Briefly, the original article contains the following points:

It starts off with an Iranian leader’s quote about boycotting Jewish businesses and makes sweeping generalisations about Muslims throughout.

It mentions many medical discoveries made by Jews and asks Muslims suffering from all related illnesses to boycott those medical cures too in their attempt to boycott anything Jewish.

It lists all Muslim and Jewish Nobel Prize Laureates and contrasts the large number of Jewish recipients against the small number of Muslims.

It makes grave distortions about the Palestinian issue and reverses the oppressor-oppressed reality.

The following is what I would like to state in response:

1.

We, as human beings, should respect all peoples and religions regardless of their identities. If we are to criticise (or boycott, for the purpose of the article) it should be limited to perpetrators of a crime, and those criminals should be looked at as ‘criminals’ without any association with any religion or race, etc. There are many Muslims who do that and there are some who probably don't, and the same can be said of other religions. We obviously should condemn the latter attitude, Muslim or otherwise, for the undue discrimination.

2.

Muslims in general have never asked for a ‘Jewish’ boycott. This is a factual error. (Yes, they do seek a Zionist boycott, to which I shall come later.) Muslims are not opposed to Jews as a people or Judaism as a religion. In fact to do so is against the very tenets of Islam. Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him not only lived peacefully with the Jewish community, but treated its people with the highest dignity and respect. There are many examples, but to cite one, a funeral procession (Jewish, as would have been evident by its marked features and costumes of those accompanying it) passed by the gathering of the Prophet peace be upon him and his companions. (Note this was in Madinah where the Muslims held sway). The prophet peace be upon him, upon seeing it, immediately stood out of respect. When someone remarked, "But it’s the funeral of a Jew!" (thinking it may not deserve equal respect), the Prophet peace be upon him replied, “Was it not a human life?" [Bukhari] highlighting that there is no discrimination in Islam.

Who then do the Muslims exercise boycott against if not the Jews? It is the Zionists! Zionism is an ideology, and it’s a political one rather than religious. It has sought to find a homeland for Jews expelled from Nazi Germany in the Palestinian territories formerly occupied by Muslims, with some Christians and Jews too, who lived side-by-side and in peace for many centuries. The Zionists unleashed a campaign of terror which included massacre and genocide and large expulsion of indigenous populations to accommodate the newcomers. Currently the Zionists are pursuing other unethical and illegal goals for maintaining the status quo in Palestine as well as other global agendas. Palestine has witnessed decades of large-scale killings, mass expulsions, torture and imprisonment, daily humiliation and suffering, all sanctioned by the Zionist State of Israel. And aside from the US and Israel, the vast majority of the world's sane people can see this barbarity. It is this barbarity and criminality (and the Zionist machine that oversees it), that the Muslims are opposed to and exercise campaigns of boycott against, NOT the Jews.

3.

The author of the article lists a large number of Nobel Prize recipients and contrasts them with the small number of Muslim laureates.

Firstly, one has to agree that the Muslim community, in the past few centuries, has certainly not been at the forefront of science and technology. However, there are a number of points that merit attention.

a]One must always see the entire picture before making conclusions of such nature. So for instance it would have been vital for the author to mention that every nation has its golden and productive period, and for the Muslims the golden period passed many centuries ago when there was no such awarding system as the Nobel Prize. If there was any there would have been thousands of Muslim recipients of the Nobel Prize. Moreover, many disciplines which we take for granted originated with the Muslims. It is also worthy of mention that many discoveries and advancements made today, and of which we are so proud, would not have been possible had it not been for the contributions made by Muslims earlier.

I can easily quote many historical facts at this point, but I will suffice with the following excerpt of the famous speech by Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett and Packard:

“There was once a civilisation that was the greatest in the world. It was able to create a continental super-state that stretched from ocean to ocean, and from northern climes to tropics and deserts. Within its dominion lived hundreds of millions of people, of different creeds and ethnic origins. One of its languages became the universal language of much of the world, the bridge between the peoples of a hundred lands. Its armies were made up of people of many nationalities, and its military protection allowed a degree of peace and prosperity that had never been known. The reach of this civilisation’s commerce extended from Latin America to China, and everywhere in between.

