challenge taken (to Esther)

Submitted by Salahdin (Belgium), Jan 14, 2004 at 07:45

The comments made by Esther that every nation will be successfull as long as they are good to the jews seems to me a bit generalistic and reflects her simple mindedness. It was indeed during the time of the prophet Mohammad and the following centuries of islamic succes that the jews were treated well. This however doesn't mean that the muslims were successfull because they had jews in their midst. One only has to look at the very beginning of his prophethood where muhammad made a convenant with the jewish tribes that they could live together in the city of Medina. This convenant covered many issues so also military matters and so called rules of engagements in the face of an enemy attack(as there existed a tensions with the anti-muslim center of Mekka). It was indeed the jews that betrayed the muslims by attacking or facilitating the attack from inside when the anti-muslim forces of Mekka finally made their assualt. The assualt failed. The jews were subsequently expelled from Khaibar, an unprecedented sign of mercy.

So one has to have a clear insight in the underlying processes of history before making such a bold statement that jews are the source of any material succes. The correlation between succes and jews is indeed not that clear cut as Esther wants to make us believe.

Even in the years after the passing away of the prophet Muhammad, jews always sought the protection of muslims within their borders. One can look at the example of Spain until 1492.

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