Answer
Salam Dear Muhannad,
Thank you very much for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam.
The Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines anti-Semitism as, “The strong dislike or cruel and unfair treatment of Jewish people.” Perhaps, we can take this definition as the commonly held opinion among most Westerns.
The word Semite originally refers to a people who descended from Shem, son of the Prophet Noah (peace be upon him). The present day Arabs and some Jews are their descendants. These peoples are grouped under the classing Semitic peoples, chiefly because the languages Hebrew and Arabic (in addition to Aramaic and Amharic) were found to be related, deriving from a common language group
The Arabs, be they Muslims or Christians, are Semites. Ironically, hatred directed against them is rarely called anti-Semitism. To the contrary, ignorant and sometimes scheming people use the term to describe genuine Semites, such as the Palestinians. The Western media is a prime propagator of such a ruse.
There is strong evidence to suggest that many present-day Jews, particularly Ashkenazi Jews, are ethnically not Semitic, or only fractionally Semitic. Their ethnicity is primarily Eastern European, while they have maintained merely the cultural shell of their Semitic roots. This naturally does not hold true for Iraqi, Moroccan, and Yemeni Jews, among other small pockets of truly Semitic Jews.
The Zionist propaganda machine uses anti-Semitism as a tool to instantly dismiss and cast a cloud of incredibility over its opponents. It is a clever ploy to counter all criticism of Israel’s unjust policies. Few educated people are aware of the Israeli government’s gross infractions of the Geneva Convention, as it carries on its increasingly brutal ethnic cleansing of the native Palestinians in favor of the “racially superior” Jewish settlers. Israeli is an apartheid state by definition.
If a Muslim is accused of anti-Semitism for his or her criticism of Zionism, he or she should remind their accusers that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was as purely Semitic as is humanly possible, and there is none that we as Muslims revere and love more than him. An Arab Muslim should simply say, “Hey, I’m Semitic.”
Uri Avnery, a former member of the Knesset, and leader of Gush Shalom, the Israeli peace movement, has written that the decision legitimizing the assassination of Yasser Arafat is by itself a far-reaching political act. “It is intended to get the Israeli and international public used to the idea. What used to sound like a crazy plot by extreme fanatics now has the air of a legitimate political process, with only the time and mode of implementation still open.”
Can Avnery, a Jew and a citizen of Israel, be anti-Semitic? The answer according to the Zionists definition is yes. Zionists use the term anti-Semitic to smear all those who criticize the unjust policies of the Zionists state, be they Jew or Gentile.
It is clear that Muslims have no business to oppose Judaism or the Jewish people as such; their criticisms must be directed only against the racist Zionist paradigm. In fact, Muslims must give special respect to the Jews as they are considered People of the Book, along with the Christians, according to the injunctions of the Qur’an. Muslims equally revere the prophets whom the Jews consider as theirs. All these prophets were the prophets of God and the religion they taught was the same religion, namely Submission to God (literally: Islam).
Furthermore, many Jews are in fact opposed to Zionism and the existence of the Zionist state.
I quote from Harun Yahya:
At a time when anti-religious, atheist and materialist ideologies surround the world, similarities among theistic religions should be emphasized, and cooperation should be established for common aims.
Concerning the People of the Book, God gives Muslims a command in the Quran to rally to a common formula. He says in Surah 3, verse 64:
{Say: O People of the Book! come to an equitable proposition between us and you that we shall not serve any but Allah and (that) we shall not associate aught with Him, and (that) some of us shall not take others for lords besides Allah; but if they turn back, then say: Bear witness that we are Muslims.}
This is indeed our call to Christians and Jews. As people who believe in God and follow His revelations, let us rally to a common formula – faith. History proves that when we all return to the true altruistic teaching of our religions, harmony and a successful civilization will follow.
And Allah knows best. I hope this helps answer your question.
Salam and keep in touch.