Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Elder of Ziyon
Sheikh Salem Al-Taweel is a Kuwaiti Salafi scholar and preacher who has been considered one of the more important Kuwaiti Salafi thinkers.
He was recently attacked for an older fatwa where people accused him of saying "leave Palestine to the Jews." Last night he responded to the accusations, saying that he is saying that Gazans - and all Muslims - should have the right to migrate wherever they want to go as an individual decision.
Here are excerpts:
As for the issue of migration from Palestine or any other place, migration is something even the Prophet (peace be upon him) did. People have different circumstances. The Prophet endured hardship in Mecca, then he migrated, then he fought battles, then he made peace treaties, and then he fought again—all based on circumstances, the strength of Muslims, and their ability to act.Today, countless people migrate—not for religious reasons, but for worldly gains. How many Arabs, Egyptians, Palestinians, Jordanians, Lebanese, and Iraqis have left their homelands? Many have migrated to Australia, America, Europe, and Canada, never to return. If someone is forced to leave Palestine due to hardship—just as Syrians fled Syria, Iraqis fled Iraq, and many others left their countries due to oppression, poverty, or seeking better opportunities—this is a personal decision.I never said to Palestinians, "Migrate!" That is up to the individual. He must assess his own circumstances: Can he practice his religion? Can he live safely? Many Palestinians have remained in Palestine and obtained Israeli citizenship. Those in the 1948 occupied territories all carry Israeli passports, IDs, and official documents. I have even met some of them in America, holding both Israeli and Palestinian passports—just like those here with American passports. What is the difference? One is issued by a Jewish state, and the other by a Christian-majority country.Some Palestinians even work in the Israeli military and government offices. This is known to the people of Palestine, even before my time.Everyone has their own circumstances, even financial reasons may force someone to migrate.Who can seriously claim that they won when Gaza has been reduced to ruins? Gaza was once full of mosques, universities, streets, beaches, buildings, and schools. Now, everything has been destroyed, yet they claim victory.If the borders with Egypt had been open during the bombings, three-quarters of Gaza’s residents would have likely left, but they were trapped. Some assume that all Gazans are fiercely attached to staying, but the truth is, under extreme hardship, many would leave if they could—just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions left Mecca when persecuted.Migration from Palestine is not new—it has happened for decades. Many Palestinians have settled and lived in Kuwait, among other places. This is not something I initiated, nor is it a conspiracy with Trump, as some foolishly claim.In conclusion, if someone can practice Islam and has some influence in his land, he should stay. If he is persecuted but can fight back, he should fight. If he is weak and cannot resist oppression, he has the right to migrate.
Al-Taweel is no philosemite, but he has criticized Hamas since October 7 (and he has been harshly attacked for it.)
His common sense view, that Palestinians should have the same rights as any other Muslims to migrate if they want to, is stifled from public discourse. And I'm not only talking about the Arab and Muslim worlds - I mean in the pages of the New York Times, the capitals of Europe and the pronouncements of Amnesty International, where the simple right of Palestinians to leave a war zone cannot be discussed.
The reasons are a combination antisemitism and fear of being attacked by antisemites.
It is a little insane that a fundamentalist Islamic Kuwaiti preacher cares more about Palestinian human rights than most Western leaders.
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"He's an Anti-Zionist Too!" cartoon book (December 2024) PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022) |
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