--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As long as we continue to search for…" description: "\"“As long as we continue to search for enemies anywhere but inside ourselves, there will always be a Middle East problem. Religion is not the solution. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/mosab-hassan-yousef-12877_islam_as-long-as-we-continue-to-search-for-ene_1578302.jpg" --- # As long as we continue to search for enemies anywhere but… ![“As long as we continue to search for enemies anywhere but inside ourselves, there will always be a Middle East problem. Religion is not the solution. Religion without Jesus is just self-righteousness. Freedom from oppression will not resolve things either. Delivered from the oppression of Europe…” quote by Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/mosab-hassan-yousef-12877_islam_as-long-as-we-continue-to-search-for-ene_1578302.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/mosab-hassan-yousef-12877_islam_as-long-as-we-continue-to-search-for-ene_1578302.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/mosab-hassan-yousef-12877_islam_as-long-as-we-continue-to-search-for-ene_1578302.jpg) > ““As long as we continue to search for enemies anywhere but inside ourselves, there will always be a Middle East problem. Religion is not the solution. Religion without Jesus is just self-righteousness. Freedom from oppression will not resolve things either. Delivered from the oppression of Europe, Israel became the oppressor. Delivered from persecution, Muslims became persecutors. Abused spouses and children often go on to abuse spouses and children. It is a cliché, but it’s still true: hurt people, unless they are healed, hurt people.”” [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Externalizing blame prevents self‑reflection; healing requires confronting inner wounds. **In simple terms:** Blaming others avoids personal growth. Key Takeaway Look inward for healing. Themes responsibility self‑awareness conflict healing Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - family therapy - personal counseling - conflict resolution - community building Key Concepts psychology philosophy politics Questions to Reflect On - What inner conflicts hinder your peace? - Can forgiveness replace retaliation? A Different Perspective Addressing internal issues may be painful and complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hurt People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-people/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Jews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jews/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Koran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/koran/) [Middle east](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-east/) [Middle east conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-east-conflict/) [Muslims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muslims/) [Oppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppression/) [Persecution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persecution/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not a stranger to the persecution that Muslims have faced over the years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahesh-bhatt/i-m-not-a-stranger-to-the-persecution-that-muslims-have-faced-over/) [Mahesh Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahesh-bhatt/) > [“We have become Gabriel's nightmare and Satan's fantasy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-wazan/we-have-become-gabriel-s-nightmare-and-satan-s-fantasy/) Osama Wazan > [ \[The Middle East conflict \] just kind of ran its course for me. For a long time I could justify doing it to myself,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-van-agtmael/the-middle-east-conflict-just-kind-of-ran-its-course-for-me-for-a/) [Peter van Agtmael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-van-agtmael/) > [“The most costly and protracted Middle East conflict of this era, the Iran-Iraq war of 1980–8, had nothing to do with the Cold War,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-halliday/the-most-costly-and-protracted-middle-east-conflict-of-this-era-the/) [Fred Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-halliday/) > [“The West has to take a critical look at itself and examine the apparent double standards at work that allow it to attack Iraq…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-gannon/the-west-has-to-take-a-critical-look-at-itself-and-examine-the/) Kathy Gannon > [Like most Americans, I hope and wish is that there is a peaceful resolution to the Middle East conflict. Unfortunately, there are extremists on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-issa/like-most-americans-i-hope-and-wish-is-that-there-is-a-peaceful/) [Darrell Issa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-issa/) > [“The most dangerous people in the world are not the tiny minority instigating evil acts, but those who do the acts for them. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-most-dangerous-people-in-the-world-are-not-the-tiny-minority-2/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“I like the idea of it. Just look at the world around you. Wars, terror, starvation, poverty, disease. Take the Middle East conflict, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-kazinski/i-like-the-idea-of-it-just-look-at-the-world-around-you-wars-terror/) [A.J. Kazinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-kazinski/) > [“One of the outstanding sources of resistance to imperial power in the Muslim world came from Sufi groups. While Sufi brotherhoods are generally known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-fuller/one-of-the-outstanding-sources-of-resistance-to-imperial-power-in-the/) Graham Fuller > [“What is the death of a soldier even off duty of an occupying army walking in an occupied territory against the death of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-grant/what-is-the-death-of-a-soldier-even-off-duty-of-an-occupying-army/) [Linda Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-grant/) > [“The recent renewal of hostilities in the Middle East and cross-border casualties and damage prove once again the fragility of unilateral decisions and quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mouloud-benzadi/the-recent-renewal-of-hostilities-in-the-middle-east-and-cross-border/) [Mouloud Benzadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mouloud-benzadi/) > [We usually speak of the Jewish-Christian civilization - perhaps, the time has come, especially with regard to the Middle East conflict, to talk about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/we-usually-speak-of-the-jewish-christian-civilization-perhaps-the/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [Vietnam is a jungle. You had jungle warfare. Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, you have sand. \[There is no need to worry about a protracted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/vietnam-is-a-jungle-you-had-jungle-warfare-kuwait-iraq-saudi-arabia/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [“The Iraqi sun quickly heated the air to an unbearable one hundred twenty three degree’s, causing an unquenchable thirst to boil up in him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ferreolus/the-iraqi-sun-quickly-heated-the-air-to-an-unbearable-one-hundred/) Thomas Ferreolus > [Jewish intellectuals contributed a great deal to insure that Europe became a continent of humanism, and it is with these humanist ideals that Europe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/jewish-intellectuals-contributed-a-great-deal-to-insure-that-europe/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) ## More by Mosab Hassan Yousef > [I want everybody to worship the God of love instead of worshipping the God of hate and torture. But in the meantime, we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/i-want-everybody-to-worship-the-god-of-love-instead-of-worshipping/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [I'm not trying to convert the entire nation of Israel and the entire nation of Palestine to Christianity. But at least if you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/i-m-not-trying-to-convert-the-entire-nation-of-israel-and-the-entire/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [“I