The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all Muslims are required to undertake it at least once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to do so. For the pilgrims, it is a profound spiritual experience that wipes away sins, brings them closer to God and highlights Muslim unity.

For the Saudi royal family, which captured Mecca in the 1920s, organizing the pilgrimage is a major source of pride and legitimacy. Authorities have invested billions of dollars in modern infrastructure, but the Hajj has occasionally been marred by tragedy, as in 2015, when over 2,400 pilgrims died in a stampede.

Here’s a look at the pilgrimage, which begins on Monday, and its meaning.

What Is The History Of The Hajj Pilgrimage In Islam?

The pilgrimage draws Muslims from around the world to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, where they walk in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad and retrace the journey of Ibrahim and Ismail, or Abraham and Ishmael as they are known in the Christian and Jewish traditions.

As related in the Quran, Ibrahim is called upon to sacrifice his son Ismail as a test of faith, but God stays his hand at the last moment. Ibrahim and Ismail later are said to have built the Kaaba together. In the Christian and Jewish traditions, Abraham nearly sacrifices his other son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah, which is associated with a major holy site in Jerusalem.

The Kaaba was a center for polytheistic worship among pagan Arabs until the arrival of Islam in the 7th century, when the Prophet Muhammad consecrated the site and inaugurated the Hajj.

Muslims do not worship the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure covered in a black, gold-embroidered cloth, but view it as their most sacred place and a powerful symbol of unity and monotheism. No matter where they are in the world, Muslims face toward the Kaaba during their daily prayers.

The Hajj has been held every year since the time of the prophet, even through wars, plagues and other turmoil.

In the Middle Ages, Muslim rulers organized massive caravans with armed escorts that would depart from Cairo, Damascus and other cities. It was an arduous journey through deserts where Bedouin tribes carried out raids and demanded tribute. A notorious Bedouin raid in 1757 wiped out an entire Hajj caravan, killing thousands of pilgrims.

In 2020, amid worldwide coronavirus lockdowns, Saudi Arabia limited the pilgrimage to a few thousand citizens and local residents. This is the first year it returns to full capacity.

How Do Muslim Prepare For The Hajj?

Some pilgrims spend their whole lives saving up for the journey or wait years before getting a permit, which Saudi authorities distribute to countries based on a quota system. Travel agents offer packages catering to all income levels, and charities assist needy pilgrims.

Pilgrims begin by entering a state of spiritual purity known as “ihram.” Women forgo make-up and perfume and cover their hair, while men change into seamless terrycloth robes. The garments cannot contain any stitching, a rule intended to promote unity among rich and poor.

Pilgrims are forbidden from cutting their hair, trimming their nails or engaging in sexual intercourse while in the state of ihram. They are not supposed to argue or fight, but the heat, crowds and difficulty of the journey inevitably test people’s patience.

Many Muslims visit Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad is buried and where he built the first mosque, before heading to Mecca.

What Happens During The Hajj?

The Hajj begins with Muslims circling the Kaaba in Mecca counter-clockwise seven times while reciting prayers. Then they walk between two hills in a reenactment of Hagar’s search for water for her son, Ismail, a story that occurs in different forms in Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions.

All of this takes place inside Mecca’s Grand Mosque — the world’s largest — which encompasses the Kaaba and the two hills.

The next day, pilgrims head to Mount Arafat, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Mecca, where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon. Here, they stand in prayer throughout the day asking God for forgiveness of their sins in what many view as the spiritual high point of the pilgrimage.

Around sunset, pilgrims walk or take buses to an area called Muzdalifa, 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) west of Arafat. They pick up pebbles to use the next day in a symbolic stoning of the devil in the valley of Mina, where Muslims believe Ibrahim was tempted to ignore God’s command to sacrifice his son. The pilgrims stay for several nights in Mina in one of the largest tent camps in the world.

The pilgrimage ends with a final circling of the Kaaba and further casting of stones at Mina. Men often shave their heads and women clip a lock of hair, signaling renewal. Many will assume the title of “hajj” or “hajja” — a great honor, particularly in more traditional communities. Some paint murals on their homes with images of airplanes, ships and the Kaaba to commemorate the journey.

The final days of Hajj coincide with Eid al-Adha, or the festival of sacrifice, a joyous occasion celebrated by Muslims around the world to commemorate Ibrahim’s test of faith. During the three-day Eid, Muslims slaughter livestock and distribute the meat to the poor.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid while emphasizing the need to respect the legal and historical status quo of Jerusalem, and highlighted the importance of recognizing Jordan’s guardianship of holy places under international law.

