Forward

In rescuing this story of Muslims saving Jews during the dark days of the Nazi occupation of Albania from the dustbin of history, Norman Gershman has helped to encourage dialogue and understanding between Jews and Muslims. Along with Christianity, Judaism and Islam constitute the three “Abrahamic” religions- that is descended from the prophet Abraham. it is a message that is sorely needed today.
Through this book, Norman, a fine art photographer, has stepped outside of the traditional role of photojournalist and become a historian with the means to bring together two faiths in a time of heightened contention. His skills as a humanistic photographer and documentarian are exemplified here as his lens captures the soulful intent of these Albanian families. Even though only now we are learning about these acts of heroism I am sure that through the work of Norman Gershman and others it will be a story told for generations.
But this book is more than simply a collection of pictures. To put together this book, Norman journeyed to Albania himself. He spoke with the people involved and recorded their stories and those of their children. He takes photos of them as they appear today, and when melded with the stories and artifacts from the past they present an emotional and unprecedented window into a forgotten period in history. As an anthropologist I know the benefits of ethnography, of speaking to people in order to understand their histories and cultures. This is what Norman has magnificently accomplished in this book.
Norman has also shed light on the true nature of Islam as both a compassionate and an Abrahamic religion. For these Albanian Muslims, saving Jews was a religious calling because of the close bond between Jews and Muslims in Islam. They were being good Muslims by saving Jews. The deep bonds that bind Islam and Judaism, as well as the third point in the Abrahamic triangle, Christianity, need to be recognized and discussed. We must look at the three together. We are often guilty of looking at our own faith in juxtaposition, or in opposition to the other faiths, assuming exclusivity. “We are the purest, the best” we too often believe. That is, for me as an anthropologist, a myth, because there is so much osmosis, synthesis and overlap between the faiths. Indeed Islam consciously declares itself an Abrahamic faith and absorbs the Abrahamic legacy: notions of the divine –monotheistic, omnipotent, invisible – the Ten Commandments, many dietary laws, the great prophets, all reflect the inherited Abrahamic tradition. Abraham himself is so important to Muslims that he is mentioned five times a day, in every prayer. The most sacred site of the Muslims, the Kabbah, is closely associated with Abraham. The holy prophet of Islam, peace be upon him, was proud to declare his descent from Abraham.
The reality of the world today is that in spite of the proximity of these three faiths, we are seeing, on a different level, the bitter conflict between them across the world. And if we add up the total population, we will note with some satisfaction and some concern that half the world's population is Abrahamic. Concern because the Abrahamic religions bring to their understanding of God so much passion so much commitment that those who are not Abrahamic tend to become uneasy and fearful of this zeal.
I am from South Asia which gave the world Hinduism and Buddhism with a sophisticated body of theology and history and culture, with great contributions to civilization. And when I talk to them about the Abrahamic faiths they frankly tell me that "it is you of the Abrahamic faith, with your exclusivity, that is driving our world civilization towards conflict – towards the brink; you must learn to look at other faiths more in terms of inclusively, in terms of dialogue, understanding and friendship."
In South Asia, where around one third of the world’s Muslim population comes from, we look at Abraham as a figure who inspires love and respect; he is the great patriarch for us. When we look at his sons, Isma'il and Isaac, they inspire affection and regard. We do not want to be in a position of having to choose sides between the two sons of Abraham. We love them both, and when we see this endless cycle of violence in the Middle East – the killing, the murder and the mayhem it breaks our heart. How can you choose? Can you actually say & quote ;this child died and I don't feel for it; this mother is grieving but I don't feel for her because she doesn’t belong to my religion?”
We have a tradition in South Asia, of rulers and leaders like Mughal emperor Akbar the Great. Akbar, the most powerful emperor of his age, whose name may not mean much to Westerners, but he ruled what are today Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, about one quarter of the world's population. Yet Akbar was a bridge between the faiths and a protector of all religions. The most powerful ruler of his time dedicated the great portal of his new capital to Jesus and not his own prophet (in this case, the Prophet of Islam). This is true reaching out.
Norman too takes us into a humane, accepting Muslim society. Norman’s interview with the world head of the Albanian Bektashi sect reflects this compassion and humanism in Islam. “We Bektashi see God everywhere, in everyone,” the leader explained. “God is in every pore and every cell. Therefore all are God’s children. There cannot be infidels. There cannot be Discrimination. If one sees a good face one is seeing the face of God. ‘God is beauty. Beauty is God. There is no God but God.’”
This is an image of Islam largely unknown in the West at a time when understanding Islam is an imperative. There are many important reasons for non-Muslims to have strong, stable and positive relations with the world of Islam. Perhaps most important of all is the fact that Islam is very much part of the Abrahamic triangle. Islam, in addition, has a world population of 1.4 billion people and 57 nations- one of which is nuclear for the time being and in the next few decades there may be several more joining the nuclear club. It is estimated by the middle of this century that one out of four people on this planet will be Muslim. The political unrest in the Muslim world is causing global turmoil- the plight of the Palestinians, the Kashmiris, the Chechens and the Muslims in the Balkans has caused global anger and anguish among Muslims and their problems need to be resolved after decades of suffering. About eighty percent of the world’s refugees are Muslim whose family-life and education have been disrupted, creating anger and frustration. At the time of this writing, there are Western nations with troops fighting in the Muslim world, in places such as in Iraq and Afghanistan. Finally it is important to understand Islam because Israel, the only Jewish state, is situated in the heart of the Muslim world and we need to create an environment of goodwill and friendship so that the peoples of that region – both Israelis and Palestinians – can live as friendly neighbors in security and peace, as they deserve.
