Page 74 - The Winter of Islam and the Spring to Come

THE WINTER OF ISLAM AND THE SPRING TO COME
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Muslims are not opposed to Zionism in that sense. For devout Jews to
live in peace and security in the lands holy to them, to remember Allah
and worship in their synagogues, to occupy themselves with science
and business, in short, to live and settle freely in those lands, is not
something to alarm any Muslim. Indeed, it is a good thing that Muslims
would rejoice at. Throughout the course of history it has always been
Muslims who have enabled the Jews to survive the hardships and suf-
ferings they have experienced, and who have sheltered and protected
them.
The Zionist belief held by a devout Jew and, as described above,
based on the Torah does not conflict with Islam. It is revealed in the
Qur'an that Allah has settled the Children of Israel in that region:
Remember when Moses said to his people, "My people! Remember
Allah's blessing to you when He appointed prophets among you
and appointed kings for you, and gave you what He had not given
to anyone else in all the worlds! My people! Enter the Holy Land
which Allah has ordained for you. Do not turn back in your tracks
and so become transformed into losers." (Surat al-Ma'ida: 20-21)

Population change between the occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967 and
1997. The Jewish population is shown in blue and the Arab population in red.

1967 POPULATION 1997 POPULATION