Every nation has its holidays tied to its culture, beliefs, history, and identity. Some holidays, like Eid al-Adha, are connected to the entire nation, instilling in our hearts that we are one community sharing our joys, feelings, and emotions, just as we share our rituals, practices, and worship. "And indeed this is your nation, one nation, and I am your Lord, so fear Me" (Surah Al-Mu'minun: 52).
The pillars of this nation are complete, and its political and cultural identity is embodied in the Charter of Medina, characterized by its openness to different faiths, respect for the freedom of belief for the people of the Book, its acknowledgment of the supremacy of law, and its transcendence over tribal vengeance in the pursuit of building a state of justice and human dignity. To live in a reality of distinction and scientific and intellectual advancement in this world, we must prepare and establish the necessary foundations to start, and determine our goals; otherwise, our work becomes futile. Awareness of our history and identity will serve as the beginning of reviving the moderate values and civilizational meanings established by the Charter of Medina, qualifying us to fulfill our anticipated global role. Our understanding of our past and present affects our awareness of our issues and strategies.
Reviving moderation carries political and cultural dimensions of the concept of a "moderate nation," embracing diversity and opening the door to creativity, just as our nation is geographically situated at the center of the world, bridging Europe and Eurasia. This encourages us to develop the Arab and Islamic center and remember the historical connections of the Levant with the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, and Iraq, ensuring that we make our best affairs the middle path, without succumbing to fragmentation and disintegration narratives.
Eid al-Adha is associated with the believers' journey to the Sacred House of God. In this journey, filled with meanings of selflessness, giving, and humility, believers derive profound meanings from their observations. Just as the Kaaba is at the center of the Grand Mosque, the believer stands centrally among nations, ensuring they distance themselves from extremism, excess, and superiority.
The act of pilgrimage reminds us of the importance of connecting the paths of pilgrimage with the paths of ideas to foster closeness between nations and peoples. The holy cities are also spiritual, cultural, and commercial centers that link the religious and the economic. The builders of Islamic civilization understood that development of the land is a form of worship; hence, markets flourished along the pilgrimage route from Samarkand to Hijaz, known as the Silk Road. Our ancestors managed to combine spiritual elevation in visiting sacred places with sustainable development by opening markets as a means to combat poverty and hunger, all within the general meaning of the verse: "so that they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah during the appointed days for what He has provided them of animals" (Surah Al-Hajj: 28). Through this emotional and practical unity, we must be truthful with our Creator and ourselves.
What we are experiencing today in our Arab Islamic east is not a clash of civilizations or cultures, but a struggle over the essence of culture, exemplified by "cultural genocide" against groups with ethnic, religious, political, and cultural roots, as seen in Palestine, where there is an endeavor to erase spatial memory through the systematic killing and destruction of entire neighborhoods. The aggression against Gaza has obliterated all slogans of sustainable development, notably "leaving no one behind," especially with the death policies employed by the Israeli occupation against the people of Gaza, depriving them of all means of life in a genuine exercise of terror.
The most significant aspect of our problem is the failure to connect things and absolute truths. Here, the importance of the science of meanings emerges: we have a prolonged occupation of over 70 years of our most cherished possession, the noble city of Jerusalem, which is being surrounded by settlements and enclaves, with the expulsion of its inhabitants and the replacement of Jewish immigrants through specially designed laws for this purpose, like the "Absentee Law" and the "Planning and Building Law," alongside increasing violence from settlers.
If the doctrine justifies the actions of the occupying state in such an incompatible manner with any claims of a desire for a negotiated peace, it is because the founder of that state viewed it as an extension of Europe. On Eid al-Adha, we affirm that we are an extension of a global civilization and believe in the Lord of the worlds, and we must not allow external seditions to infiltrate us, while we must also listen to the voices of our youth both at home and in diaspora.
The Islamic perspective has always embraced the nation while respecting minorities, while their view focuses on gathering minorities. Eid al-Adha reminds us that if affliction is coupled with patience and submission, Allah will replace it with relief and victory. Our Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) was an old man when Allah granted him his son Ismail. He was deeply attached to him, and the test came when he was commanded to leave him and his mother in a barren valley. When Ismail grew up and reached maturity, the command came to Ibrahim to sacrifice his son. Both the father and son responded to the command, but divine wisdom revealed that true piety lies in bringing joy to the hearts of Allah's servants.
The philosophy of Eid al-Adha serves to showcase the unity and equality of Muslims, manifested in their gathering for the Eid prayer, as well as in the gathering of pilgrims on the Day of Arafah, all on equal ground regardless of wealth, race, or ethnicity, except by piety. This unity must serve as a nucleus and foundation for uniting Muslims to establish a regional council from the East to the world, integrating Arabia with the East, which forms its geographical and historical depth. The Nabataean and southern shields must also come together on the shores of the Red Sea to take a serious step towards stabilizing our region in the conferences planned at the United Nations, through sovereign mutual support among the countries in the region, especially since the overwhelming majority of countries worldwide recognized the promised state since the beginning of the Palestinian issue, namely the State of Palestine itself. Here, we remember the importance of beginnings and the necessity of charting a course to reach our objectives.
We ask Allah, the Almighty, to continue granting our homelands holidays filled with worship and happiness, to relieve the hardships of our people in Gaza, Palestine, and all Muslim and Arab lands. Happy Eid to you all.