“If you speak the truth, then I believe I am going to be a Jew tomorrow,” Mumeer Hashem, a local Imam at the Islamic Center of Boca Raton said in response to Dr. Khaleel Mohammed’s lecture on March 29 at FAU.
Mohammed came to FAU on behalf of the Florida-Israel institute to give a lecture on Islam’s Jihad (struggle): Modernity, Extremism, Anti-Zionism and Human Rights. The institute is co-sponsored by both FAU and Broward Community College. The lecture is part of a series called the Spirit of Israel Lecture Series. The Human Rights Organization at FAU helped prepare for and set up the event.
Mohammed has studied Islam in Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Syria and has also studied Christianity and Judaism. He has a PhD in Islamic Law and is currently a professor at San Diego State University.
Mohammed started off the lecture by telling the audience they had a right to challenge him if they felt his beliefs were wrong. He noted that he was a Muslim and he followed the Quranic mode. All that he asked was if anyone wished to challenge him, to bring him the proof from the Qu’ran, which is the sacred text of Islam.
“God has not changed the condition of a people until they change it themselves,” Mohammed said. He went on to explain why Muslims were so vilified in the world press. Rather than blame everything on everyone else or a Jewish and Evangelistic Christian conspiracy he believes that Muslims should ask themselves, “Have we done something to ourselves,” and find out the reasons why they are in their current state of affairs.
He admitted during the lecture that other Muslims have accused him of tearing apart his own religion.
“My message is often listened to but rarely understood,” Mohammed said.
“The majority of Muslims are a peaceful people,” Mohammed said. He explained that radical and extreme Islam grew out of resentment and turmoil. Only a small minority practice that brand of Islam. He acknowledged that this minority holds a great deal of power, but that is only because of their access to funds. They have usurped the voice of authority in Islam. Islamic extremists rely not only on the Qu’ran but also on the Hadith.
This is the major difference between Mohammed’s beliefs and other Muslim’s is that of the Hadith. The Hadith is a collection of Muslim oral traditions in which Mohammed does not believe. The Qu’ran discouraged such oral traditions and therefore it is only logical to Mohammed that today’s Muslims should reject oral traditions such as the Hadith.
“Does the Qu’ran in any way promote Zionism,” Mohammed asked? Most Muslims would answer that with a ridiculous laugh but, “how can you not come to that conclusion,” if you read the Qu’ran, Mohammed answered. He also goes on to say that the Qu’ran does in fact sanction a homeland for the Jews. Israel is not apart of the Muslim geography, which he defines as only modern day Saudi Arabia. “We have to conquer no lands,” Mohammed said while he pointed his index finger to the ceiling and spun it in circles.
Mohammed believes that the issue of Israel is an Arab-Israeli issue but Islamic radicals have turned it into an Islamic-Jewish issue and they are the ones who issued a Jihad against Israel. “Islam has been hijacked by the radical fringe,” Mohammed said.
Mohammed used an anecdote to describe the plight of Israel. “If Joan comes and beats up Marty and takes away his land and then I come,” he paused for a moment and then continued, “my daughter comes and beats up Joan and takes away her land,” the audience burst out in laughter and one member screamed out that Mohammed was trying to be a gentleman. If the descendants of Marty want the land back but the descendents of his daughter wants to keep it then legally whose land is it?
Mohammed acknowledges that Israel has committed human rights violations against Muslims. He, however, also points out that Muslims have committed human rights against Muslims. In Pakistan for instance victims of rape are often punished because the rape cannot be proved. “No where in the Qu’ran does it sanction this,” Mohammed said. He believes he must look to his own people before he can look at Israel and accuse them of human rights violations.
At one point during the lecture Mohammed was using lines from the rap artist Nelly and used the Texas slogan, “Don’t mess with Texas,” to describe President Bush’s cowboy tactics in dealing with the Arab world. He even joked about Canadians wanting to believe Canada was the holy land mentioned in the Qu’ran.
The liveliest part of the question and answer period was when Hashem, a local Imam, addressed Mohammed. Most of Hashem’s question was actually a tirade of comments and some parts were spoken in Arabic. Hashem invited Mohammed and the audience to come to his Mosque and see what they believe.
Mohammed tried to smooth things over by stating that all Muslims believe that the Qu’ran is true and is the word of Allah. What they disagreed on is whether or not the Hadith is true. “I don’t give a damn,” Mohammed said, about whether or not non-Muslims believe that the Qu’ran is from Allah.
The audience erupted in laughter after Mohammed turned to Hashem and ended the heated debate with, “If that is the criteria by which you sir, my brother, become a Jew, then shalom.” Shalom is a Hebrew word that Jews use as a form of greeting and farewell.
