Teacher to Teacher, October 2008

Addressing these issues in the Christian school classroom is as difficult as it is critical. Arab peoples, leading a nomadic lifestyle, would move through Palestine as they sought food for their flocks and families. In the eighth century a religious development changed the way the Middle East would look for the rest of history. The rise of Islam under Muhammad provided another basis for tension between the two peoples. Muhammad was initially relatively friendly toward both Judaism and Christianity, referring to Jews as “the people of the book” and recognizing the truth and rightness of the original forms of those religions. As time passed, however, his rejection and condemnation of their beliefs and practices grew more intense. By the time he had died, his teachings as preserved in the Koran called for Jews and Christians to be fought and destroyed wherever they might be found.2 In 1948 Israel was reconstituted as a nation under United Nations mandate. Thousands of Jews poured back into Israel, rejoicing in the rebirth of their country. But their country was not empty when they returned; there were Arab families (mostly Islamic, some Christian) living there, many of whom had been there for generations. These Arabs saw Palestine as their home; many had been living there longer than any American families had been living in the United States.3 2 Present Since Israel’s reconstitution, its Arab neighbors have desired its removal, mostly on religious grounds, though the grievances stated are usually political. There have been several clearly defined wars, all of which Israel has won handily, thanks in part to American support.4 Perhaps as a consequence, Arab/Islamic opposition to Israel has more recently taken on the look of guerrilla warfare, with isolated bombings and other forms of attack on “softer” (i.e., nonmilitary, less wellprotected) targets—a tactic recently dubbed “asymmetrical warfare.” Past As everyone knows, the peoples of the Middle East are primarily Arabs and Jews.1 Both groups claim Abraham as their father, but the two groups have never been close in anything but geography. They spring from different mothers (Genesis 16:15; 21:3), and they lived separate lives in nearby regions for much of their history. Israel was scattered by the Romans in A.D. 70, leaving their homeland vacant for the next 1,900 years. It was natural that 1 A notable exception is the Iranians, who are descended from the ancient Persians and still speak Farsi. Much of the strain between Iran and the rest of the Islamic Near East is based on racial and ethnic differences. Teacher to Executive Editor Dawn L. Watkins Assistant Editor E. Anne Smith Creative Director Elly Kalagayan Graphic Designer Michael Boone Advertising Coordinator JoEllen DeLuca Photography iStockphoto, p. 4 BJU Press Teacher Since Israel’s reconstitution, its Arab neighbors have desired its removal, mostly on religious grounds, though the grievances stated are usually political. Israel’s response has been direct. The Israeli government has used a variety of tactics, from missile attacks on suspected terrorist centers, to arrests and detainments of suspected Palestinians, to high-security checkpoints, to a wall preventing Palestinians from traveling into Jewish areas except under tight controls. balanced perspectives in education © 2008 by BJU Press, Greenville, SC 29614-0060. Teacher to Teacher is published five times a year by BJU Press and Bob Jones University School of Education. U.S. subscriptions are free. All rights reserved. Send all correspondence and changes of address to Teacher to Teacher, BJU Press, Greenville, SC 29614-0060. 1.800.845.5731 www.bjupress.com t2t@bjupress.com 4 For example, 8:12; 9:5, 29, 73. Full text of the Koran is available online at http://quod.lib .umich.edu/k/koran/browse.html. 3 With the obvious exception of Native Americans, of course There are two primary reasons for American political and military support of Israel. First is a large Jewish community in the United States; in fact, more Jews live in America than in Israel. Second is a large population of American Christians and a heritage of Christian belief. Since Christians view Judaism as their spiritual source and since the Christian Bible speaks of Israel as God’s special people, most Christians are inclined to favor modern Israel. page 2 Teacher to Teacher | October 2008 http://quod.lib.umich.edu/k/koran/browse.html http://quod.lib http://www.bjupress.com http://umich.edu/k/koran/browse.html http://www.bjupress.com http://quod.lib.umich.edu/k/koran/browse.html

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