The call came amid clashes between Israelis and Palestinians at Islam’s third holiest site, which is also considered the most sacred place in Jewish faith. Al-Aqsa compound sits atop the Old City plateau of East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Muslims call it al-Haram al-Sharif, while Jews refer to it as Temple Mount.

Around 152 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli riot police inside the mosque compound on Friday, which stoked fears of escalating conflict.

The tensions this year escalated due to Ramadan coinciding with the Jewish celebration of Passover.

According to Israeli police, hundreds of Palestinians hurled firecrackers and stones at their forces, and also toward the nearby Jewish prayer area of the Western Wall in the old city after Ramadan dawn prayers. The instigation caused the police to enter the Al-Aqsa compound to disperse and push back the crowd, during which three police officers were injured.

On Tuesday, UAE summoned the Israeli ambassador to protest against the clashes at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque. However, Sheikh Abdullah also congratulated Israeli FM on the occasion of Passover, and said that he looks forward to enhancing joint cooperation with the State of Israel in all domains and to work together to boost peace and stability in the region.

Judaism and Islam are forever bound together as sister religions.

The holiday of Rosh Hashana is a time for introspection. It is an important time to reflect on the achievements in Muslim-Jewish dialogue and the opportunities to further strengthen our bonds for the coming year.

There is much that unites us, including our shared values and traditions. Muslims and Jews working hand in hand is what will ultimately lead to the success of our region. As we usher in the Jewish new year on Monday evening, we must commit ourselves to furthering our relationship and dialogue.

The great Mahatma Gandhi once noted: “If we are to respect others’ religions as we would have them respect our own, a friendly study of the world’s religions is a sacred duty.”

As religious leaders, our responsibility is to find a path toward peaceful coexistence between all religions and all people, especially the world’s three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Over the past year, we have seen many achievements in this area. In Dubai, a group of dynamic young Emiratis arranged a joint iftar-Lag B’Omer celebration and invited Muslims and Jews to celebrate the holidays together. Our organization has arranged Shabbat meals in both Bahrain and Dubai, bringing together diplomats, Emiratis and Bahrainis — both Muslim and Jewish — to break bread and talk about our commonalities. Friday is a special day for both religions and we celebrate together.

Just a couple of weeks ago, a bar mitzvah was held in Bahrain for the first time in 16 years. In attendance were Muslims and Jews.

A few months back, Muslim and Jewish ambassadors participated in a joint panel discussion about the role of interfaith relations and how they are propelling the region forward.

Abdulla Rashed Al-Khalifa, Bahrain’s ambassador to the US; Yousef Al-Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to the US; Houda Nonoo, former Bahraini ambassador to the US; and Marc Sievers, former US ambassador to Oman, all spoke about why interfaith dialogue is critical for the region.

For 1,400 years, Judaism and Islam were inextricably linked in the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East and in medieval Spain. Each had a common ancestry, similar values and holy scriptures.

We are enjoined by our faiths to find a path toward peaceful coexistence between all religions and all people. Therefore, in order to establish a channel of communication and cooperation between Jews and Muslims, between Judaism and Islam, the following steps are necessary.

First, we must lead by example and communicate to our own congregations that peace is a basic human right. We must stand together should any of our communities suffer harassment or attacks.

And we must overcome some of the misrepresentation, demonization, stereotyping, prejudice and lack of awareness in the world through an ongoing educational process that teaches peace and respect for each religion.

Second, as each of us takes enormous pride in our own religion’s history, culture and tradition, so too must we pride ourselves on our level of understanding and tolerance of each other’s religion. Just as we encourage our own people’s pride in our own religions, we must castigate those who show intolerance and ignorance of other religions and cultures.

Third, it is our responsibility to guide our people toward looking for the inestimable value of peace, and not in the “importance” of religious conflict. Yes, the world is made up of different races, colors, ethnicities, religions, and political ideologies.

However, the seeds of peace begin to grow when people of all faiths and backgrounds are encouraged to communicate, tolerate, accept, respect, and ultimately trust one another.

As the Jewish new year approaches, let us reflect on the wise words included in the UN manifesto on the Culture of Peace, which states: “We must learn to use one another’s religious belief as ways to connect — not as reasons for conflict.” May these words serve as a guiding light for everybody in this region for the coming year.

Judaism and Islam are forever bound together as sister religions. We are intertwined in our faith, liturgy, history and culture. It behooves us to maintain an open dialogue and cherish our similarities and our differences with respect, acceptance, coexistence and love for each other. We owe it to our communities, to our people and to our common father Abraham.

