16 April 2007 from CIRB-Hezbollah to H.E. Chief Rabbi David Rosen
From: CIRB Hezbollah [mailto:cirb.hezbollah@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 3:05 PM
To: H.E.Rabbi David Rosen
Cc: khelafat@dhaka.net
Subject: Archive: Letter to Israel
To : American Jewish Committee (AJC)
Attn: H.E. Rabbi David Rosen,
International Director of Inter-religious Affairs, AJC.
Excellency,
Assalamu Alaikum.
I am forwarding to you copy of a letter which we wrote to the Head of the State of Israel on 2nd September 2001.
I am committed to do my best to bring together the doer of good deeds and faithful monotheistic believers, irrespective of communities, to fulfill Divine Will.
I seek your understanding and cooperation.
May Allah forgive us.
Best wishes and best regards.
Kazi Azizul Huq
Ibn Abdul Huq Ibn Izzatullah Ibn Abdul Hamid
Designations:
Founder Convener of RRCCMC&J and CIRB(Hezbollah)
International Affairs Secretary, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon.
Enclosure : Letter to H.E. President Moshe Katsav, Israel.
----------------
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
Original Date: 2nd September 2001 A.D. Re-sent on: 16th April 2007 A.D.
To : His Excellency Mr. Moshe Katsav, Honorable President of the State of Israel.
Cc:
H.E. Chief Rabbi David Rosen KCSG, President of the International Jewish
Committee for Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC); International Director of Interreligious Affairs, American Jewish Committee (AJC).
Excellency President, dear brother in Abrahamic Faith,
I call you my brother, because we believe in the Prophethood of Hazrat Moses Alaihissalam which is testified by the Last Prophet of Allah i.e. Hazrat Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Sallallaho Alaihissalam.
We are the closest and the most compassionate kin of Bani Israel. We have learnt form the Last Revealed Scripture of Allah i.e. The Holy Quran, about the inhuman sufferings inflicted on Bani Israel by Pharaoh. We are definitely partisan of Prophet Hazrat Moses Alsihissalam and his pious & obedient followers amongst Bani Israel. We are completely against Pharaoh and the oppressors like Pharaoh whom we treat to be enemies of Allah and of His Prophets.
Allah Says us in the Holy Quran :
" The apostle believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers ; they all believe in Allah and His angels and His books and His apostles ; We make no difference between any of His apostles: and they say : We hear and obey, our Lord ! Thy forgiveness (do we crave) , and to Thee is the end of all journeys."- (The Holy Quran 2 : 285, Sura Baqarah, Verse No.285).
Allah says in the Holy Quran :
"O people ! be careful of (your duty to) your Lord, Who created you from a single being (Adam) and created his mate (Eve) of the same (kind) and spread from these two many men and women ; and be careful of (your duty to ) Allah, by whom you demand one of the another (your rights) , and (to) the ties of relationship ; surely Allah ever watches over you." (The Quran 4:1 Sura Nisa, Verse No.1)
Therefore, all pious Muslims believe in One Allah, His angels, His books, His apostles ; pious Muslims do not make difference between apostles of Allah ; pious Muslims are modest and they beg forgiveness of Allah ; pious Muslims believe that Allah created mankind from a single pair of parents, i.e. Hazrat Adam Aslaihissalam and his wife Hazrat Eve Alaihissalam - thus the mankind is the progeny of Adam and Eve and are related to each other by blood. Pious Muslims do not believe in the atheistic hypothesis of evolution regarding origin of man which propagates the basis of discrimination i.e. man was originated in different races.
Pious Muslims are inherently non-arrogant, modest and compassionate. It is for the sake of Allah only that they sometime become hard. In fact All apostles of Allah and believers including Hazrat Moses Alaihissalam and his pious followers are Muslims. Islam means surrendering to Allah. Muslim means who has surrendered to Allah. Muslims are neither any race nor any tribe nor any ethnic community. Last apostle of Allah i.e. Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Sallallaho Alaihissalam was brotherly and compassionate to the Jewish people. But unfortunately some of his neighboring Jews turned to be the enemies of Allah. He was required by Allah to be hard to the enemies of Allah.
Divine Revelation in Sura Maidah (V) of the Holy Quran :-
" Verse - 20. And when Musa said to his people : O my people ! remember the favor of Allah upon you when He raised prophets among you and made you kings and gave you what He had not given to any other among the nations. "
" Verse - 21. O my people ! enter the holy land which Allah has prescribed for you and turn not on your backs for then you will turn back losers."
