Imam Tawhidi is an Australian imam who has “dedicated his life to fighting Islamic extremism”. On August 17, he shared the post below on his Facebook page. The posting has been translated by MIFF.
«This morning I went to a university library to return some books. I sat down to do some work on my smartphone. A Muslim woman came to me and asked for help in understanding a document. She approached me because she did not speak fluent English, and assumed, due to my appearance, that I would be able to understand the language she speaks. It often happens with immigrants. They are discovered by other immigrants with similar backgrounds. They think you can help them with something at the post office or elsewhere. That’s a really nice thing.
So of course I helped the woman, who obviously had no idea who I am. She told me that she came all the way from Palestine to study and that she had received a scholarship. The first thing she said was that she wished she could stay here [in Australia] because she was so horrified by her government in the West Bank. I talked to her for a while before asking her what she thought about Israel.
“The most unclean people,” she replied.
“And what about the Palestinian Authority (PA)?”
“Even more unclean,” she replied.
She spent the next ten minutes complaining that the Palestinian Authority was abusing human rights, women and children. PA had also removed her family’s welfare benefits after PA found out their daughter was studying abroad. PA demands that she support her family with the scholarship.
After listening to her tragic experiences during the Palestinian Authority, I told her that I was glad that the United Arab Emirates had concluded a peace agreement cooperation/' target='_blank'>cooperation-with-israel/' target='_blank'>cooperation-with-israel/' target='_blank'>with Israel.
Then she became quiet. She understood that I was not thinking like her. She began talking about “challenges” in the Palestinian territories and how the corruption in the Palestinian Authority was in fact a result of Israeli oppression. Now she [praised] that the Palestinian leaders had secured a strong grip on the Muslim holy sites and that the Palestinian cause is still alive despite the fact that the leaders have not been perfect and that no one is perfect, etc.
“When you thought I was like you because I helped you, you opened up about all the suffering that the Palestinian Authority has inflicted on you,” I said. “They’re even trying to steal your scholarship (which it may be illegal to send to Palestine). But when you understood that I do not think like you, Palestine miraculously became, in 20 seconds, a paradise and the Palestinian Authority became a real group that is simply misunderstood – and all their corruption is Israel’s fault. ” >
“And what do you mean?” she said.
“That is precisely why the Muslim world no longer wants to have anything to do with the ’cause’ of the Palestinians. Dealing with the Palestinian Authority is like eating pork, we only touch it if there is no other way to survive. “
She replied, “Where did you learn to speak like that? People do not talk that way. Is it normal to talk like that? ”
I replied, “Listen, we’re at a library. I can find books you can read on the subject, but you have experienced the realities on your own body and know the truth, yet you live on a lie. You just told the truth, but then you tried to hide it. ”
I helped her finish reading the document and apologized. She gave me her contact information and asked for my information. “I want to talk to you more,” she said.
I answered no. “You can not get my contact information. Because you already know the truth. You just gave me a lecture that was perfect until you decided to change color. ”
Then another Arab (?) student came and took her with him. “Come with me. Let him be, he is a ‘mutasahyin’ [person who makes himself a Zionist], ”she said.
Because the other student was taking her away from the scene, the security guard came over and asked me what had happened. I explained that the first student had social problems and the second had mental problems.
(I hope the two students read my post – especially the other woman.)
So far, the post has received 7,000 comments, over 400 comments and over 900 shares. Read the post here.