Welcome to Wasatia Palestine

New Palestinian Islamic Initiative takes the Middle Ground

A new Palestinian movement called Wasatia -- a term from the Quran which means 'centrism,' 'balance,' 'moderation, ‘justice,' -- was launched on Wednesday,March 21, 2007, a day that marks the beginning of spring, a blooming warm season that falls in between the hot summer season and the cold winter season. Springtime is about regeneration. What was hidden, hibernating, or silently waiting bursts forth in glorious affirmation of the beauty and bounty of life. It calls for regenerating that seed of peace that lies encoded in the spirit.  The concept is not new. The Talmud maintains: “The Torah may be likened to two paths, one of fire, the other of snow. Turn in one direction, and you will die of heat: turn to the other and you die of the cold. What should you do? Walk in the middle.” [Talmud: Hagigah, 2:1] “Let your moderation be known unto all men.” [Philippians 4:5] In his introduction to Christian Moderation Joseph Hall, Bishop of Norwich (1574-1656) writes: “Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.” The Holy Quran states: “We have created you a mid-ground nation.” {“Thus have We made of you an Ummatan justly balanced.”}[Cow Surah: Verse 143] And one of the more famous quotes of Prophet Mohammed is: “The best way to run affairs is moderation.”

Many philosophers advocates moderation. Epictetus (60 A.D.) councils:. “Fortify yourself with moderation; for this is an impregnable fortress;” Tacitus (55-120) warns: “Candor and generosity, unless tempered by due moderation, leads to ruin;” Plutarch (46-120 A.D.) proclaims: “Moderation is best, and to avoid all extremes.”

Like Equinox, wasatia -- Arabic for "moderation" -- is about balance. In the spring and in the fall, the sun stands at the balancing point, at the center. To activate peace in the current climate of escalating fear and violence, one must reclaim that balance, between love and hate, between friendship and enmity, between despair and hope.

The founding gathering brought together moderates from Gaza and several West Bank towns, religious leaders, educators, former prisoners in Israeli jails, women, intellectuals and youth. They endorsed a founding platform that blends verses from the Quran, extolling the virtues of moderation and tolerance, with calls for a negotiated peace with Israel and solutions to the acute economic, social and political crises plaguing Palestinian society. Wasatia is the first Islamic religious party to advocate a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a tolerant, democratic society at home.

Wasatia is aimed at the moderate middle of Muslim politics as well as moderate Christians. It declares the virtue of wasatia (moderation) to be an integral part of its platform. This initiative comes as part of the historic dialogue that has started long time ago
 to bridge the gap between two civilizations - between the civilization based on the Bible and the Torah and the civilization based on the Quran.

The new initiative aims to foster a culture of moderation and attract Palestinian voters who are moderate in their religious beliefs.  Palestinians are proud of their Muslim heritage and respect the religious identity of other religions like Judaism and Christianity. In fostering a culture of moderation Wasatia aspires that Palestinian children will not grow up
with the literature of hate and violence, but would grow up in a culture where they can co-exist in peace, prosperity and harmony.

The Wasatia platform calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East
Jerusalem as its capital. But in contrast
 to all other major Palestinian parties, it does not endorse the return of the estimated 4 million Palestinian refugees to their homes in what is now Israel. It would say to the refugees: “Move on with your life. Do not let the past bury the future, even though it should always be remembered. Your rights are sacred but your return is to be negotiated”.

Wasatia will spend the next year building itself as a movement, undertaking voluntary work, creating new jobs and economic opportunities. Charity and voluntarism -- this is Islam.  Wasatia founder Professor Dajani firmly believes that in
the next three years by the time the next general elections will take place by the end of 2009, the new movement will
be able to run in the elections and attract enough votes to become the largest bloc in the political life of the Palestinian
 people. Already, Many Islamic scholars in the Arab World and other Islamic countries are advocating such course,
to project the positive image of Islam globally.