Haaretz
Adar1 22, 5765
A Bedouin
Sheikh issued Wednesday an Islamic ruling under which Beduoin soldiers who
take part in the evacuation of settlements were allowed to protect
themselves even at the price of hurting settlers.
The Islamic
ruling, or Fatwa, issued by Sheikh Kamel Abu Nadi comes after reports
appeared that rabbis had issued a halakhic ruling permitting live fire on
Druze and Bedouin soldiers and police officers who take part in evacuating
settlements under the disengagement plan.
"Many soldiers and
officers have turned to me during the last week asking what they should do
in the event that they were fired on during evacuation," Abu Nadi said.
"In reaction I issued a Fatwa that if they can not avoid taking
part in the evacuation and were fired on, they should return fire in order
to protect themselves," Abu Nadi said.
Bazam Nafez Abulqian, an
Israel Defense Forces major in the reserve and chairman of the Bedouin
soldier and officer association, turned Wednesday to Justice Minister
Tzipi Livni and Attorney General Menachem Mazuz in a request to deal
severely with right-wing inciters.
"After years where Bedouin
soldiers served and protected settlers all over the country, they are
suddenly abandoned and people distinguish their blood from blood of Jewish
soldiers?" Abulqian asked angrily.
He said that since the rumor on
the existence of a Jewish ruling has spread since Sunday's cabinet
meeting, he has received strong reactions from Bedouin soldiers and
citizens.
"I also act as a recruiter for the IDF among Bedouins.
Yesterday when I arrived to recruit, people started laughing at me; there
were even some who said they supported the halakhic ruling that allowed
killing Bedouins," Abulqian said.
"I wonder how people would have
reacted if one of us had issued a religious ruling that allowed killing
those who came to demolish Bedouin homes in the Negev. How would police
react then?" he asked.
Bedouin who join the IDF are subject to
huge pressure from their surrounding society, which doesn't always view
their enrollment in the army positively. Nowadays only 17 percent of
Bedouin teenagers volunteer to join the army, which draws a lot of
criticism and sometimes even causes their expulsion from the surrounding
society.
The criticism toward Bedouin soldiers considerably grew
after the outbreak of the second intifada in September 2000, the many
Bedouin casualties caused since, and the continuing neglecting of the
Bedouin society by the government.