Piece first published in Arab News.

Rabbi Dr. Elie Abadie is the rabbi of the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities and the senior rabbi of the Jewish Council of the Emirates. He tweets under @RabbiElieAbadie.

Featured Image courtesy Lovin Dubai.

According to a report by Al-Watan newspaper, The General Department of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance of Saudi Arabia issued directives to the preachers of all mosques across the Kingdom to warn about the dangers posed by the Islamist ideology of Muslim Brotherhood (also known as) Ikhwanul-Muslimeen in their Friday sermon on 13th November 2020.

The Council of Senior Scholars lashed out at the Muslim Brotherhood organization and termed it as a terrorist outfit that does not represent Islamic way of life. The Islamist organization was warned against, for its deviant ideology that calls for rebellion against the legitimate rulers.

“The Brotherhood pursues its partisan goals that contradict the guidance of our true religion, and it is causing discord and inciting sedition, violence, and terrorism that are contrary to the teachings of Islam”, the council said in a statement quoting verses from Koran and the sayings of Prophet Mohammed.

The preachers all over the Kingdom were instructed to read out the major points of the statement issued by the Council, during the Friday sermon on Nov.13. They were also directed to emphasize on the importance of unity and the Prophetic command to obey the Rulers in all circumstances.

Preachers were told to warn about the Brotherhood and similar organizations who use religion for their nefarious agendas.

The source mentioned that the Kingdom’s Islamic Ministry won’t show any leniency towards the preachers who purposefully violated the directives and did not show interest in protecting people against the dangers of the Islamist organizations like MB.

Muslim Brotherhood is an extremist group founded in Egypt in 1928. The key-backers of the group are Qatar and Turkey, however, as of 2015 the group was declared as a terrorist organization by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Russia, and Bahrain. The group’s literature designed by Syed Qutb and Hassan al-Banna is referred as foundational work for terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

Finding a common ground on which the principles of the Republic and freedom of worship can coexist is something that must be arrived at without foreign interference.

Religious extremism is not exclusive to Muslims, as demonstrated by the actions of Buddhist zealots in Myanmar, Jewish fundamentalists in Israel, and Christian white supremacists in the US.

There are other examples but the focus in the past two decades has been on the various Islamist movements that have embraced a revisionist and violent dogma that is shunned by the majority of Muslims around the world. Neither Al-Qaeda nor Daesh is a true representation of what more than a billion Muslims believe and practice every day.

When French President Emanuel Macron last month said that “Islam is a religion which is experiencing a crisis today, all over the world,” he was in fact generalizing and creating a stereotype that is false, insulting and misleading. He is no authority on Islam as a religion and should draw a line between the faith that is embraced by billions of people, and what is now called “political Islam,” in its various manifestations.

What Macron should focus on instead is the state of France’s 5 million Muslim citizens, most of whom were born in the country. What he should investigate are the causes of radicalization among the nation’s Muslim youths.

His remarks angered Muslims all over the world and triggered calls for a boycott of French products. Sadly, on Oct, 16, not long after Macron’s speech, a young Chechen murdered a French teacher who had shown blasphemous cartoons to his students. On Oct. 29, a Tunisian immigrant attacked worshippers in a Catholic church in Nice, killing three of them.

These are revolting murders that are condemned by all, especially French Muslims. Nothing can justify the killing of innocent people in the name of religion — any religion.

Following the two incidents, Macron should have shown the moral leadership that is needed in a polarized society. Even before the terrible murders, he should have initiated dialogue with Muslim organizations in France with the aim of addressing the challenges a majority of French Muslims face, especially the state’s failure to integrate many of them into society. The mainstream organizations have embraced the principles of the Republic, including the separation of church and state, but those on the fringes feel left out and so are easy prey for extremists.

France has a Muslim problem and has had it for some time. There have been 36 terrorist attacks in the country attributed to Muslims in the past eight years. This week Macron said he understood the feelings of Muslims about the offensive cartoons.

“I understand and respect that we can be shocked by these caricatures,” he said. “I will never accept that we can justify physical violence for these caricatures and I will always defend in my country the freedom to say, to write, to think, to draw.”

Finding a common ground on which the principles of the Republic and freedom of worship can coexist is something that must be arrived at without foreign interference. It must be done through dialogue and cooperation, rather than incitement.