" Verse - 24. They said : O Musa ! we shall never enter it so long as they are in it; go therefore you and your Lord, then fight you both, surely we will here sit down."
" Verse - 25. He (Musa) said : My Lord ! surely I have no control (upon any) but my own self and my brother ; therefore make a separation between us and the nation of transgressors. " (The Holy Quran, Sura Maidah, Sura No.5 )
Kindly verify above facts from your own sources and Rabbi. The way the State of Israel was created by wiping out indigenous population of Palestine, is not justifiable even in accordance with the principles of the prevailing Western Civilization and its institutions - while the western civilization and its institutions owes largely its existence and promotion to our Jewish brethren. It is a contradiction. It is highly irrational.
Nevertheless, realities on the ground have been accepted by the Palestinians as well as by the neighboring states. Then by what Commandment of the Ten Commandments you are denying the inalienable rights of your Muslim and Christian fellows to have a separate Palestinian homeland ?
Let there be light. Let there be peace. Let again the exalted place of Jerusalem be upheld.
Sincerely your brother in Abrahamic Faith,
Kazi Azizul Huque (Ibn Abdul Huq Ibn Izzatullah Ibn Abdul Hamid),
Convener
Revolutionary Reconciliatory Command Council for Muslims, Christians & Jews (RRCCMC&J)
-a spiritual organ sponsored by
Council of Islamic Revolutionaries of Bangladesh (CIRB-HEZBOLLAH)
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17 April 2007 from H.E. Chief Rabbi David Rosen to CIRB-Hezbollah
from David Rosen hide details Apr 17
reply-to rosend@ajc.org.il
to cirb.hezbollah@gmail.com
cc khelafat@dhaka.net
date Apr 17, 2007 7:32 PM
subject FW: Letter to Israel
mailed-by ajc.org.il
Alaikum El Salam,
Your Excellency may not be aware of the following:-
-Twenty per cent of the State of Israel are Arabs – ninety per cent of them being Muslims – who are full citizens of the State of Israel.
- Israel's Declaration of Independence 1. affirms equality of rights for non-Jews – a position energetically defended by the Israeli courts and 2. calls on the Arab states to live in peace with her .
- Israeli leaders called on the Arab population not to leave their homes in the build up and during the fighting of 1948.
-In 1967 Israel sent a letter via the US to King Hussein urging him not to join Egypt and Syria in trying to exterminate Israel. Hussein ignored this warning and lost control of East Jerusalem and the West Bank as a result. Israel did not force Arab residents to flee – this was their (misguided) choice (substantially fueled by anti-Jewish propaganda.).
- Israel's first president Chaim Weizman signed a concordat of cooperation with the Emir Feisal as leader of the Arab world in 1919. Most Arab nations ignored this and launched hostilities and then war against Israel which led to the tragedy of Palestinian displaced persons.
These points make it clear that Israel has never sought to wipe out any population in the Holy Land/mandatory Palestine, but has sought and seeks to live in peace with them and guaranteeing that in its own society, all are equal before the law and equality of franchise, regardless of religion or race.
As far as a Palestinian state is concerned, the goal of establishing such ( a two states solution) is the official policy of the State of Israel, for which it withdrew at the time from the territories in the West Bank under the Oslo accords. Unfortunately, Palestinian violence forced Israel to reoccupy much of these. If the Palestinians will recognize Israel and cease violent acts against its citizens, they will gain their legitimate aspiration for a state (which is actually in the interests of the State of Israel as well.)
Blessings from Al Kuds Al Sharifa in the prayer that all who hold Jerusalem dear will be able to enjoy her sanctity and beauty in safety and dignity.
Allah makom,
David Rosen
Chief Rabbi David Rosen, KCSG
International Director of Interreligious Affairs, American Jewish Committee (AJC)
President, the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC),
tel:+972-2-6255281 fax:+972-2-6256527
mailto:rosend@ajc.org http://www:rabbidavidrosen.net
------------------------------------
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Dhaka, 7 May 2007
To:
1. H.E. King Abdulllah Ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
2. H.E. Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Leader, Islamic Republic of Iran
Cc:
1. H.E. President Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinezad, Hon. President IR Iran
2. H.E. Prince Saud Al Faisal, Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of KSA
3. H.E. Chief Rabbi David Rosen, KCSG, President of the International Jewish
Committee for Interreligious Consultations
Muhtaram,
Assalamu Alaikum.
