Mosques instruct Palestinians to reject peace deals as world celebrates
This Friday, September 18, Imams have been instructed to condemn the peace deals, and to warn that they pose a danger to those who signed them.
By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDSPalestinians burn pictures depicting Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump during a protest against the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain's deal with Israel to normalise relations, in Gaza City September 15, 2020(photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMMED SALEM)
Palestinians throughout the West Bank attending mosque this Friday will be told in the sermon that the peace deals signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain this week amount to high treason against the Palestinian cause, and are condemned by Allah himself.Each week the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Religion disseminates an instruction sheet outlining the content to be preached in all PA mosques during Friday prayers for that week. This Friday, September 18, Imams have been instructed to condemn the peace deals, and to warn that they pose a danger to those who signed them. The instruction sheet includes a list of surahs - chapters from the Quran - which underscore the PA's belief in the religious imperative to oppose the peace treaty.The sheet, which has been seen and translated by NGO Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) includes sermon talking points such as: “There is nothing that harms Palestine and its holy sites more than making an alliance with the Jews, being connected to them, and relying on them,” and “Obedience to the Jews and being dragged after them will lead the nation to weakness, lawlessness, humiliation, and shame.”"What is so important to understand about this specific PA hate dissemination is that the Palestinian Authority is rejecting the peace agreement not because it is with Israel but because it is with the Jews," Director of PMW Itamar Marcus told The Jerusalem Post.Imams will call on "the Arab and Islamic peoples and the free people of the world to stand with Palestine in order to bring down the agreement of humiliation and treason by the UAE and Bahrain," according to the instruction sheet, and worshippers will be urged to concentrate all their energy "to reject normalization and relations with the Zionist entity."The Abraham Accords signed at the White House on Tuesday by Israel's Prime Minsister Benjamin Netanhayu, US President Donald Trump, and the foreign ministers of the UAE and Bahrain, include a commitment to "encourage efforts to promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue to advance a culture of peace among the three Abrahamic religions and all humanity."The name of the Accords is understood to have been chosen to signify peace between the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christanity, and Islam, and their peoples across the Islamic and Christians worlds, and throughout the Jewish diaspora.But Palestinians will be reminded of Surah 2:120 which states: “And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion.”Further religious imperatives for opposing the peace treaty come in the form of a Hadith about there being one group among the nation of Islam that will continue to be on the side that adheres to the truth, will overcome their enemies, and will not be harmed by those who betray them until the end of days; it states “The Messenger of God [Muhammad] was asked: ‘Where are they?,’ and he answered: ‘In Jerusalem and its surroundings’”Believers are reminded that "distress and disasters strengthen him in his faith, confidence, and determination," and that the "source of hope – after Allah – is in endurance and resolve on the rights and principles facing the oppression of the enemies and the abandonment by the brothers and friends."
Imam's will further warn their congregations that "normalization with the Zionist entity is high treason against Palestine, Jerusalem, the blood of the Martyrs, and the suffering of the prisoners," and also that it is "one of the expressions of sanctimoniousness and hypocrisy and accepting the oppressor and his tyranny."Israel is not mentioned within the document."Although many world leaders delude themselves that the Palestinian - Israel conflict is over territory, the PA is constantly telling its people that the conflict is against Jews because of Jews’ evil nature," Marcus told the Post. "The PA Mufti told Palestinians in a public speech some years ago that the conflict with Israel is the fulfillment of the prophecy in the Hadith that the Islamic Resurrection will happen only after Muslims fight and kill the Jews."Tragically, during the week when Israelis and many Arabs across the Middle East are celebrating peace, sermons throughout the Palestinian Authority areas will again be reinforcing the PA leadership’s hatred of Jews among the Palestinian masses."
