o hear some in Europe and the United States tell it: One would think, on the one hand, that Jews and only Jews are a perpetual obstacle to peace and, on the other, that peace is the only thing that Muslims want.  To hear these same people tell it, it is not exactly clear what Jews should do, in order to bring about peace, short of disappearing off the face of the earth.  Indeed, according to various polls taken in Europe, Israel is the greatest threat to peace on the earth.  But this assessment of Arabs and Jews cannot be quite right.  If the numbers mentioned in the title of this blog-entry are correct, then there are 1000 Muslims for every 30 Jews. 

True, numbers are hardly everything.  However, they are hardly insignificant, either.  If for a moment in time all the Muslims of the world were to focus upon peace and only peace, they would have a most dramatic impact upon the world.  The ignominy of Darfur, for instance, would disappear.  Nations, in turn, would think twice about using military force, lest they should incur the wrath of the entire Muslim world. 

Imagine, if you can, a world in which millions of Muslims marched for peace and boycotted any and all acts of military aggression.  At his “I Have a Dream” speech, it is said that there were 250,000 in attendance.  There are so many Muslims, that one could have 250 million marching for peace while the remaining 750 million enjoyed a siesta.  Oh yea: Numbers make a difference.

Now, while Jews are hardly perfect, one has got to give them credit for being incredibly eclectic.  You name a position, and there is bound to be a group of Jews advocating it.  Proof par excellence of this point is the group of Jews who attended, as a show of support, Iran’s conference on the denial of the Holocaust: Neturei Karta Jews.  You can find Jews all over the world, including in Israel itself, who condemn Israeli policies in the Middle East.  Jews ain’t nothing if not eclectic!

I should one day like to see the very same eclecticism among Muslims.  To be sure, there is someone here and there who is outspoken against what Muslims do.  But overall, this is not so. 

Now, people are quick to say that this sort of thing is not reported in newspapers, because the right controls them.  Of course, those on the right insist that the media is controlled by the left.  And so it goes. 

But I don’t think it would be easy to ignore a million Muslims or even 250,000 Muslims marching for peace or protesting Palestinian violence or condemning the hanging of Muslim homosexual teenagers.  When that many people do anything, we have a media event, regardless of the side on which one stands. 

There is, then, much to be said for the dictum that actions speak louder than words.  No sober-minded person could think that I prefer London or Berlin (or any other European city) to Paris, or that I prefer strawberry ice cream to butter pecan ice cream.  I don’t think I have ever even bought strawberry ice cream for myself.  What I like in these areas is inescapably revealed by what I voluntarily do time and time again.

I have said that Jews are incredibly eclectic.  Just watch them; and you will eclecticism all over the place.  Once more: for just about any issue that people defend, you will find Jews supporting it.  So it is even in that little tiny state that goes by the name Israel.  Heterogeneity is one of the hallmarks of Jews.

When it comes to political and social issues, I do not see a like heterogeneity among Muslims.  Again, there is certainly the Muslim here and there who holds views that go against the grain.  However, it looks like it will be a cold day in hell before we see Muslims akin to the Neturei Karta Jews whom I mentioned earlier. 

If how we behave, reveals a lot about who we are, then we have some fundamental differences between Muslims and Jews.  Given the diversity of thought we find among Jews, the question that cries out for an explanation is why do not we have a like diversity of thought among Muslims.  Why aren’t there Muslims criticizing Muslim policies in the Middle East just as there are Jews criticizing Israeli policies in the Middle East?  Why aren’t there hordes of Muslims marching for peace in the Middle East every now and then, just as we find Jews marching for peace in the Middle East from time to time?  Finally, why isn’t the violence committed in other parts of the world a concern of Muslims just as it is often a concern of Jews?  Why isn’t there Muslim outrage over Darfur?  How can there not be Muslim outrage over Darfur? 

Orthodox Jews can be as rule-driven as anyone on the face of this earth can.  But hanging a teenager for being homosexual?  Surely that is beyond the pale of human decency.  Yet, one barely heard a whisper from Muslims around the world.  

Muslims in France can see shortcomings in just about everything that the French government does.  But not a word about the hanging of the Muslim teenagers.  It is difficult not to imagine that had those teenagers hung been Jews, there would have been rejoicing in the streets on the part of Muslims throughout the world

It bothers me to have said what I have just said.  But it should be more bothersome to Muslims around the world that it has a most poignant air of truth to it.  Likewise for those who can see nothing but fault in all that Jews do.  Indeed, it is striking how little criticism Islam received for that bastardly behavior of hanging those teenagers. 

I suspect that what passed for respect was none other than the fear of being called racist. 

If fate should have it that Islam shall once again dominate the world, my most fervent hope is that I shall have been long dead.  For if diversity of thought constitutes moral and social progress, then one of the monotheistic religions is, as it is currently practiced throughout the world, the very antithesis of such progress.  Judaism isn’t it.  Christianity isn’t it.  Again: Imagine, if you can, a world in which a mere one millions of Muslims marched for peace and boycotted any and all acts of military aggression, which would leave 900 million left.  The problem is that you can’t.

Many Thanks to Laurent Rougemont for the inspiration for this entry.

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