A good friend of mine from high school in Jeddah once harbored deep hatred for Jews. When he visited Abu Dhabi, I arranged a meeting with some well-educated Jews living in the country. Over a four-hour session, they addressed all his questions and dispelled many of the misconceptions he held. He promised to continue researching, but the significant takeaway was that he learned Jews don’t hate Muslims or conspire against them with Christians, that Jews are deeply connected to Israel as their ancestral homeland, that extremists exist in all communities, and that myths like Jews wanting to take Mecca are baseless. He realized Jews are just people, and they certainly don’t have “fangs”, and millions of Muslims are named after Jewish/Israelite heroes! The root of this hate lies in indoctrination, stemming from certain educational and religious interpretations. But once you sit down with those you were taught to hate, listen to their perspectives, and learn about their culture, heritage, and language, things start to change. I plan to organize more workshops similar to this preliminary session with my friend from Jeddah. This is the only way forward to combat hate. Communication is key, and through it, we can build peace and understanding. Inshallah, we will prevail.
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