What happens when an Orthodox Rabbi gives a crash course in Islamic history? You get a raw, heartfelt, and at times shocking insight into how Muslims upheld justice, protected Jews, and honoured the covenant of co-existence.
In this video, Rabbi Haim Sofer recalls:
- How Jews flourished under the Caliphate
- Why Islamic Sharī’ah offered Jews protection for centuries
- And how modern Zionism has betrayed that legacy.
This is not the narrative you’re used to hearing!
Chapters
| 00:00:00 | From Baghdad to Britain |
| 00:01:31 | Exile by design |
| 00:05:12 | Under ‘Umar’s protection |
| 00:07:03 | al-Andalus & the Golden Age |
| 00:09:30 | Safe among Muslims |
| 00:12:07 | Who are the Zionists? |
| 00:22:31 | A message to my fellow Jews… |
| 00:24:30 | Iran cares more for Jews than Israel |
| 00:27:40 | The legacy of Salāh al-Dīn |
Source: Islam21c
Dear Rabbi Haim Sofern,
I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your thoughtful work and scholarship regarding Islamic law and its historical relationship with the protection of Jewish and Christian communities. Your efforts to illuminate these complex subjects with clarity, historical perspective, and respect contribute meaningfully to greater understanding among people of different faiths.
At a time when informed dialogue is especially valuable, your dedication to careful study and education helps foster mutual respect and appreciation of our shared history.
Thank you for your commitment to scholarship and to promoting deeper understanding between religious traditions.
With respect and appreciation,
José Orlando Nunes Oliveira Nogueira de Souza
My intention is specifically to thank you for discussing the classical Islamic concept of legal protections (such as the historical status of Ahl al-Kitāb, “People of the Book”), this wording is accurate without making broader historical claims that may be debated.
I am a Catholic Christian. I want to give Rabbie Haim Sofer a big hug. His words brought tears to my eyes. I am a historian of the Spanish Holocaust. May God bless you and those like you who struggle for peace among all people.