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Since the October 7 atrocity, there has been a string of anti-Jewish sermons delivered in Sydney mosques by Muslim preachers. These have attracted much critical attention in the Australian media.

In "Creating the Qur'an", Shoemaker, professor of religious studies and Christian studies at the University of Oregon, offers a closely argued account of how the Qur'an came into existence. It is a tour de force.

This is not a tit-for-tat war, in which one side’s casualties justify or validate an equal number of deaths on the other side. On Israel’s side, this is a war for security and survival, while for Hamas, it is a war to eliminate Israel.

The core of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is the Geneva Conventions, a set of rules for war negotiated after World War II. IHL attempts to achieve a balance between the necessity of defeating an opponent and limiting needless suffering.

In addition to the rich vein of Islamic canonical sources which promote antisemitism, Hamas has also been influenced by the antisemitism of Christian nations.

A key concept in Hamas’ ideology is “occupation”. In the discussion offered here, I am not going to offer insights into international law. My concern is with the ideology of occupation.

It is impossible to understand Hamas without engaging with the concepts of “Palestine” and “Palestinians”. The meaning of “Palestine” is complicated. It has changed over the years, and it is disputed and controversial.

Of the Muslims who have come out to protest in support of Hamas, many will be sympathetic to and shaped by the spiritual dynamics described in this and previous posts.

Hamas pursues a genocidal war, while blaming Israel for prolonging the conflict. This way, Hamas can have its cake and eat it too: Israel is blamed for the failure of a two-state solution, while Hamas plans for genocide.

Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Founded in 1988, Hamas’ name is an acronym for “Islamic Resistance Movement” in Arabic.

What lies ahead is a hard, bitter war. This is not a war which can be resolved through a negotiated settlement. Hamas has shown the world, in its own bloody way, that this is a war to destroy Israel together with its people.

The Church of England has been asked to respond to requests from clergy to use gender-neutral pronouns for God. The question has been referred to the Church of England’s Liturgical Commission. This would be a major variation from the Book of Common Prayer, a foundational text [...]