Salatnah

By: Edward Miller, Esq.

There is a difference between a fantasy and a dream.  Fantasies are flights of imagination divorced from reality, while dreams embody the deepest of human aspirations.  Fantasies are a lonely waste of time, while dreams draw people together and plant the seeds of mankinds most wonderful accomplishments.

The June 26th editorial of Muslims Weekly concluded with a call for the religious of all faiths to ғstand together against secularism.  This has long been a fantasy of mine.  Imagine 25,000 religious Muslims and Jews marching together in the streets of Paris in protest of the French ban on the hijab and the yarmulke (Jewish scull cap) in public schools.

Imagine Imams and Rabbis, real Imams and Rabbis, one by one rising to the podium and addressing the huge crowd (men on one side, women on the other).  The religious leaders speak of how the Hijab and Yarmulke are Islamic and Jewish symbols of modesty and respect for God, reflecting the shared values of both peoples.

Our holy scholars and leaders then jointly pray for God to guide all of our children into our private religious schools,ԅ.but demand from the French government that those who must attend public schools, be permitted to do so as proud Muslims or Jews.

This fantasy has played through my mind more than once,..Muslims and Jews in the streets of France standing together in faith against the assault of secularism.  The vast gathering of Jews and Muslims so beautifully exemplifies the healing power of true faith, that it inspires and attracts many who have drifted away.

In another fantasy, two devoutly religious lawyers, one from CAIR and one from Agudath Yisrael, stand in a courtroom side by side arguing for the rights of Muslim and Jewish prisoners to conduct prayers and to have Halal/Kosher food.

In the ultimate fantasy, I see Muslim and Jewish religious leaders joining together to tackle the mother of all complicated secular challenges to religion,Ņ.nationalism.  In the fantasy, the religious leaders of both sides work out a resolution of the question of the holy places of Jerusalem.  They compromise on the hyper-nationalistic impulses calling for complete control and political domination by one side or the other.  The leaders call these impulses what they are, .secular nationalistic impulses masquerading as religion.

The fantasy concludes with the religious leaders guiding the Palestinians and Israelis to peace,Ņ..a peace which speaks to the hearts and souls of each peoples,..a peace which the elitist secular politicians have been unable to achieve,Ņ..a peace which rather than sidelining religion, is based upon it.

Muslims Weeklys call for our religious leaders to join together in the struggle to retain our faiths in these incredibly challenging times is, standing alone, a fantasy.  However, when our individual fantasies join hands, they emerge as a collective dream.  As more and more Muslims and Jews dream the same dream, and pray the same prayer, Insha-Allah, God will bring forth a new reality.