even referring to them as ‘‘apes and swine.’’[16]
Nor did the Prophet restrict his response to Jewish scorn
and disbelief to mere curses. He ordered the assassination of
several Jewish leaders and people of influence, including
Asma bint Marwan, a woman with small children. Her
crime? Writing crude and indecent verses that mocked the
Prophet. When news of her murder was brought to
Muhammad, he rejoiced.[17]
Throughout history Muslims have criticized Jews for
rejecting the Prophet. The enmity between Jews and
Muslims is reinforced by a Hadith which says ‘‘Abu Huraira
reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: The last hour would not come unless the Muslims
will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them
until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a
tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant
of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him.’’[18]
This tradition is repeated, with small variations, numerous
times in the Hadith.
Today there is animosity between Muslims and Jews
caused by the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, but
this animosity is intensified by Islamic religious concepts.
Some harsh words in the Koran support this animosity. In
one notorious verse, Jews are called ‘‘sons of pigs and
monkeys’’ (Sura 5:59–60). Muslim radicals routinely make
use of this reference, and it is not difficult to see why the
two groups have trouble getting along given such
disagreeable terms.