Since 9/11, Islam has become associated with terrorism, with extremism, with fundamentalism. This image has become a caricature. I decided to make a field trip to the Muslim world, to discover what is
happening so I could come to some conclusions about what can be done. Along with a dedicated team of young Americans, I traveled to the Middle East, South Asia and the Far East. In the Muslim world, we discoveredhigh levels of anti-American, anti-Semitic, and anti-Western feelings. It became apparent that Jewish-Muslim relations are crucial to the relationship of Islam and the West and a critical component of the relationship. On my return I wrote our findings in Journey into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization (The Brookings Institution Press, 2007.)
As I concluded in the book, as a world civilization we appear to be at the crossroads--we can continue along the path of confrontation and conflict or we can create an alternative paradigm of dialogue and understanding. I spoke to large audiences on my trip, in madrassahs, and Mosques, including some of the most orthodox in the Muslim world. We met presidents and princes. We discovered many interesting things about the relationship between Muslims and Jews. For example some Muslims would say "the Jews are ruling the world. The Jews are evil. We saw this film which proves all this, 'The Protocols of the Elders of Zion'". And I would say that this is a fictitious film, originating from the historical activities of the Tsar's secret police in the late 19th century to defame the Jews. Muslim scholars need to reject this fiction. But this is not happening, so hundreds of millions of young Muslims are being fed this very negative stereotype of the Jewish community. In this situation of distrust, hatred and violence in the Middle East, that is like a spark.
Similarly, we have a series of documentaries and books being produced here in the West, which do exactly the same with Muslims. I am constantly bombarded with books that are telling me, "the truth about Islam", telling me that Muslims are evil, and that we are terrorists. And it extends beyond Muslims themselves to the very religion of Islam.
This is time of challenge, yes, but also a time of opportunity. Many new initiatives have been taken which have been ground breaking within the history of the Abrahamic traditions, Norman’s book being an excellent and recent example. We have identified that the way forward is through dialogue, we have identified the urgency that we face. I want to underline that this needs to be a sustained, holistic effort.
Short-term measures, superficial measures, will just not do any more.
One example is my ongoing public dialogue with Professor Judea Pearl. For me, Judea and his wife Ruth have become truly heroic figures. They have become a symbol of dialogue, a symbol of hope. Their son Danny, their only son, a brilliant young journalist, was killed in an unacceptable, unforgivable, brutal manner. As a Pakistani who grew up in Karachi I felt appalled and sickened when I heard about this because it meant the collapse of my society on several levels.
I have been involved in several substantive initiatives in Washington D.C. Following the attacks of 9/11 I, along with Bishop John Chane of the National Cathedral and Senior Rabbi Bruce Lustig of the Washington Hebrew Congregation launched the First Abraham Summit to facilitate interfaith dialogue. The Bishop and the Rabbi had proved generous and true Abrahamic friends in the hospitality they showed me and my family after the gloomy days of 9/11 when I arrived in Washington DC as a stranger. On 9/11 the last three years we have led a “unity walk” which has proceeded from the synagogue to the NationalCathedral and along Massachusetts Avenue to the Islamic Centre accompanied by thousands of people of all faiths.
In the U.K. my daughter, Dr. Amineh Hoti, is head of the first-ever Jewish-Muslim center at Cambridge. Her center has developed a learning resource called Valuing Diversity and a syllabus which has just been released for 470 schools in the UK which will support the national curriculum. She is also learning Hebrew and is therefore better able to create substantive bridges between the Abrahamic faiths.
I see Norman’s book as a continuation of these attempts to promote dialogue and understanding within the Abrahamic religions. I am hopeful that his extraordinary achievement will be read and discussed by Jews, Muslims, and also Christians.
Norman’s study of the Albanian example here is testimony to an Islamic type of behavior, different from what is unfortunately making the headlines these days. Not of vengeance, hatred and suicide, but of compassion, kindness and help to persons of another faith and origin. Hopefully, the example of the Albanian rescuers will serve as a role model and inspire others, Muslims and followers of other faiths, to go in their footsteps—and be truly human beings, when faced with a similar moral challenge. We all have an obligation not only to remember the evil that took place during the Holocaust, but also the goodness displayed by non-Jewish rescuers in extending a helping hand to Jews in distress.
Norman has continued this pursuit with this book, and I hope that it will be widely read for its inspiring message of hope and compassion in these days of conflict and confrontation. The spirit of Norman’s book and the initiatives we’ve been taking are the same: to go out, to journey, to heal a fractured world, to create learning, to listen, to have dialogue and ultimately to create understanding; because we as a world civilization are at the crossroads. Building these bridges across religions and cultures is no longer an intellectual pastime; it is an imperative if we are to survive the 21st century.
Professor Akbar
Ahmed
Ibn Khaldun Chair of
Islamic Studies
American University,
Washington D.C.