Holy Quran: Palestinians Inspiring Hearts

Currently with the world focused on Palestine and the siege in Gaza against the Palestinian people, the Holy Quran is on display in the hearts of those under siege, in the resilience they show under grave adversity and their struggling with every aspect of life. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the UN Security Council on December 8, “The people of Gaza are being told to move like human pinballs – ricocheting between ever-smaller slivers of the south, without any of the basics for survival. But nowhere in Gaza is safe.” 

Despite the onslaught of daily bombing and the lack of adequate humanitarian aid, the Palestinians share their steadfastness and trust in the Almighty Creator with the world. This resilience under extreme struggle has caused many across the world to look to the Holy Quran for answers to this unbelievable show of faith. Many have even embraced Islam after reading the holy text.

The Holy Qur’an states in Suratul Al-Imran, “And do not lose heart and do not grieve, and you are the upper-most if you are believers.”

Muslims all around the world honor, cherish and hold deep love for the Holy Qur’an in their hearts. As a divine book, it connects Muslims to teachings of the Islamic way of life, fosters love and devotion for Allah and brings peace and solace to the heart. 

The news outlet Anadolu Agency shares an interview with the head of the Association of Islamic Community in Spain and of the Granada Mosque Foundation, Umar del Pozo, who speaks on the Europeans’ increased interest in Islam:

“In Spain, Israel’s attacks on Gaza stirred up more interest in Islam and the conflict in the Middle East,” del Pozo told Anadolu, stressing that the Palestinian issue raised questions in people’s minds.

“Maybe Europeans started seeing the truth for the first time,” he told Andalou, adding that every week the mosque in the southern Andalusia region sees one or two new converts to Islam. “The Palestinian issue also sowed sympathy toward Muslims among those who already knew something about Islam.”

Umar del Pozo goes on to further explain, in talking to Anadolu Agency, how the Palestinians’ resilience reflects their spiritual connection to their faith: “They see the Israeli attacks and lies. As a result, they start asking more questions in their minds.”

“This is how people discover Islam,” he explained, adding that the attendance in Granada of pro-Palestinian protestors was high. “We explain what’s happening in Palestine to our Christian neighbors too. They ask questions and try to learn more about Islam during the protests. I can say that (Islam) got more attention. This isn’t only in Granada, all of Europe is raising its voice on this issue,” del Pozo said in his interview with Anadolu Agency.

Anadolu Agency also interviewed US internet influencer Nefertari Moonn, who was influenced by the Palestinians resilience and inspired to look to the Holy Qur’an for understanding. A U.S. internet comic artist and independent fashion designer, she converted to Islam after being influenced by Palestinians’ commitment and stance against Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. 

The 35-year-old Tampa, Florida, resident told Anadolu Agency: “I wouldn’t necessarily say that Israel had anything to do with me turning to Islam. It was solely the Palestinian people, and their courage and their faith that had me look into Islam.”

“To see all the devastation that the Palestinians are going through… and to see those still call out to Allah is devastatingly beautiful,” Moonn said. “I feel like if you see these people in what they’re going through in them being able to still keep their faith. You have to look into it and see what was contributing to people still holding on to God and holding on to their faith,” she noted, according to the Anadolu Agency.

“She described Palestinians as some of the ‘strongest resilient people’ that she has ever seen in her life. She said this resilience is stemming not only from ‘years and years of hardship in dealing with Israel,’ but also from ‘something more,’ which she believes ‘has to do with Islam,’” the Anadolu Agency quoted.

Moonn further describes her observations to the Anadolu Agency: “You’re seeing mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters lose their entire families… somehow, they’re still thankful for the small things they have. So, like others I was very intrigued,” she said.

According to an article published late November by The Guardian, discussions on social media about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza sparked interest in reading the Holy Qur’an. 

“Last month Megan B Rice, who is 34 and lives in Chicago, used her social media accounts to speak out about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.” Rice said, “I wanted to talk about the faith of Palestinian people, how it’s so strong, and they still find room to make it a priority to thank God, even when they have everything taken away from them,” she said in an interview, The Guardian reported.

Rice spoke on what directed her attention to start reading and encourage others on social media to also read the Holy Qur’an along with her: “Some Muslim followers suggested she might be interested in reading the Qur’an, Islam’s central religious text, for more context on the faith. So Rice, who did not grow up religious, organized a ‘World Religion Book Club’ on Discord, where people of all backgrounds could study the Qur’an alongside her,” The Guardian said.

“Within a month, Rice took the shahada, Islam’s official profession of faith, bought hijabs to wear, and became a Muslim. Reading the Qur’an began as a way for Rice to show empathy for Palestinians trapped in Gaza. Now, it’s become a major element of her life,” according to The Guardian.

“I would say that it doesn’t matter what your religious background is,” she said. “You can grow empathy for someone by learning the most intimate parts of them, which includes their faith,” Rice says in The Guardian article.

“Rice is not alone in wanting to experience the Qur’an. On TikTok, young people are reading the text to better understand a religion that’s long been vilified by western media, and to show solidarity with the many Muslims in Gaza. Videos under the hashtag ‘quranbookclub’ – which has a modest 1.9 million views on the app – show users holding up their newly purchased texts and reading …for the first time,” The Guardian stated.

Reactions to the Holy Quran in the media have been hostile and abusive by those who don’t understand or prefer to hate it as a symbol of Islam and Muslims. We have seen Holy Qur’ans

being burned and passages from the holy book misinterpreted to spread hate and Islamophobia, we’ve even seen governments voting to ban it and even sinicize it.

Now in light of the massive bombardment of violence and oppression against the Palestinian people, the reaction to the Holy Qu’ran as a representation of Muslims’ faith and devotion has brought about positive responses by some groups of people and on TikTok.

This article by The Guardian gives us some examples: “Zareena Grewal is an associate professor at Yale who is working on a book about Islamic scripture and religious tolerance in American culture. She said that this TikTok interest wasn’t entirely unprecedented.”

“After 9/11, the Qur’an became an instant bestseller, though at the time many Americans purchased it to confirm biases they held about Islam being an inherently violent religion. The difference is that in this moment, people are not turning to the Qur’an to understand the October 7 attack by Hamas,” Grewal told The Guardian. “They are turning to the Qur’an to understand the incredible resilience, faith, moral strength and character they see in Muslim Palestinians.”

The Guardian also quotes an interview with Japanese American Muslim Sylvia Chan-Malik, giving us her perspective and personal experience: “Sylvia Chan-Malik was in graduate school after 9/11 amid a surge in hate crimes against Muslims and xenophobic language used in the media.”

“I was very interested in what was going on, comparing it to the history of Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor,” she told The Guardian. “I started to look into it on my own, meeting actual Muslims, and I was floored when I did my homework on Islam.”

“Along the way, Chan-Malik converted to Islam. She’s now an associate professor at Rutgers University whose research focuses on the history of Islam and Islamophobia in the US,” according to The Guardian.

Chan-Malik continues: “I had a very similar experience to what’s happening on TikTok now,” she said. “At the time, I wondered why the people I met who were Muslim were so different than what I heard in the news. I’d never experienced such a vast disconnect between popular perception and the truth,” she expressed to The Guardian.

IP Correspondent