This week more than 20 European Muslim organizations called on the French president to end his “divisive rhetoric” and show moral leadership. In an open letter, they said that “maligning Islam and your own Muslim citizens, closing mainstream mosques, Muslim and humanitarian rights organizations, and using this as an opportunity to stir up further hatred, has given further encouragement to racists and violent extremists.”

The main issue for French Muslims is socioeconomic and has to do with schooling, social integration and economic opportunities. The state is right to curtail foreign intervention but it must also provide alternatives and give young French Muslims the opportunity to succeed. Even Macron, in his controversial speech, admitted that the country’s Muslim citizens have been let down by successive governments. He said that France has created its own “separatism” by dumping poorer people in suburban ghettos with poor-quality housing and few jobs.

Macron should be wary of unleashing waves of Islamophobia in France that would target millions of moderate and law-abiding Muslims. According to studies, only a minority of French Muslims embraces a radical, paranoid, anti-Western version of Islam.

For Macron and his ministers to talk about civil war, a fight to death and France under siege is not the right way to resolve the nation’s Islamist crisis.

Dark clouds are looming as the far right prepares to attempt to take over in coming elections, banking on rising hatred and distrust within French society.

On the other hand, one should not fall for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s opportunistic rhetoric targeting Macron. His tussle with the French president transcends religion and is purely political. Erdogan’s incitement is both dangerous and reckless. His controversial approach to regional politics has undermined his credibility both at home and abroad. His use of religion to mobilize followers seeks to divide and serves no good purpose.

Last Friday the French Council of the Muslim Faith circulated a sermon to mosques that said this: “The law of the Republic permits these cartoons but obliges no one to like them. We can even detest them. But nothing, absolutely nothing, justifies murder.”

This is the kind of message French Muslims should embrace.

Article first published in Arab News.

Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. Twitter: @plato010

Living in a society in which different religions, cultures, languages and behaviours exist is a need of a human being. This kind of living in unison with different societies is known as Unity in diversity.

God has originated human beings to live peacefully, lovingly, without hatred and jealousy. We can learn from the life of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), how he lived in Mecca peacefully and united with the tribes of Mecca. Even in Medina he lived with the Jews to sustain peace among them.

We have to be tolerant and work along with the people who differ with us. There will be differences among people. But we have been ordered to keep up with them within the purview of Islamic Sharia rulings. If not then injustice, corruption, chaos, wrong doings and falsehood will prevail. Human societies based on pluralism will face problems of religious differences, cultural diversity and differences in values and ethics, due to the diversity of the institutional backgrounds of this plurality.

Problems can be dealt practically with awareness which will transform contradiction into integration, collision into coexistence, and intolerance into tolerance, or it can be dealt by manipulating with the emotions of the people, which will only add fuel to the fire and lead to destruction.

What is Coexistence?

Coexistence is that you are open-minded and pleased with the person who lives with you, that he lives by his doctrine, or his religion, or his group.

Establishing Peaceful coexistence—Realistic knowledge of self and of others

Man is an enemy of which he has no knowledge of and lack of knowledge makes one fanatic and irritable. Verily there are many incidents happened due to the lack of proper assessment like self-conceited attitude and belittlement of the others.

Some scholars said, “Verily we gathered many forums for religious conversations with Christians, so it made us realize that we did not understand each other properly, as we deal with them on the basis of what we know about them from our books, while many developments have occurred in their ideas and beliefs. The misunderstanding between us has complicated the crisis and expanded the split. It is our lack of understanding of others that puts us in systematic errors, and resulting in strategic mistakes”.

Tolerance

In this multicultural society, it is necessary for one to live with tolerance. We should not harm the people of other religion nor make their lives difficult whereas, we should tolerate with each other and live in peace.

God says in Quran (6:108), “Do not abuse those who invoke other than Allah, because they will abuse Allah in ignorance out of spite”.

Positive Dialogue

The only way to achieve this reconciliation (establishment of harmonious relations), is through dialogues, and dialogue is not through philosophical discourse, or winning over other’s opinion, and to triumph over it, and wanting the others to be defeated.

The dialogue that we propose and support is so, that we reach ideas that coexist in them without compromising on basic fundamentals of each group. The idea is to keep the fundamentals intact and come to terms with the others to live peacefully.

Dialogue is a legal matter, and it is derived from the Noble Quran. The term dialogue is mentioned thrice in the Quran. This shows the importance of dialogue and it is considered a fixed origin of the Islamic civilizations and a fundamental of Sharia law.