realized that suspects under torture were being asked things they couldn’t possibly know about and giving answers they thought their torturers wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/i-realized-that-suspects-under-torture-were-being-asked-things-they/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [Intelligence communities are very closed communities, but at the same time, you don't only learn how to fight terrorism. You need to learn about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/intelligence-communities-are-very-closed-communities-but-at-the-same/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [Traditional Muslims stand at the foot of the ladder, living in guilt for not really practicing Islam. At the top are fundamentalists, the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/traditional-muslims-stand-at-the-foot-of-the-ladder-living-in-guilt/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [I still love my people, not just my family - my people. I feel a huge responsibility for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/i-still-love-my-people-not-just-my-family-my-people-i-feel-a-huge/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [If you can educate Muslims about their biggest enemy, and if you can solve the problem, the ideological problem, it doesn't give an immediate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/if-you-can-educate-muslims-about-their-biggest-enemy-and-if-you-can/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [If Hamas continues to threaten the security of the state of Israel, I believe Israel has the ability and the capacity to control the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/if-hamas-continues-to-threaten-the-security-of-the-state-of-israel-i/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [I asked myself what Palestinians would do if Israel disappeared-if everything not only went back to the way it was before 1948 but if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/i-asked-myself-what-palestinians-would-do-if-israel-disappeared-if/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [ Hamas does not care about the lives of Palestinians. \[They don't\] care about the lives of Israelis or Americans. They don't care about their… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/hamas-does-not-care-about-the-lives-of-palestinians-they-don-t-care/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [I was a witness to lots of death... Saving a human life was something really, really beautiful... no matter who they are. Not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/i-was-a-witness-to-lots-of-death-saving-a-human-life-was-something/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [If there's a good side of Islam, at the end of the day it serves evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/if-there-s-a-good-side-of-islam-at-the-end-of-the-day-it-serves-evil/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [We might experience bad things in our lives. But if we worship a God who suffered more than us, this is our highest example.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/we-might-experience-bad-things-in-our-lives-but-if-we-worship-a-god/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [Most people heard about Hamas after Hamas started carrying out terrorist attacks. Hamas started out as an idea. Let's say a noble idea -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/most-people-heard-about-hamas-after-hamas-started-carrying-out/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [In the West, they have no clue what Palestinian suffering is about, and the terrorist attacks give a wrong picture about the just Palestinian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/in-the-west-they-have-no-clue-what-palestinian-suffering-is-about-and/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) [Explore all 52 Mosab Hassan Yousef quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) ## More Islam quotes > [ Ben Carson also denounced \[Donald\] Trump's ban all Muslims proposal saying we do not and would not advocate being selective on one's religion. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/ben-carson-also-denounced-donald-trump-s-ban-all-muslims-proposal/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [ \[Islam\] Leaves no room of human legislation in an Islamic state, because herein all legislative functions vest in God and the only function left… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abul-a-la-maududi/islam-leaves-no-room-of-human-legislation-in-an-islamic-state-because/) [Abul A'la Maududi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abul-a-la-maududi/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/) [Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/) > [“God delights in beauty, Islam teaches at its core, and is beauty. Beauty is in creation, not destruction, and in balance. It is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krista-tippett/god-delights-in-beauty-islam-teaches-at-its-core-and-is-beauty-beauty/) [Krista Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krista-tippett/) > [Allah will never humiliate the one who takes his Lord as friend and patron.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-qayyim-al-jawziyya/allah-will-never-humiliate-the-one-who-takes-his-lord-as-friend-and/) [Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-qayyim-al-jawziyya/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [When Allah puts barakah (His blessings) in something, it will come beyond your expectations- never underestimate the power of one good deed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/when-allah-puts-barakah-his-blessings-in-something-it-will-come/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [ “\[T\]he people who are close to Allah worry so much about wasting time that they call themselves to account for every breath they spend… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethar-el-katatney/t-he-people-who-are-close-to-allah-worry-so-much-about-wasting-time/) Ethar El- Katatney > [My mom and my aunties are really devout Christians. My mom married a Muslim when I was 12, so I got teachings from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/my-mom-and-my-aunties-are-really-devout-christians-my-mom-married-a/) [Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/) > [The plight of the Baha'i community in Iran has served as a backdrop to my life growing up in London, particularly since the Islamic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omid-djalili/the-plight-of-the-baha-i-community-in-iran-has-served-as-a-backdrop/) [Omid Djalili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omid-djalili/) > [I am a woman, and as such, I experience the ever-increasing restrictions on our liberty in our country through the development of Islamic fundamentalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/i-am-a-woman-and-as-such-i-experience-the-ever-increasing/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [I saw Islam as the correct way to live, and I chose to try to live that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-saw-islam-as-the-correct-way-to-live-and-i-chose-to-try-to-live/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) > [“No Hate Speech Online is a social media netiquette rule. Return hate in kind (ness) for proper netiquette. Love Muslims alike.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chiles/no-hate-speech-online-is-a-social-media-netiquette-rule-return-hate/) [David Chiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chiles/) [Browse all 6,032 Islam quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As long as we continue to search for enemies anywhere but inside ourselves, there will always be a Middle East problem. Religion is not the solution. Religion without Jesus is just self-righteousness. Freedom from oppression will not resolve things either. Delivered from the oppression of Europe, Israel became the oppressor. Delivered from persecution, Muslims became persecutors. Abused spouses and children often go on to abuse spouses and children. 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