H.E. Chief Rabbi David Rosen, KCSG, International Director of Inter-religious Affairs, American Jewish Committee and President of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations, sent us a reply presenting Israeli position in response to our call for agreeing the inalienable rights of the Palestinians to have a separate viable homeland and to uphold the exalted place of Jerusalem.
Earlier we had a series of correspondence and consultation with Dr. Richard L. Benkin (Special Advisor to Intelligence Summit on Bangladesh Affairs) of American Jewish Committee (AJC). We had 3 rounds of meeting with him when he visited Dhaka last January. He sought our support for removal of ban on travel to Israel and subsequently for Bangladesh-Israel diplomatic relation. We told him, if Israel retreats to 1948 borders and agrees to joint administration of Jerusalem by friendly Muslims-Christians-Jewish clerics, we agree to recognize the State of Israel. Unless we know the territory and boundary of Israel and unless the status and administration of Jerusalem is agreed, it is difficult for Islamic parties and activists to recognize Israel.
Moreover, the sort of God-less secular democracy practiced in Israel that defends the Gays & Homosexuals to parade on the streets of the Holy City of Jerusalem is not acceptable to us. Rather if Israel enacts the laws of the Torah as the law of the state, Israel will be more acceptable to us than many other secular Muslim states.
We agreed to write to our government for removal of travel ban on Israel (we have already written to our Government). For our support for recognition of Israel and diplomatic relation, we suggested him to pursue Saudi Government. After the Saudi Government recognizes the State of Israel and establishes diplomatic relation, it will be possible for Bangladesh Government to recognize the State of Israel and establish diplomatic relation.
Meanwhile, we requested them to recognize HAMAS and the Unity Government in Palestine achieved through Saudi mediation. But they seem to be more prejudiced than the Muslims and the Palestinians. However, things are in progress and we think it is time to understand that the Jews, Israel & USA are not the prime enemy of the Muslims. British Government has been the prime enemy of the Muslims and of the believers. The British Government is the prime mover of God-less culture and values. They are trying to De-Faith the Muslim societies. They are trying to undermine marriage, promote fornication, and introduce Live-together and Gay culture in our societies. They have been promoting the fight between the Jews and Muslims to rule the world. We think, it is time for the Muslims and the Jews and the oppressed peoples of the world to unite to foil all British conspiracies to keep their God-less evil political/cultural domination over the world.
We request your excellency to kindly study their reply and provide us with materials to continue this consultation. We are hopeful, it will deliver.
May Allah forgive us all.
Maassalam.
Kazi Azizul Huq (ibn Abdul Huq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdul Hamid)
Ph:+880-2-9881436, Cell:+880-(0)-1819-407963
E-mails: kahuq@dhaka.net, khelafat@dhaka.net, cirb.hezbollah@gmail.com
Designations: Founder Convener of CIRB-Hezbollah
----------------------
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Friday, 11th May 2007
To: His Excellency Chief Rabbi David Rosen, KCSG
Cc: H.E. King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, HRH King of Saudi Arabia
H.E. Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran
H.E. Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, CA, Government of Bangladesh
H.E. Secretary-General, Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), Jeddah
Excellency,
Assalamu Alaikum.
We sent copy of your letter to the leaders and policy makers of the Governments of Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, IR Iran and OIC. We have been discussing your points among our Islamic Clergies, intellectuals and activists.
We draw your kind attention to following points:
1. The Government of the State of Israel is a privileged state authority, and therefore has greater responsibility than the Palestinians who are the underprivileged.
2. We do not support any policy to wipeout the State of Israel.
3.
We insist that the State of Israel should
(a) abandon belligerency ,
(b) leave all occupied lands,
(c) retreat to her 1948 borders and
(d) implement mutually agreed joint administration of the Holy City of Jerusalem by friendly clergies of Jews, Christians and Muslims who will agree access of followers of all Abrahamic Religions to respective Holy sites.
In exchange
(i) The Palestinians and their patrons have to abandon all belligerency against the State of Israel and make real commitment to coexist peacefully as brotherly states and good neighbors.
(ii) Citizenship Laws of the State of Palestine should be fair and accept Jewish population in their territory as legitimate citizens of the State of Palestine.
We hope that Your Excellency will kindly discuss above among you and find out ways to get out of the impasse in mutual interest.
