to be at least partly “falsified”. Not so for Christians. They
had no reason to question the truth of the Bible, because Christianity grew up
in an environment in which tribal rivalries did not matter.
For
the Arabs this was completely different. The conflict between Jews and Arabs
might therefore very well be, at least in part, rooted in the ancient rivalry
between two closely related tribes. An indication of that rivalry is to be
found in the Biblical story of the expulsion of the ancestor of the Arabs,
Ishmael, and his mother Hagar, from the lands of patriarch Abraham (Gen 21,10ff.).
Tribal
rivalries are about leadership and tribute. The stronger tribe always demands
the clear surrender of the weaker one and enforces its claim by all available
means, but leaves off fighting immediately if the weaker one submits to its
domination.
All
these characteristics are featured in the Sharia
commandment that adherents of “the
religions of the book” must subordinate themselves under the rule of Islam.
Under such conditions Muslims could tolerate Christians and Jews for many
centuries.
When
Israel was implanted into a part of the ancient
Biblical territory, which had long since become Muslim territory, this
demand of Sharia was ignored.
Meanwhile, however, the requirement of Islamic superiority had become deeply
rooted in the identity of many Muslims. And that could very well be one of the
basic factors in the Middle East conflict down to this very day. Moreover, this
effect could reach far beyond Palestine because this same demand of Sharia has also been ignored in many
other countries within the realm of Islam, a fact which is often seen as a
relic left over from colonization.
If
you pay attention to this demand for subordination, you may also recognize in
it the roots of Al Qaeda, since Al Qaeda sees itself as the radical spearhead
of Muslims, who regard themselves as threatened in their seemingly self-evident
superiority by people who refuse to subordinate themselves.
In
subtle symbolic form this conflict might also be surfacing in the conflicting
claims to ownership over al Haram ash Sharif, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem,
which is in the possession of the Muslims, but which is claimed by the Jews as
the site of their past and future Temple.
At
this point, tribal rivalry might even affect the basic question of the truth of
the respective revelations. Enforcement and success have always been regarded
by many as proof of truth. Especially for this, among other reasons, it might
be seen as very important for Muslims that their control of these important
sanctuaries at this specific site should triumph over the claims of the Jews.
For
this reason the conflict over the Temple Mount could even lead to a future
Armageddon. Some day this age-old rivalry might be fought out militarily, with
all the world powers unwittingly involved, while at its core the issue would be
solely that of settling whether the Arab tradition, symbolized by Mohammed and
the Qur’an, is superior to the Jewish tradition.
Today,
however, there is a potential for a solution that did not hitherto exist. With
the spread of Islam far beyond the territory of the Arabs, this religion has
acquired a new quality. The old tribal rivalry no longer has coercive force.
Its claim to truth is no longer inextricably tied up with political dominance.
Mutual recognition is, in principle, possible. And the Arab Spring might open
up a pathway in this direction.
Whatever
the case, the question of the correct site for the Third Temple of the Jews
will have to be settled if peace is to prevail.
For
that purpose the appended inter-religious vision of peace might prove a
suitable instrument.
You will find more about that vision
at www.temple-project.de.