And this civilisation was driven more than anything, by invention. Its architects designed buildings that defied gravity. Its mathematicians created the algebra and algorithms that would enable the building of computers and the creation of encryption. Its doctors examined the human body and found new cures for disease. Its astronomers looked into the heavens, named the stars, and paved the way for space travel and exploration. Its writers created thousands of stories; stories of courage, romance and magic. Its poets wrote of love when others before them were too steeped in fear to think of such things.

“When other nations were afraid of ideas, this civilisation thrived on them, and kept them alive. When censors threatened to wipe out knowledge from past civilisations, this civilisation kept the knowledge alive, and passed it on to others. While modern Western civilisation shares many of these traits, the civilisation I’m talking about was the Islamic world from the year 800 to 1600, which included the Ottoman Empire and the courts of Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo, and enlightened rulers like Suleiman the Magnificent. Although we are often unaware of our indebtedness to this other civilisation, its gifts are very much a part of our heritage. The technology industry would not exist without the contributions of Arab mathematicians. Sufi poet-philosophers like Rumi challenged our notions of self and truth. Leaders like Suleiman contributed to our notions of tolerance and civic leadership. And perhaps we can learn a lesson from his example. It was leadership based on meritocracy, not inheritance. It was leadership that harnessed the full capabilities of a very diverse population that included Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions. This kind of enlightened leadership that nurtured culture, sustainability, diversity and courage led to 800 years of invention and prosperity.

“In dark and serious times like this, we must affirm our commitment to building societies and institutions that aspire to this kind of greatness. More than ever, we must focus on the importance of leadership - bold acts of leadership and decidedly personal acts of leadership."

b]The contrast between Muslim and Jewish Nobel Laureates is laughable. What indeed has this to do with the mass killings in Palestine by the Zionist State and the wonderful achievements made by Jewish scientists? This would be the same as trying to highlight the benefits of medicine and medical contributions made by doctors when a particular serial killer (who also happens to be a doctor) is criticised.

The fact that Muslims and Jews have always been living in peace and harmony together (prior to the formation of Israel) is borne out by history. One only needs to read a bit of factual history to confirm this. For the moment, let me refer you to the article written by an Israeli journalist, Uri Avnery entitled‘Muhammad’s Sword’.

4.

Another point to remember here is that since Zionism is a political ideology, not all Jews are Zionists, and by the same token, not all Zionists are Jews. In fact there are tens of thousands of Anti-Zionist Jews throughout the world whose opposition to Zionism is not covered by the media, so the common person never gets to know the difference. Look up NETUREI KARTA, for instance, which is a Jewish organisation dedicated to this very difference, and who proudly defend the Palestinians - not because they hate their own race, as some may suggest malevolently - but rather they are pro-peace and pro-justice.

As far as denial of the holocaust is concerned, apart from a handful few, predominantly non-Muslim, there isn't anybody who denies it; and shame on the author of the article who has lied about the debate of removing the issue of holocaust from Britain’s schools because of ‘offence taken by Muslims’. It was undoubtedly such attitude that propelled a string of hoax emails alleging this but were roundly refuted by major news organisations.

Read this BBC article for instance.

It is surprising (and worrying) how people can just about believe anything without any research when it comes to Muslim issues.

Based on the above lie the author asks whether we would be prepared to forget the 9/11 attacks because “it may hurt some Muslims”. Well, anyone with an internet connection can check up on facts, whether they be related to Muslim contribution to science, denial of holocaust, or the 9/11 attacks. As far as 9/11 is concerned, the US government's official story is increasingly appearing to be as delusive and misleading as the article in question.

5.

In the final passage the author says:

‘Whichever side you're on in respect to the Palestinian issue one sentence sums it all. If the Arabs put down their arms, there would be no more violence. If, however, the Jews (he mentions Jews and not Israeli Zionists, to peddle the same lies we have become used to from the Zionist propagandists) put down their arms, there would be no Israel.’

Firstly there is no comparison between a community of stone throwers and one of the most powerful military machines in the world, backed by one even larger and more powerful.

Secondly, though much can be said in response to this farcical statement, but for the sake of brevity the following should suffice:

Israel was never on the map before 1948, as those with a long enough memory should know. As mentioned earlier it was created by the Zionists on the land of peaceful innocent Palestinians through a long and vicious campaign of terror, genocide and mass expulsion. Generations of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have grown up in the miserable refugee camps as a result. How is it not justifiable for the Palestinians to return or live a dignified life in their own homeland, especially when they are willing to recognise Israel?

