Unlikely Friends: Jews and Muslims Together on Facebook

Being a part of this group has opened my eyes to the fact that not every Arab or Muslim in the world is a war mongering, death-loving anti-Semite.  It showed me that there are Muslims who are quite the opposite, and who love G-d and their fellow man as much as I do.

Facebook abounds with groups designed to bring people with like interests together.  Some are there for information, some for support, and some are there to facilitate the exchange of rides, goods or recipes.  But there’s one group on Facebook that is building bridges between Jews and Muslims.

This group is made up of pro-Israel Jews and Muslims from all over the world, but a surprisingly high number of the members live in Israel or other Middle Eastern countries.

The group is secret, so don’t go searching for it.  And there’s a good reason why.  In the Muslim world its not okay to be pro-Israel. Many of the members of the group have had to create “fake” Facebook profiles so that they are not using their real names just in case an undercover antagonist should join the group or someone should be “outed,” the consequences of which could be life-threatening.

Learning to Understand Each Other

A lot of the discussion in the group centers on politics – what’s going on in the world, who’s threatening whom, all of the murders – the latter usually ends with pointing out how the world is always ready to take Israel to task for the smallest things but turns a blind eye to the horrific things going on in the rest of the Middle East.

But much more of the discussion focuses on understanding.  Jews and Muslims alike post questions – real, searching-for-meaning types of questions, so that they can better understand their cousins.

The result is that both sides see that there are good people out there, even if we don’t have the same ideologies, or follow the same religions – or any religions.  Not everyone in the group is religious; the group is labeled as secular, although honest and searching religious discussion is allowed.

Being a part of this group has opened my eyes to the fact that not every Arab or Muslim in the world is a war mongering, death-loving anti-Semite.  It showed me that there are Muslims who are quite the opposite, and who love G-d and their fellow man as much as I do.

Even in the Midst of War

I was very glad for this group when Hamas waged war against us (Israel) this summer.  As sirens were sounding and military aircraft flying overhead, as we made phone calls to check on loved ones and listened for the telltale overhead boom that frequently followed a siren, it was easy to find hatred building inside of me.

But then I would get on the Facebook group and my Muslim cousins would ask if everyone was okay.  They would tell us how sorry they were that this was happening to us.

After the massacre in Har Nof last week, which hit way too close to home – I’ve been to that synagogue on more than one occasion – I once again sought solace on the Facebook page, and shared with the group how truly grateful I was that I was a part of this very unique and special group.  For without it, it would be so easy to just throw all Arabs and Muslims into the box of “terrorists” and be done with it.

They ‘Get It,’ Too

And the interesting thing is that the understanding that is being fostered in the group isn’t one-sided.  They get it, too. One Muslim member shared a story just today that touched my heart:

“I met an Orthodox Jewish man today whose wife is going through radiation therapy for cancer that metastasized…I’ve never approached someone with a Jewish greeting, but I was compelled to say Shalom and he responded with,  ‘aleichem shalom’ and a smile.

He looked tense, so I asked him if there was something I could do to help. To my surprise he opened up to me and said what worried him was not his wife’s cancer, but what he should say or do to help her through her excruciating therapy, because it’s taking a heavy emotional toll on her.

I told him the prayer of Moses from the Qur’an, something I used to say to myself before speaking to my grandfather, because I wanted to comfort him properly after the doctors gave a poor prognosis. It’s the prayer Moses made before confronting the Pharaoh, so whenever I am afraid to face a fear I say at least part of it. This is the prayer: ‘My Lord, I ask you to expand my chest, make my task easy, undo the knot in my tongue so that my speech will become powerful.’

A tear fell onto his beard after he heard the prayer because he said he was praying to God for strength right before I approached him and just after he finished I said Shalom, then shared the prayer Moses used to gain strength.

This group has given me a weird confidence around Jews.”

This group has taught me that it is possible to have peace and understanding between Muslims and Jews when both sides want that.  It may be an unlikely alliance, but, at least on Facebook, it’s beginning to happen.

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