A Powerful Photo Of Muslim And Jewish Paramedics Praying Together Goes Viral
Religion is one of the oldest aspects of humanity. There are many religions and they offer support to those who seek it, but it’s also undeniable that those same religions have caused conflicts, many of which were recorded in history. Therefore, every time we see any form of tranquility fall on this topic, it’s naturally heartwarming.
And this time, we have something truly extraordinary! A photograph is going viral of two men, representing different faiths, seemingly praying together and—lo and behold—nothing untoward happened. The picture spread like wildfire, enticing the internet to offer their congratulations to the two men; one Facebook post featuring the photo even garnered 3K likes and more than 700 comments.
Two men of different faiths take time to jointly observe their religious customs
Image credits: CNN
Avraham Mintz and Zoher Abu Jama are two men who work for Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s emergency response service. Mintz is a Jew and Abu Jama is a Muslim, and during their break between calls, they managed to stop for a moment and pray. Each observed their own customs: Mintz faced Jerusalem, wearing a black-and-white prayer shawl, and Abu Jama knelt on a prayer rug facing Mecca. They pray for 15 minutes, and then it’s back to work.
It wasn’t the first time this happened, so neither of the men were fazed. According to CNN, they work together several times per week, and each one observes their own traditions without interfering with one another. The picture was taken by their co-worker, and during the pandemic crisis, it sparked hope.
Avraham Mintz doesn’t see anything out of the ordinary in their routine as they both need to pray, especially in these times
Image credits: CNN
Mintz is a 42-year-old father of nine and lives in Be’er Sheva. He’s a full-time employee of MDA and he trains volunteers. He was very direct about the mutual understanding the co-workers share and said, “The fact that it is so simple makes it so powerful. I believe that Zoher and I and most of the world understand that we have to raise our heads and pray. That’s all that’s left.”
Abu Jama is 39 years of age; he lives in Bedouin city of Rahat and is a father of seven. He was one of the volunteers that Mintz trained. According to him, “In terms of belief and personality, we believe in the same things and we have something in common.”
During the pandemic, MDA teams work 10 times harder than before, so the men take time for prayer when they can
Image credits: Martin Jones
MDA is working hard to battle the pandemic in the country. Back in spring, when the whole thing was gaining speed, MDA teams would handle 100,000 calls on peak days, 10 times the normal rate. Mintz said, “Everyone is afraid of the virus. So are we, but we have the belief that everything is under the control of God, blessed be He. We both believe this.”
MDA teams are working with safety precautions in place, but they also do all in their power to help deal with the pandemic. MDA workers do the normal work of paramedics and EMTs, but they also transfer coronavirus patients to hospitals and quarantine locations, as well as carrying out coronavirus tests and collecting blood donations. Abu Jama said, “I believe that God will help us and we will get through this. We should all pray to God to get us through this, and we will get through this world crisis.”
The photo of the dual prayer earned heartwarming reactions from people online
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Now this I can respect. Neither is harming the other. It still frustrates me the most when certain religious people would try to ban one in favor of the other. Also, I like that they are doing them at the appropriate times. It's equally frustrating when the same certain religious people think any time is appropriate, and telling them otherwise is persecution.
This was viral back in April, and they are in Beer Sheba in the South, so the Jewish EMT is praying towards Jerusalem and the Muslim man towards Mecca. Also remember 15% of EMT's in Israel are Arab, 19% of Doctors, 25% of Nurses, and 45% of Pharmacists, which is good representation given that Arabs are 22% of Israel's citizens. Israel has over 450 Govt funded mosques and 370 imams who collect govt salaries though the Supreme Muslim Council under the Ministry of Religion. Israel is a diverse society with strong respect of faith.
It would be a little nicer if that respect was extended to Palestinians.
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God wants us to accept others as they are. Don't judge, be open to what you have in common -- like your commitment to your faith. Instead deciding who is even worth a conversation, give everyone an equal chance. Your world is bigger and pool of potential friends larger. *** LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR ***
I work security with people who have to take time out to do this and Ive needed someone to secure a door behind me when your praying you dont respond to anything
This is exactly how it should be all across the world, especially during a worldwide pandemic where everyone is suffering in some way, shape, or form. You have your religion and I have mine. Neither of these men are harming the other, and give each other the respect they deserve. On a side note, I believe there is actually a lot in common between the three world religions, if we choose to look at them closely.
Yes, Jews, Christians and Muslims are all children of Abraham. It started with the Jews. Jesus was a Jew. Mohammed was Christian. Yes, there are differences between the faiths, but we have the same roots.
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Now this I can respect. Neither is harming the other. It still frustrates me the most when certain religious people would try to ban one in favor of the other. Also, I like that they are doing them at the appropriate times. It's equally frustrating when the same certain religious people think any time is appropriate, and telling them otherwise is persecution.
This was viral back in April, and they are in Beer Sheba in the South, so the Jewish EMT is praying towards Jerusalem and the Muslim man towards Mecca. Also remember 15% of EMT's in Israel are Arab, 19% of Doctors, 25% of Nurses, and 45% of Pharmacists, which is good representation given that Arabs are 22% of Israel's citizens. Israel has over 450 Govt funded mosques and 370 imams who collect govt salaries though the Supreme Muslim Council under the Ministry of Religion. Israel is a diverse society with strong respect of faith.
It would be a little nicer if that respect was extended to Palestinians.
Load More Replies... God wants us to accept others as they are. Don't judge, be open to what you have in common -- like your commitment to your faith. Instead deciding who is even worth a conversation, give everyone an equal chance. Your world is bigger and pool of potential friends larger. *** LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR ***
I work security with people who have to take time out to do this and Ive needed someone to secure a door behind me when your praying you dont respond to anything
This is exactly how it should be all across the world, especially during a worldwide pandemic where everyone is suffering in some way, shape, or form. You have your religion and I have mine. Neither of these men are harming the other, and give each other the respect they deserve. On a side note, I believe there is actually a lot in common between the three world religions, if we choose to look at them closely.
Yes, Jews, Christians and Muslims are all children of Abraham. It started with the Jews. Jesus was a Jew. Mohammed was Christian. Yes, there are differences between the faiths, but we have the same roots.
Load More Replies...
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