In regard to Israeli crimes Sir Gerald Kaufman (himself Jewish and a famous British parliamentarian) wrote:

“No country in the world could get away so easily with slaughter, destruction and repression as the Israeli government has committed and is committing in Gaza and the West Bank: the blockade of Gaza, the hundreds of checkpoints in the West Bank, the illegal wall built within Palestinian territory on the West Bank, the illegal Jewish settlements - inhabited by half a million - which are entangled almost inextricably on the West Bank, the driving of Palestinians out of Jerusalem so that their population in that city has been amputated exponentially. The world does nothing about these crimes, daunted by the cynical Israeli exploitation of continuing guilt about the slaughter of Jews in the Holocaust.”

Imagine a family that has been evicted unjustly from its rightful residence and many of its members brutally killed, many tortured in prisons and others languishing in wretched conditions. All this by illegal occupants!! Now imagine that when certain members of this oppressed family resort to force, the illegal and brutal occupants say to the world 'If they put down their arms, there would be no more violence, but if we put down our arms we would lose our rights to this house!'

6.

As a final note:

Bestowers of Nobel peace awards are not entirely infallible either. If seen through the lens of justice, it would leave much to be desired. People have made a long list of undeserving Nobel Laureates, but for the sake of brevity let me name just one, a Zionist who was elected Prime Minister of Israel (and by the standards of the author of the article, a Jew), namely, Yitzhak Rabin. The following are just some of the crimes perpetrated by this ‘champion of peace’.

1. On 12 July 1948, Lt. Colonel Yitzhak Rabin, Chief of Operations Operation Dani, issued the following order to Yiftah Brigade headquarters:

"1. The inhabitants of Lydda must be expelled quickly without attention to age. They should be directed towards Beit Nabala. Yiftah [Brigade headquarters] must determine the method and inform [Operation] Dani HQ and 8th Brigade HQ. 2. Implement immediately." The order was signed "Yitzhak Rabin].”

The implementation of this order is described in the authoritative book "The birth of the Palestinian refugee problem, 1947-1949" by Israeli historian Benny Morris (Cambridge University Press, 1987) [pages 207-210] and more in detail in Michael Palumbo's book "The Palestinian catastrophe: The 1948 expulsion of a people from their homeland", Quartet Books, London/New York, 1987 [Chapter VIII: The Lydda Death March].

These publications offer further evidence about Mr. Rabin's implication in this event. The authors estimate that approx. 50.000 civilians (Arabs) were expelled from Lydda and Ramleh under Mr. Rabin's orders.

2. In mid-January 1988, Mr. Rabin, then Israeli Defence Minister, announced a policy to restore order in the Occupied Territories by "force, might, beatings". More specifically, he urged Israeli soldiers to summarily (and viciously) beat Palestinian demonstrators. Israeli soldiers implemented this policy, breaking the hands or arms of many demonstrators with methodically directed blows, using sticks and stones. In some cases, Palestinian youngsters were rounded up from their homes, brought to remote areas, and there, while a couple of soldiers held them, had their bones smashed.

3. The Sunday Times, 1 August 1993, reported under the heading: Rabin's war: "Late yesterday, he [Rabin] called off his personal seven-day war in southern Lebanon. (...) Rabin's War - Operation Accountability - has killed at least 130 and sent hundreds of thousands of Lebanese fleeing towards Beirut. (...) Southern Lebanon had become a land without people.(...) About 80 villages have been hit.". According to the London-based Middle East International (MEI) of 6 August 1993, the "majority of casualties were civilians. At least 55 towns and villages were very heavily damaged, including Nabatiya, a major regional centre with a normal population of around 100,000."

According to the editorial of the same issue of MEI, this seven-day bombardment of southern Lebanon was "expressly designed (as Mr. Rabin himself announced) to render South Lebanon 'uninhabitable' and to create a tidal wave of refugees so huge that it would destabilise the government in Beirut and bend it to Israel's will (...)"

According to Lebanese government estimates (reported in MEI), "some 400,000 people - mainly Shi'ite Muslims - fled their homes in panic, with about half of them converging on Beirut and its southern suburbs. While some had families and friends to go to, others arrived with only the clothes they stood in, and had no money to fend for themselves".

In sum, the entire article is based on either untruths or irrelevant facts that have no bearing whatsoever on the issue at hand.