We remain committed to do our best to reach a solution that can be practically implemented.
May Allah forgive us all and help us all to be brotherly to each other and get rid of prejudices and mutual suspicion & hatred.
With best wishes and best regards.
Maassalam.
Kazi Azizul Huq
Founder Convener of CIRB-Hezbollah
----------------------
8 June 2007 from Kazi Azizul Huq to Chief Rabbi David Rosen
From: "Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon"
To: "Chief Rabbi David Rosen"
Cc: cirb.hezbollah@gmail.com
Subject: Your mail of 17 April 2007
Date: 08/06/07 16:18
Dhaka, Friday June 08, 2007.
To: H.E. Chief Rabbi Rosen David KCSG
International Director of Interreligious Affairs, American Jewish Committee (AJC)
President, the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC).
Excellency,
Assalamu Alaikum.
Reference the points raised in your excellency’s e-mail of 17 April 2007, Palestinian Authority yesterday informed us a few points to be communicated to you as follows:-
QUOTE
Equality of Citizenship in Israel:
It is not true that all citizens irrespective of Jews or Arab Muslims enjoy equal status and opportunities in Israel. Even all Jews are not equal in Israel.
There are 3 classes of Jews in Israel:
(a) Western Jews (European/American) – the privileged Class
(b) Eastern Jews (Middle Eastern) – the under-privileged Class
(c) Black Jews (African) – like the slave Class
Western Jews (from Europe/USA/Canada) enjoy higher status and opportunities in Israel. Eastern Jews and African Jews suffer discrimination.
Arabs generally suffer more severe discrimination and frequent persecution, intimidation and suffocation. Even those Arabs who are in good book of the Jews and have been made Knesset members are not spared from frivolous allegations and charges based on communal suspicion.
Territory and Border of Israel :
On the entrance of Israeli Knesset (Parliament) and on one side of Israeli currency the territory of Israel is shown from the Nile to the Euphrates.
It indicates Israel’s belligerent provocative nature.
Right of Return:
The Jews from anywhere in the world are considered to have the Right of Return to Israel – though those Jews or their parents or their grandparents were not inhabitant of that land.
Palestinians who themselves or their parents or their grandparents were inhabitant of that land are denied of the Right of Return.
UNQUOTE
Kindly check and confirm us the facts and inform us of your opinion and suggestions about the possible solutions (may be more than one options).
We are pursuing our government to lift ban on travel to Israel. We also think that ban on communication, shipping, transports, business transactions etc., should also be removed. In our opinion these ban are rather harming the Muslims and the Palestinians. If all the Muslim state parties and communities remove these barriers and let their people sit face to face and transact with the Jews and Israel - it will create a better environment for solving our mutual problems and differences.
We like to continue this communication and dialogue. We are also considering to invite your excellency to any suitable event in Dhaka.
We shall be waiting for your kind reply and continuation of the Dialogue.
May Allah Bless us with His Forgiveness and His Generosity to overcome our current impasse and move forward as brotherly and friendly communities committed to the path of virtue indicated in the Divine Revelations, Prophetic Missions and human experience.
Massalam.
Kazi Azizul Huq (ibn Abdulhuq ibn Izzatullah ibn Abdulhamid)
Founder Convener of CIRB-Hezbollah
Intenational Affais Secretary of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon
Team Leader of Human Rights Forum (HRF)
------------------------------------------------
8 June 2007 From Chief Rabbi David Rosen to Kazi Azizul Huq
Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2007 17:05:17 +0300
From: Sharon Rosen
Subject: FW: Your mail of June 8 2007
To: khelafat@dhaka.net, cirb.hezbollah@gmail.com
Cc: 'David Rosen'
W'aleikom elSalaam to your Excellency.
Forgive me from replying from home (on my wife's computer) as I am shortly about to leave on travels for the next ten days and did not want to delay replying to Your Honour.
Allow me to express my appreciation for the spirit in which you have initiated and continue this discussion – in keeping with the injunctions of the Prophet PBUH, to engage others – especially the Peoples of the Book – in respectful discourse; and in keeping with his revelation of the Divine injunction "to know one another".
I am also grateful for the opportunity you offer me to dispel distortions, falsehoods and myths, that have become widespread as a result of the poison of politics and propaganda which "blind the eyes of the wise and distorts the words of the just ".
I refer to your points in the order you have numbered them.