Civilization deals with tolerance, freedom, peace and tranquillity with all those who entered it. Therefore, it has made pluralism as a characteristic. Pluralism in religion, languages and sects and as a result of that a new culture has been evolved over time.

Any civilization in the world and any major country will accept pluralism, because if they intent to wipe out another civilization or other language or other religion, it will be self-destructive action. The downfall of any civilization begins when it eliminates the minorities in it. The power of great states or any civilization comes from the power of the minorities in them.

Importance of dialogue cannot be denied. Not only it is used for self-defence but rather as a step towards a peaceful mankind and building a single civilized conception for an integrated world. Positive and effective dialogue is achieved when both the parties opens up to each other and clears all the misunderstandings.

Coexistence is the building of the human civilization that we live in it. We live in this land, whether we are Muslims or non-Muslims, there is no difference in this. We all eat, we all drink, we all sleep, we all study, and we all learn and we all have our own rights in humanitarian matters.

Goals of Dialogue

Some of the important goals in dialogue are:

1. Search for commonalities with others to solve existing problems, or lessen their effects on man in our mission in essence.
2. Ensuring access to the truth, narrowing the gaps in the dispute as much as possible, and bringing views closer.
3. Responding to suspicions and appeals against Islam. In order to show Islam as it is of perfection and beauty.
4. Benefiting from the scientific achievements and civil progress of others.

Communication between religious groups

Knowledge about coexistence and communication deepens when one practically knows and experiences the culture of others, because the actual reality is more informative than theorizing, as many people take their positions on the basis of incomplete information and they are wronged and oppressed. And they may testify based on that information that is part of the truth, not all of them.

The media, for example, convey the information from their available angle, that is, of the cameraman or the viewer’s point of view, but there are still other angles that the media has not been able to access.

Genuine information about the people of any culture requires personal touch and to connect with the real people to know and understand the reality of their culture. Therefore, one of the means of consolidating (bringing together) a culture of joint coexistence is the exchange of visits and entry into the society concerned to know the rules that are based on it, and the systems by which it manages its affairs. 

Collaborative Activities

There are various fields which provide joint work among diverse people irrespective of their belief, culture, ethnicity, like human knowledge, economic activities, humanitarian aid for the war, natural disaster victims etc.

Implementing the joint programs by mutual cooperation with those who are affiliated to different religions, cultures and ethnicities will definitely give a practical model for co-existence. Such programs indeed broke many barriers and crossed many hurdles. 

Resolving conflict

That which strengthen the idea of co-existence is the strong resolve to be present between the people. Because lack of resolve is a reason for incoherence, conflict, division and disagreement.

And the need for peaceful coexistence should be a concern to everyone; be it an educator, preacher, citizen, journalist or politician. We all are required to be as much responsible in this regard.

One of the most important things is to establish a culture of tolerance, which is to know the factors of conflict and the causes of conflict and get rid of them so that the way is clear towards relations based on trust and sustainability.

Good neighbourliness

Peaceful coexistence is a great asset. One of the ways by which it can be promoted is by understanding the importance of good neighbourliness. Being good to the neighbour is necessary for living in a cohesive society. 

God says in Quran (4:36), “Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbour, the neighbour farther away, the companion at your side, the traveller, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, Allah does not like those who are self-deluding and boastful.”

Good neighbourliness brought out the characteristics of the Muslims. Their kindness, behaviour and refrainment from harming their neighbour which made other people realize and bond with the Muslims.

Fulfilling the promise

It is important that every group of the society fulfils the agreement that was discussed among themselves for a peaceful living.

God says in Quran (17:34), “And fulfil [every] commitment. Indeed, the commitment is ever [that about which one will be] questioned”.

The Threats of Coexistence

Just as there are factors that promote peaceful coexistence, there are threats to it that must be recognized and addressed consciously. Among these are the following:

First Threat: Cultural Superiority

When a group of citizens exercise superiority over other groups on the basis that they have the sole right to the homeland and that their culture is superior over all others, this attitude would threaten the social fabric where others feel inferior to the dominant culture, and this would lead to the small groups’ apprehension because of its weakness, lack, strength, and abundance of others, for fear of absorption and melting, which makes them apprehensive of any activity carried out by others, interpreting it as targeting it and seeking to eradicate it.

Supremacy may be apparent or implied in social culture, it may be real or dead, and in all cases, it will be an obstacle and threatening the unity of the social fabric.

Second Threat: Inequality in Rights and Duties

If the state distinguishes its citizens according to belief, culture, race, or any difference other than giving, then this is considered the greatest threat to coexistence.

