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'The last thing Israel's Arabs need right now is to be portrayed as ISIS supporters'
Photo: Police
Bushra Halaila

Israel's Arabs must come out against ISIS

Op-ed: By ignoring dangerous phenomenon of young people joining jihadist group, local Arab leaders are abusing their public position.

The Islamic State's activity in the Arab society in Israel is not visible. The prevailing opinion is that it is a marginal phenomenon of several dozen young people who have crossed the lines, traveled abroad and joined the organization.

  

 

Has anyone ever asked themselves what pushed these young people to join the radical organization known as ISIS? And are the leaders of the Arab society in Israel even interested in this phenomenon and trying to stop it from spreading?

 

If we look into these young people's background, we'll see that they can be divided into several groups: Some are academics who studied or study abroad, some are unemployed, and others share a radical religious ideology. They all appear to have been infected with the bug called ISIS, which has infected many young people around the world, including Christians who have joined the organization after converting to Islam.

 

The danger is that if this phenomenon spreads among the Arab society in Israel, it will inflict irreversible damage on the sector. The relations between Jews and Arabs after Operation Protective Edge in Gaza are already murky. The Arab sector's economy has yet to recover from the fact that the Jewish public has nearly stopped visiting and shopping in the villages as a result of its anger over the Arab public's support for the Gaza Strip's residents in their struggle to free themselves of the Israeli siege.

 

The last thing we need right now is to be portrayed as ISIS supporters. It's true that the majority of the Arab public in Israel is Muslim, but the Islam we believe in is a moderate Islam which supports coexistence and a dialogue with members of all other religions.

 

Members of the Christian religion, which ISIS considers heretic, are also living among us peacefully. We try to live in coexistence with the Jews in the country despite the political disagreements between us over the need to establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

 

The majority of the Arab public in Israel does not believe that beheading innocent people just because of their ethnic origin and religion can contribute to world peace. It's a brutal act which does not represent the real Islam. We, Israel's Arabs, are proud Muslims and such actions shame is and cause damage to the religion of Islam.

 

We demand full equal rights in Israel and a complete integration into society together with the Christians, the Jews, the Druze and the Circassians, and we do not want to destroy the State of Israel and replace it with an Islamic caliphate like ISIS wants.

 

Regrettably, the representatives of the Arab parties and the local leadership have ignored the dangerous phenomenon so far and have shown indifference towards it. They preferred to bury their heads in the sand, thereby abusing their public position. They preferred to keep protecting their own interests and just get along. We haven’t seen any leadership on their part, any vision or condemnation of the phenomenon which is causing damage to Islam and to the Arab society in Israel.

 

Moreover, there appear to be no limits to the oriental imagination. Some of these leaders have told their associates that Israel and the United States founded and funded ISIS' activity.

 

The leaders of Israel's Arab society must come out strongly and openly against the phenomenon of many young Arabs from Israel joining ISIS, and launch extensive activities among the youth, the schools, the universities and the communities with the full cooperation of members of the local councils and municipalities in order to prevent teenagers from making the mistake of supporting ISIS and joining the organization.

 

The clan leaders must also work within their clans to explain the essence of the real Islam to the young people. Such activity will show both the Christian sector and the Arab sector that the Muslims in Israel seek peace and coexistence and respect the members of all other religions without giving up on the principles of the real Islam.

 

Every delay and every attempt to push this issue of the agenda of Israel's Arab public will cause us damage. This phenomenon could expand and spread, and we must prevent it at any cost so that it won't hurt us and our youth.

 

Bushra Halaila is an organizational and media consultant.

 


פרסום ראשון: 10.26.14, 00:07
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