1. This allegation reveals great ignorance regarding Israeli politics and society. Not only is there complete equality of franchise for Arabs and Jews whether Sephardic (from the ME, Asia and Africa – essentially Muslim lands) or Ashkenazic ( essentially from European lands), but the current President of Israel, the Minister of Defense, the Attorney General, the Chief of Staff (and I could go on) are all Sephardic Jews and the Sephardic religious party, Shas, is currently being "courted" by the candidates for the next presidency, revealing the degree to which it exerts control in Israeli political life.
Moreover my own son-in-law's parents come from Morocco and I certainly do not consider him not our grandchildren to be second class citizens in any way.
I can only conclude that the strange and spurious reference to Black African Jews concerns Jews from Ethiopia (there are of course many black Jews from Yemen and Jews from southern Africa residing in Israel.) It is true that Ethiopian Jews face many difficulties due to the fact that before their return to the Jewish homeland they have lived in a very different and disadvantaged cultural context without the same educational opportunities. However not only is there no institutional discrimination against them, but the State actually allocates additional resources for social and educational services as a means of affirmative action.
The complete falsehood of this allegation about different classes of Jews, should lead you to conclude that the allegations concerning Israel's Arab citizens are similarly as false.
2. There is no emblem of Israel's currency at the Knesset. However there is a pattern on the ten agorot coin (approximately one penny sterling – hardly a significant coinage !) that could be seen as a map of the Middle East and may be seen as an allusion to the journeys of our Father Abraham. There is no basis to any claim that the motive behind this outline on the ten agorot coin is belligerent (and as I say, if there would have been any significant motive, it would have made sense to use a more prestigious coin or note! ) However let us for argument's sake allow that the reference intended by this pattern is to indicate that the Divine promise to Abraham Isaac and Jacob as written in the Torah was to inherit the land from the Nile to the Euphrates. Does this imply belligerence ? Judaism like Islam forbids any act of violence against innocents and prohibits theft and robbery of any person. No Divine promise can permit the transgression of God's Law and His moral prohibitions. There are certainly Jews who dream that one day God's promises will be fulfilled, but no decent Jew thinks for one minute that that allows him to wage war against others – especially believers in the One God – nor God forbid to steal others' property.
The parallel would be if a Muslim country had an outline of a map of the extent of the Caliphate when Muslim rule was at its zenith. Surely that would be a legitimate memorial of the past and even a hope for the future – as long as it is not achieved in a manner that shows any disrespect for the life and dignity of another.
3. This is the only point that contains a legitimate criticism. Allow me to explain how Jews see Israel's Law of Return.
Even though we were expelled from our land both by the Babylonians (in 586 BCE) and then by the Romans (70 CE) not only have there always been Jews living in the Holy land, but wherever we have been, we have maintained our fidelity to our relationship with it. It is the only "Qibla" for Jewish prayer. In our daily prayers three times a day and in grace after every meal, we prayed and still pray for our return to the land and its restoration. Our festivals are not only historical festivals but seasonal ones as well (therefore our lunar calendar is synchronized with the solar calendar) in keeping with the seasons in the Holy Land (Jews who live in Argentina for example celebrate the Spring festival in the autumn and pray for rain when it is not appropriate for Argentina, because our liturgy is conditioned by the land.) At the end of a Jewish wedding a glass is broken in remembrance of the destruction of Jerusalem and hope for the return. At the end of the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, the Day of Atonement, and at the end of the Passover meal we declare "next year in Jerusalem."
Accordingly we have always seen ourselves as citizens in potential and the establishment of the State of Israel has enabled us to exercise this "citizenship".
I lament that Palestinians from the Holy Land are not able to enjoy this right as well and the only reason for that is the ongoing conflict and the concomitant security concerns. I pray that these will be resolved, peace will prevail, a Palestinians state will be established; and Palestinians will be able to enjoy the same rights in their state as Jews enjoy in theirs – insh'Allah.
I concur with the sentiments of his Excellency and applaud your initiatives. I think that it would also be important for us to come together and bring religious leaders from the Muslim and Jewish worlds to discuss these matters and work on a common plan for justice security and peace for all in the Holy Land.
Ma Salame,
David Rosen
Chief Rabbi David Rosen, KCSG
International Director of Interreligious Affairs, American Jewish Committee (AJC)
President, the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC),
tel:+972-2-6255281 fax:+972-2-6256527
mailto:rosend@ajc.org http://www:rabbidavidrosen.net