Third Threat: Provocation

A normal person respects and appreciates others because he has self-respect, and treats people as he likes others to treat him, just as he does not accept humiliation, and offense to himself. It is natural from him not to insult others and humiliate others. In any society, people need to respect each other. If people start to humiliate each other then it is difficult to live in coexistence and peace.

Once while a Jew was selling something, he was offered a price that he was not pleased with. So, he said, “No, by Him Who gave Moses superiority over all human beings!” Hearing him, an Ansari Muslim man got up and slapped him on the face and said, “You say: By Him Who Gave Moses superiority over all human beings although the Prophet (Muhammad) is present amongst us!”

The Jew went to the Prophet and said, “O Abu-l-Qasim! I am under the assurance and contract of security, so what right does so-and-so have to slap me?”

Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) asked the other, “Why have you slapped”. He told him the whole story.

The Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) became angry, till anger appeared on his face, and said, “Don’t give superiority to any prophet amongst Allah’s Prophets, for when the trumpet will be blown, everyone on the earth and in the heavens will become unconscious except those whom Allah will exempt.

“The trumpet will be blown for the second time and I will be the first to be resurrected to see Moses holding Allah’s Throne. I will not know whether the unconsciousness which Moses received on the Day of Tur has been sufficient for him, or has he got up before me. And I do not say that there is anybody who is better than Yunus bin Matta”.

Reference of this incident is the Hadith book of Sahih al-Bukhari. In this narration, Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) prevented his companion to prefer him over Moses in order to respect the feelings of the Jew and not to hurt him. 

Fourth Threat: Discrepancy in discourse within one group

There should be unity among the people who follow a particular religion. If differences exist among themselves, then it is difficult to live in coexistence with the people of the other religion.

Desired Coexistence

It has been proven that the difference is a universal reality and a divine will that cannot be abolished. Pluralism is a social necessity, and citizenship is a human right. We have to deal with this reality consciously, achieving unity in light of diversity and complementarity with pluralism and cooperation in the common denominations. To trust the following:

1. That the state in all its institutions embody the diversity upon which society is based.
2. Commitment to citizenship rights for all.
3. Ensuring freedom of belief and worship and preaching to all.
4. Establishing institutions for collaborative joint activities.
5. Adherence to the principles and values of the nation.
6. Justice in the distribution of rights.
7. Equal treatment.
8. Respect for excellence and quality in work.
9. The use of dialogue as a means to settle disputes.
10. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Freedom is priceless in the life of man. He should have freedom of religion, freedom of thought and expression and in his dealings. No one has the right to force or impose one’s thoughts on others.

Second caliph of Islam Umar al-Khattab said, “Since when did you start enslaving people, when their mothers gave birth to them free?”

Some practical steps to establish a peaceful society

1. Apart from religious programs, conducting workshops or seminars that focus on national issues in which personalities from all the communities take part.
2. To invite dignitaries of the community in our occasions like marriage and school functions.
3. Making our neighbours of the other religion as a part of our family occasions.
4. Paying a visit to their sick. 
5. To have good relations with the police and the members in the government.
6. Inviting them over to our iftar parties.
7. Organizing Eid Milan parties on Eid-ul-Fitr.
8. To distribute water bottles to the Police officers when they are in duty especially during summer.
9. There should be a committee to eradicate the misconceptions of Islam prevalent in the society by meeting the required people in person in order to throw light on the reality of Islam.
10. There should be a Peacemaker Committee in each and every area of the cities and the villages in our country, which consist of important personalities from various religions. 
11. Establish human rights centres.
12. Spread the welfare activities, feed the people, as food brings cultures together.

Conclusion

Abdullah bin Salam, a resident of Medina at the time of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) narrated that, “When the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) arrived in Medina – the people came out to meet him. It was said that the Messenger of Allah had arrived, so I went among the people to get a look at him. When I gazed upon the face of the Messenger of Allah, I knew that this face was not the face of a liar. The first thing that he spoke about was that he said: ‘O you people! Spread the Salam, feed (others), and perform Salaat while the people are sleeping; you will enter Paradise with (the greeting of) Salam”.

Dr. R.K.Noor Mohammad is from south-Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He is PhD in Hadith Sciences from Islamic University of Madina, Saudi Arabia. He was awarded Gold Medal by the University for his research in 1991.

Tens of millions of people died and paid the price for the fragile independence of the Middle-Eastern countries, yet the colonial powers planted the seeds of hate, division and wars….

There has been a false promise of peace in the Middle-East, and the powers work in darkness to hinder peace and destabilize the fragile region by fighting real reformers and peace seeking leaders.

