Introduction
Worldviews, culture, and religion are invisible forces that can determine or impact the behaviors and attitudes of people around. Understanding and respecting the differences between these values is a key element of building healthy and courteous communication (Tuleja, 2021). Religion is one of the main aspects affecting a person’s affiliation with beliefs, morals, and ethics (Tuleja, 2021). Such faiths as Islam and Judaism contain many contradicting factors: from symbolic to gender and sexual equality; however, it is essential to acknowledge and respect the existence of such dissimilarities for constructing a bridge of communication.
Discussion
There is a drastic contrast between Muslims and Jews and their values and beliefs. Having originated in different places, their understanding of God and humanity’s place in the world varies. Holidays, traditions, and practices are executed on different days in dissimilar fashion. According to (Islam vs. Judaism, n.d), in Judaism, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses are considered to be the founders of their faiths; however, in Islam, Prophet Muhammad is the only one. The differences in clergy structure, the language of the scripture, and the position of significant religious figures such as Abraham demonstrate the gap between the representatives of Judaism and Islam (Islam vs. Judaism, n.d). This gap can lead to major misunderstandings and conflicts without proper communication skills.
Therefore, in order to be able to overcome these dissimilarities and avoid indelicate exchanges, Muslims and Jews may choose the path of focusing on and celebrating the resemblances between the faiths. For example, both Islam and Judaism are monotheisms, with forbidden idolatry and depictions of the deity (Islam vs. Judaism, n.d). In both, Allah, or God, has sent prophets and scriptures to aid humanity on their path to salvation (Islam vs. Judaism, n.d). Food traditions are almost identical, with the practice of butchery of meat and forbiddance of pork (Islam vs. Judaism, n.d). These and many other similarities can serve as a bridge between religious representatives, facilitating respect and kindness in interrelation.
Judaism as a Cultural Tool
Judaism is one of the oldest religions recorded in human history. Throughout its long existence, it played an essential role in the formation of cultures and other faiths. The traces of Judaism’s influence and conquer of other cultures can be found in both ancient and modern history. For instance, although the Christian faith was developed based on various sources, it inherited its doctrines and ethics from Judaism, which play a critical role in the moral alignment of the entire society (Unterman, 2017). Therefore, the most prominent example of Judaism’s influence is the Western Culture of Europe and England, mainly through Christianity.
Conclusion
The more modern history depicts the unimaginable hardships and suffering Jewish people were forced to overcome. Religion was a tool in the hands of both Jews and their oppressors, utilized to conquer, control, and influence other cultures. For example, the term ghetto, which was initially invented by the persecutors of Judaism in the Middle Ages, has been exploited to tyrannize other cultures of the West (Cohen, 2021). Despite that, Jewish people managed to use this horrifying experience to change the world, specifically the Western culture, for the years to come. The fight against genocide, discrimination, prejudice and segregation lit the beacon of freedom for all oppressed nations around the world. In such a way, Judaism serves as a tool to conquer and defeat liberty-limiting ideologies and set a new course for the western culture and overall human history towards freedom and equity.
References
Cohen, M. R. (2021). Under crescent and cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages. Princeton University Press.
Islam vs. Judaism. (n.d). Diffen. Web.
Tuleja, E. A. (2021). Intercultural Communication for Global Business: How leaders communicate for success. Routledge.
Unterman, J. (2017). Justice for all: How the Jewish Bible revolutionized ethics. University of Nebraska Press.