There is a fact many people on both sides of this debate would rather ignore.

In 2020, Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, a prominent Pakistani Islamic cleric and former chairman of Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology, publicly supported recognizing Israel.

His argument matters because he did not abandon Islam to make it. He argued from Islam.

Sherani pointed to the Quran, Jewish history, King David and Jerusalem. He maintained that Muslims should recognize the historical connection of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel, and said plainly:

“I support recognition of Israel.”

Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, 2020

Think about who was saying this.

A senior Islamic scholar who had headed Pakistan’s official body charged with advising lawmakers on Islamic principles.

This destroys one of the most dangerous myths in our conversation today: that being Muslim automatically requires hostility toward Israel or the Jewish people.

It does not.

Islamists have spent decades convincing Muslims that hatred of Zionism is a religious obligation. At the same time, some non-Muslims have made the opposite mistake, treating nearly two billion Muslims as though we all follow one interpretation of Islam.

Both ideas strengthen the extremists.

“I am a Muslim. I am a Zionist. I recognize the Jewish people’s ancient connection to Israel. There is no contradiction in those words for me.”

Mansoor Laghari

Muslims do not have to surrender our faith to stand beside Jews.

We have to refuse to surrender our faith to extremists.