Of encountering half-atheist, half-Christian people and the Jews

"Eleanor! Are you ready?"

The shout from downstairs diminished my hours of absorption in reading "The Road to Mecca" by Muhammad Asad (will post a review about this wonderful book when I'm done reading it). I remember instantaneously why Rebecca, my then housemate, called me and asked me whether or not I was ready. She had asked me earlier to go to the housing office with her as she's moving out from our 3-storey uni townhouse.

Poor kid. She's moving out today, just decided a few days ago, but still insistent on doing so despite her contract ends in a year's time. More problematically, she's leaving for China in 3 days' time but she's still in debt with the university from her previous house rent and... she had no money. But she had money; she earned 2000 dollars from working at Travelex last month. But sadly, and in an honest manner, with child-like stupiditity, she spent most of the money and left only 200 dollars...not even half of the monthly rent.

"Aaaaughhh... I feel so bad with myself.. I think I'm going to pray tonight", sighs Rebecca.

I immediately startle. Since when has this girl, this self-professed aethist girl (I think I remember she said she's half-atheist, half-Christian, a long time ago), thought about praying to God, when she herself does not believe in Him?

"How can you pray when you yourself don't believe in God? I thought you were an atheist." my curiosity urged me to ask her.

"Half-atheist, half-Christian", she says, in a reminding manner.

"I don't think God likes His servants to pray only when they are in need," I reply, with my now being clear that this girl is atheist when everything is going well in her life, and then Christian when she needs some sort of spiritual healing, which, in my opinion, is just BAD. I guess that's how most people are anyway, blinded by the promises, fake promises I should say, in this worldly life. I feel sorry for Rebecca, and I hope God opens up her heart to something much greater than just material possession and comfort. Ameen.

After the lengthy dispute between Rebecca and the housing office staff (Reb: "Can't I forego this week's rent and only pay for last month's?" Staff: "Obviously, no!"--to me, Rebecca is still much of a kid, a stubborn one..), we head to the uni library to use the free access Internet. As the computers are put in two rows on each table, opposite one and another, I can obviously glance at someone who's sitting the opposite of me. It turned out to be a strange old man, with white frail hair and long frail beard, wrinkly (yes, I know, what would you expect to see from an old man :P), wearing a dark navy suit and a sort-of cowboy hat.

Actually, right from the beginning as I march towards the empty seat, I am aware that the old man is not looking at his computer screen but at me. He's humming and drumming his fingers while he watches me sit. A few minutes later he gets up from his chair, and took another glance at me with a very very deep look, so deep it makes me a bit worried. And weird, I think, because usually, usually, in the uni environment, I do not get as much attention (from wearing the headscarf) as I do outside, where people are more racist and, sad to say, media-gullible.

I ignore the old man and am minding my own business when suddenly comes a lad of the same appearance like of the old man, except that he has brown, curly hair and long beard. With him is a lady, with long, brown, unattended hair (not fashionable, really) and baggy clothes. Obviously they're friends or relatives of that old man, because one, the young man dresses like his dad/uncle/friend, and two, they are together :P

In a minute I realize that something is just not right. I look at them again, and this time they look at me.

Jews.

Their appearance, (and their nose) tells me that. Immediately and uncontrollably, I felt the insurgence of wrath and heat within me. As Rebecca, next to me, tries to ask for my help in writing, I cannot help myself to feel uneasy and restless while looking at her computer screen. And I think the three people opposite me sense this and I think they feel what I feel too. The lad looks at me again, this time with fearful eyes, and the three of them decide to move away from the computer opposite of mine to the next one, out of sight. But I haven't done anything to reflect my feeling angry and revolted, just the emotional upheaval within me that's causing myself damage. Immediately after they're out of sight, my calmness takes a hold of me and I am my normal self again.

When Rebecca and I are about to leave the library, the old and young Jewish men are now standing before the entrance, and like it or not we have to pass them. Again, the same feeling I have, but to a lesser extent, when I face them. I know their eyes are upon me. As I walk nearer towards them, the young Jewish lad grabs the old man's arms, as if they are trying to make way for me and Rebecca when I know that there are plenty of space for us to walk on. It's as if the young man trying to protect the old guy as I walk, because I might be some sort of a dangerous person to them. Heh.

To be honest I haven't felt much hatred and wrath towards the Jews before that incident, for many of my classmates are Jews themselves. But those three people are different, because I could sense that they, being much much older than my classmates, know something that my classmates don't know or are ignorant of. Something deeper and that goes back in the past. Unless the Jews acknowledge that Muhammad (SAW) is the last messenger, which is stated in the Old Testament, and that they themselves revert to their fitrah, which is Islam, the Jews and the Muslims can never be best of friends, and they can never trust one and another.....

Never.