The Middle-East is a unique tragedy, a region that is the cradle of civilization. The region is interchangeable with the ‘Near East’, which has seen many of the world’s oldest cultures and civilizations, disasters and triumphs.

This history of the Middle-East started from the earliest human settlements, continuing through several major pre- and post-Islamic empires, to the nation-states of the Middle-East today.

Sumerians were the first people to develop complex systems as to be called “Civilization”, starting as far back as the 5th millennium BC. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh.

Mesopotamia was home to several powerful empires that came to rule almost the entire Middle-East—particularly the Assyrian Empires of 1365–1076 BC and the Neo-Assyrian Empire of 911–609 BC.

From the early 7th century BC and onwards, the Iranian Medes followed by the Achaemenid Empire and other subsequent Iranian states and empires dominated the region.

In the 1st century BC, the expanding Roman Republic absorbed the whole Eastern Mediterranean, which included much of the Near East.

The Eastern Roman Empire, today commonly known as the Byzantine Empire, ruling from the Balkans to the Euphrates, became increasingly defined by and dogmatic about Christianity, gradually creating religious rifts between the doctrines dictated by the establishment in Constantinople and believers in many parts of the Middle-East. From the 3rd century up to the course of the 7th century AD, the entire Middle-East was dominated by the Byzantines and the Sasanian Empire. From the 7th century, a new power was rising in the Middle-East, that of Islam.

The dominance of the Arabs came with a huge scientific and cultural evolution that came to a sudden end in the mid-11th century with the arrival of the Mongols mainly Turkic savages who brought the Seljuq and the Ottoman reigns that destroyed centuries of history and science.

The reign of the Ottoman Empire destroyed the once beautiful Middle-East and turned it into a living tragedy for 400 years of wars, ransacked history, art and culture, and banning advanced science in the most parts of the Middle-East.

The people of the Middle-East fought for their freedom in the late 19th century, only to fall into the greedy hands of the colonial powers in the early 20th century that carved these ancient civilizations between themselves by creating rifts which we still feel to this date.

Tens of millions of people died and paid the price for the fragile independence of the Middle-Eastern countries, yet the colonial powers planted the seeds of hate, division and wars by carving nations into borders among the other nations.

The Kurds lost their homeland Palestine with the capture of Damascus that ended up carving up Syria out of the Hashemites kingdom, that freed the people from the Ottomans only to fall under the French mandate and the Young Arab Society giving a rise to national socialists that ended up aligned with the Nazis in World War II.

The west mainly France and Great Britain are responsible for the bulk problems of the Middle-East. These powers are not helping, every time they interfere with the region they make things far worse, example the Khomeinist regime and Iranian revolution.

These powers kept the Middle-East from achieving its potential throughout the 20th and 21st century, adding insult to injury these colonial powers are preaching to their victims how they should live, interfering in their internal affairs and creating havoc in the process.

I think it is about time for Middle-Eastern nations to get over their own differences and engage in an alliance that’s beneficial to their people.

Featured-Image credits: www.OnManorama.com

Khaled Homoud Alshareef holds PhD in Business and he earned Masters in Philosophy. He often writes about Islamism, Islamist factions and modern Terrorism. He tweets under @0khalodi0.

The report made by a 10-member fact-finding team appointed by the commission also stated that the violence started immediately after a speech by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kapil Mishra, in which he openly called for forcefully removing the anti-CAA protesters at Jafrabad. But the police failed to take the “first and foremost immediate preventive step” needed to avoid violence by arresting him.

Delhi Police did not respond to the committee’s notices, the report accused.

The committee which was set up in March to look into the cause of the riots that shook India’s capital between February 23 and 27, 2020. The committee made efforts to invite the riot-victims to come forward with the information, and it documented individual victim testimonies at various sites of north-east Delhi, then they did physical surveys of the damaged religious sites. The committee sought information from the Delhi Police, but it did not get any response.

Between December 2019 and February 2020, there were a number of speeches by BJP leaders for Delhi assembly elections. But the speeches were directed at inciting the people to violence against anti-CAA protestors.

The report has explicitly recorded the hate-speeches in detail.

Violence broke out in difference pockets immediately after a short and instigating speech by BJP’s Kapil Mishra on February 23, 2020 at a place called Maujpur. He openly called for forcefully removing the anti-CAA protestors at Jafrabad in north-east Delhi. Report stated that, the threats to the protestors and people, were given in the presence of Deputy Commissioner of Police.

