IT IS clear that any news on Gaza and the recent conflict in the Middle East is of great relevance to the people of the Western Cape, and more so for large sections of the Muslim and Jewish communities of the region.
The fact that thousands of people attended a protest march in Cape Town last week in solidarity with Palestine bears testament to the emotional ties to the issue. In another measure of how close the issue is to these communities, the inbox of this newspaper has been flooded with letters carrying very polarised views from whichever side the writers find themselves supporting.
A balanced view is a rare find. But those voices of reason recognise that it is not, and should not, be two denominations pitted against each other. The danger is that two very important faith communities in South Africa develop a level of mistrust so deep that they may become irreconcilable.
But the pupils at two schools in Cape Town – one Jewish, the other Muslim – are finding that there is more that brings them together than what keeps them apart.
Herzlia High and Islamia College have formed the Ishmael Isaac Society which promotes religious education and tolerance. It is a by-product of the work done by the Cape Town Interfaith Initiative at schools. Already, a number of other schools have shown an interest in joining the society.
The society strives to meet twice each term and plans to visit a church, mosque, synagogue, temple and other places of worship. Those who have participated say it has opened their eyes to understanding the other’s faith.
The society will have little impact on the situation in the Middle East. But the young people involved are demonstrating just how the discourse in our own country should be conducted.
Understanding and engagement are often as powerful, if not more powerful, as the weapons used in armed conflict. And it leads to dispelling myths, hatred and intolerance.
The communities of the Cape that are so invested in the Middle East can’t deny that what they have in common is the desire to find a lasting, peaceful solution. It starts by latching on to a common humanity.