O you, those who have faith, stand up for God, witnesses in equality. And do not let hatred of a folk swerve you so that you do not do justice. Be just, that is the closest to God-fearingness. And fear God. Surely He knows what you are working - Quran Surah al-Ma'ida verse 8
Anti-Semitism is a real problem among Muslims today. Some Muslims cheered when the Israeli astronaut Col. Ilan Ramon died and said "one less Israeli in the world". Some Muslims talk about how "the Jews" are liars or enemies or evil. They talk about "Zionist pigs" and how they "hate the Jews".
Jewishness is an ethnic and a religious identity. If you believe that all Jews are some way or other, you have to believe either that they were born that way or that their religion commands them to be that way. The first idea is the worst sort of racism and the second is no better because it assumes that all Jews are mindless robots who are incapable of dissenting from their religion. And this is assuming that Judaism teaches such a thing, which it doesn't.
This kind of thinking is totally contrary to Islam. Islam teaches us that every human being is born with a fundamentally good nature and an innate faith in God. This is called fitra. Islam also teaches us that God made us into different races and nationalities so that we can learn from each other, and it teaches us that no race or nationality is inherently superior to any other. The only thing that makes a person better than another is his piety. There are several verses in the Quran and a number of hadiths that state this clearly.
What's even worse about racism among Muslims is that people often treat us the same way. Not only do they call Islam evil, but they seem to assume that all Muslims are mindless robots who are incapable of dissenting from their religion. In today's climate we see a lot of this bigotry and we know how much it hurts. So how can we turn around and do the same thing to somebody else? Shouldn't we know better than that?
Some people argue that they're just retaliating in kind, treating others the way that the others treat them. What kind of morality is that? We don't follow the rule of "do what's done to us". We follow the rule of God. Yes, an eye for an eye is mentioned in the Quran, but the Quran also tells us not to exceed the limits that God has set. We don't mutilate people because they mutilated us. God has forbidden mutilation. We don't kill the civilians of another people because they killed our civilians. God has forbidden the killing of civilians. We don't hold racist attitudes about a people because they hold racist attitudes about us. God has forbidden racism. When you think that way, you follow your caprices, not God's command. That is not Islam.
This hatred of Jews is a cancer that will eat us up from inside and may ultimately destroy us. It takes us away from what God has commanded and it leads us to do what God has forbidden.
Yes, some people who are Jews have hurt and oppressed Muslims. And some people who are Jews have helped Muslims. Remember what the Quran says:
They are not all alike. Among the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is an upstanding community. They recite the signs of God and spend the night prostrate (in prayer). They have faith in God and the Last Day and they command what is right and forbid what is wrong. And they strive with each other to do good works. Such are of the righteous. What they do of good will not be rejected. And God knows those who fear Him - Surah Ali Imran verses 113-115
This is the same as any other people. The same as us. We need to judge all people by their own deeds and beliefs, not by what we think they must be like because of their race or religion. That is how God judges us and that is how we need to judge others.