The report further stated that, different groups and mobs quickly fanned out to local areas of north-east Delhi after Mishra’s speech carrying weapons and arms like petrol bombs, iron rods, gas cylinders, stones and firearms, which resulted in the death of over 55 people between February 23 and 26.

“Despite the open display of weapons and firearms, sufficient actions were not taken by the district administration or police to protect life and property,” the report by the ten-member committee headed by senior Supreme Court lawyer M.R. Shamshad said.

According to the report, 11 mosques, five Islamic schools – madrasas, one shrine and one graveyard were attacked and damaged. Mobs vandalized and burnt only Muslim places of worship, namely mosques and madrasas as well as religious symbols like copies of Holy Quran. However, non-Muslim places of worship like temples in the Muslim majority areas were absolutely untouched.

The report quoted testimonies and said that police did not act even after the violence unfolded. They even refused to intervene when approached, and said that they do not have orders to do so. “This suggests that the failure to prevent violence was not due to individual or sporadic breaches, but was a pattern of deliberate inaction over several days”, report said.

The report accused the Delhi police of not enforcing prohibitory orders, and not exercising powers to disperse unlawful assemblies or to take measure to apprehend, arrest and detain those perpetrating violence.

Report stated, “Police were also complicit and abetted attacks. Where police did act, victims state that police stopped their colleagues when they attempted to disperse the crowd (do not stop them). In some cases, they merely stood as onlookers while the mobs engaged in violence. In others, they explicitly gave a go-ahead to the perpetrators to continue with rampage (do what you want)”.

It also stated that the Muslim women faced attacks on the basis of religion, and their hijabs and burqas were pulled off.

Report accused Police of sexually harassing women. “While the slogans of ‘Azadi’ (a cry for freedom from the discriminatory laws and practices) were used by the protesters, the police used the same chants of ‘Azadi’ to sexually harass women and attack them, including at least one incident of a police officer flashing his genitals in front of women protesters”, it said.

Vikrant is not alone as other Hindus also fast during Ramadan, such as fashion designer Ved Amrita from the hilly state of Uttarakhand.

He wakes up before sunrise for sahoor and abstains from food and drink the entire day, breaking his fast at sunset. Nothing unusual there for a Muslim observing the holy month of Ramadan, except Dr. Sachchidanand Vikrant is a Hindu.

“I first started fasting in 2014, when my Muslim colleague and I were conducting a joint raid on illegal drug sellers,” the drug inspector who lives in the eastern state of Bihar told Arab News. “After the operation, he asked (me) to join him in his fasts … That light-hearted talk prompted me to fast that day, and I’ve been observing it ever since.”

Vikrant initially fasted for 11 days during Ramadan, and the remaining 19 days after Eid. It has become a part of his lifestyle six years on.

“For me, this is more than a religion. It is a belief in our culture and the unity of our religions. Muslims are not others, they are a part of us, and we all have to live and coexist together in the same cultural milieu.”

Vikrant is not alone as other Hindus also fast during Ramadan, such as fashion designer Ved Amrita from the hilly state of Uttarakhand.

“It is important to express solidarity with Muslims,” Amrita told Arab News.

“For the past three years I have been observing the fast for two days in the month of Ramadan to demonstrate,” adding that the small act was an “assertion of my faith in India’s syncretic and secular tradition.”

There has been a surge in Islamophobia since the Indian government blamed a missionary group, Tablighi Jamaat, for being responsible for a spike in coronavirus cases and there have also been cases of Muslims being denied access to health care.

New Delhi-based activist Meha Dhondiyal said there was more of a need to connect during such a climate.

“For me, fasting for a few days in the month of Ramadan means connecting with Muslims and showing solidarity with them,” she told Arab News. “At a time when a deliberate attempt is being made to create Islamophobia and push the community into the corner, it becomes all the more important to connect with them. India’s strength is its religious diversity and secularism, and the festival offers an opportunity to reach out to each other.”

New Delhi-based photographer Jayshree Shukla said that the nationwide lockdown had curtailed human interaction during this Ramadan.

“Otherwise I regularly participate in iftar,” he told Arab News. “I feel a great cultural bonding at such events.” Muslims said they appreciated the gesture.

“Cultural interaction between Hindus and Muslims has been a part of the history of India,” Allahabad-based social activist Irshad Ullah told Arab News.

“For us, Hindus participating and organizing iftar for us is a normal thing. At a time when majoritarianism is dominating the political narrative, it restores our faith in the nation. We feel reassured.”