Janaan in mosque at Beit Fajjar

by Janaan Hashim

While wrapping up our one-week visit to Israel and Palestine, human nature’s ugly face left its mark in a house of worship.  Not associated with the Nobel Women’s Initiative, a sister delegate and I embarked on our own to offer our support in the small village of Beit Fajjar in Palestine.

The mosque was, indeed, torched and Qurans were visibly set aflame.  The carpet was some sort of man-made material and so the flames only went as far at the accelerant that caught fire.  Make no mistake, the heat was so intense that the tiles on the pillars weakened their adhesive and they fell off, landing in a mess on the charred floor.  The soot was thick and provided a clear layer on the walls and ceiling; kids wrote in it Islamic phrases in Arabic, such as “Allah” and “Muhammad.”  I didn’t read anything derogatory against the assailants, though clearly the opportunity was there.

Who would do this?  What was their aim?  Why damage a house of worship?

Janaan holding burnt Quran

The offenders were nearby Israeli settlers.  They left their mark above the front entrance, spray painting “Price Tag” above the door.  This is the price that the Muslims, living in the Occupied Territories, are paying.

The people there were, much to my relief, not angry or spiteful.  Hollywood would have the streets filled with demonstrators all sweaty and angry, fists pumping into the air.  They would want the impression that Muslims and Arabs are emotionally reactionary people; hot-headed if not barbaric.  An Israeli and American flag would likely be burning, perhaps the image of a settler dangling from a noose.  But just as Hollywood creates fiction, so would be such an image.

To the contrary, the imam and others that we talked to were calm and patient.  They showed us the damage; in the corner a TV crew and other media were documenting the hate crime.  At one point, they interviewed the mosque leaders who did not raise their voices or vow for revenge.  They simply allowed the damage to speak for itself.

At one point, I asked to sit and reflect in the mosque.  They left Ann and me there; Ann sitting by the front door as I found a place in the middle of the destruction, devastation and black remains.  I sat and reflected, supplicated.  I prayed for the Creator of all to keep these people strong and I prayed for the settlers who did this—for God to guide them and to realize their wrongs, to become better human beings.

Boys at Beit Fajjar

Before I left, I found myself surrounded by about 15 curious boys.  I chuckle because I knew what was going on in their minds: we have to see for ourselves the American Muslim woman who wears hijab, can it be?  I realized an all too familiar role when I travel to the Middle East not just as a sister of faith, but as an American Muslim.

I told them to remember their faith.  I told them not to let their anger make them like the people who did this, but instead, to rise to the occasion and to be the Muslims that their faith and their prophet calls upon.  The adults understood, but I wonder about this younger generation.  God willing, I hope and pray they follow the footsteps of their village leadership.

The boys followed Ann and me as we went outside and waited for the bus to return us to Bethlehem.  We noticed some activity on the street with an extremely large tarp and then, minutes later, realized what was happening.   The tarp was hoisted to the roof of the mosque and then dropped down to protect it from nature’s elements.  No loud screaming or protests from the street, just doing the next logical thing—prepare the mosque against further damage.

A few days later, Rabbi Eilberg from our delegation sent me an email with an article attached.  Much to my happiness, a group of Rabbis from a nearby settlement approached the mosque with new Qurans in hand.  They condemned the acts stating that there is no place in the Torah or Judiasm for such acts.

Imagine the effect this bold stand will have on the village leadership and villagers themselves.  Imagine that not only did they receive media attention, not only did an Irish woman and American Muslim visit, but the common hand of faith reached across the aisle to recognize a wrong.  Imagine the effect this will have on creating a better tomorrow.

Janaan Hashim is a member of the Council’s Board of Trustees and the host for Radio Islam.

A White House team, including State Department Head of Religious Freedom Peter Kovach and religion expert Mara Vanderslice attended the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religion according to Australian newspaper The Age.

The team attended unannounced but arranged a meeting to obtain guidance on Muslim relations.  “It was a great indicator of hope,” reported major speaker Imam Abdul Feisal Rauf.  “Their position was ‘we are here to learn from you.’”

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