Semitic is an adjective that describes things originating from the Asian Middle East. Most commonly, it is used to refer to speakers of Semitic languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, or Amharic. So, since Arabic people are also semites it can be argued that Islam cannot be anti-Semitic. It might be wise to consider the use of anti-Semitic in this article as anti-Jewish, or anti-Zionist.
The Quran refers to Jews and Christians (and some other religions) as "people of the book". Muhammed had uneven relations with the Jews and they are condemned several times. The Quran also condemns those Jews who committed grave sins and turned away from the message revealed to them.
The Quran states that "Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright man who had surrendered (to Allah), and he was not of the idolaters." (III - The house of Imran 67). Some people interprete this verse as a claim that the biblical patriarch Abraham was not a Jew, but actually a Muslim. Many Jews consider this to be anti-Semitic, in that it creates a historical anachronim that usurps the founding patriarch of Judaism, for the purpose of promoting a different religion.
Both Jewish and Muslim tradition hold that Arabs are descedents of Abraham through Ishmael, his son from his second wife Hagar.
Islam mandates a limited level of tolerance for both Jews and Christians, as long as they did not challenge the superious status of Islam. Early verses in the Quran limit religious disputations with them to those occurring in a fair manner.
When Muslim armies conquered nations, they felt no special need to force people of the Book, including Jews, to convert to Islam. Under Sharia law they were given the status of dhimmi, which gave them certain rights, as well as certain responsibilities. As dhimmi, Jews faced a greater level of tolerance under Muslim rule than under Christian rule. Dhimmi were provided with limited autonomy, and allowed to practice their religion. although Dhimii had to pay the Jizya, they were exempted from the Zakat (giving alms to the poor). The exact treatment of dhimmi varied greatly from place to place.
The constitution of Medina, one of the earliest documents of the Muslim community in Medina, which was transmitted by Ibn Hisham states: "The Jews of Banu Awf [phrases are repeated for the different Jewish communities] are a community along with the believers. To the Jews their religion and to the Muslim their religion."
For Jewish tribes which had treaties with the Muslim umma, the constitution of Medina states: "A Jew who follows us has a right to the same help and support as the believers, so long they are not wronged by him and he does not help others against them."
Using verses from the Quran, some Muslims hold that, although a Muslim must be friendly with Jews and Christians, one should avoid befriending or initializing a friendship with them. This view is still held by many Muslims today. However, Muslims do consider Judaism as one of the divine faiths; a great number of their prophets are of the Bani-Israel tribe:
"We gave him Isaac, and Jacob: all We guided and before him, We guided Noah, and among his progeny David, Solomon, Ayub, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron :Thus do We reward those who do good. And Zakariya and Yahya, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of righteous. And Isma'il and Elisha and Jonah (Yunus) and Lut. And to all we gave favour above the nations."
Many other prophets are considered to be the descendants of the tribe.
"Bani-Israel" itself means the children of Israel and more or less concerns those of Jewish faith. Those who the Bani-Israel tribe consisted of were regarded to as "the preffered ones", as mentioned in the Qur'an:
"O Children of Israel! Call to mind My favour which I bestowed on you and that I preferred you to all others (for my Message)"
According to Qur'anic verses, the particular tribe showed constant ungratefulness towards God and did not obey the command of their great prophets.
"Indignity is put over them wherever they may be, except when under a covenant (of protection) from God, and from men; they have drawn on themselves the Wrath of God, and destruction is put over them. This is because they disbelieved in the Ayats (evidences) of Allah and killed the Prophets without right. This is because they disobeyed (God) and used to transgress beyond bounds (in God's disobedience, crimes and sins)"
Al-Jahiz (d. 869), a ninth century Islamic zoologist and author of The Book of Animals, writes that the mouse, cheetah, eel, white ant (termite), and lizard were originally sinful Jews. (See Al-Jahiz, Omar bin Bahar, Kittab Al-Hayawan. Cairo: Mustafa Al-Bai Al-Halabi and sons (1943), Col. I, p. 309.)
In the Islamic Aghlabid dynasty (9th through 11th century, North Africa) Jews were forced to wear a patch that had an image of a monkey, and were also forced to afix said image to their homes; Christians were forced to wear a patch that had an image of a pig, and they were also forced to afix said image to their home. (F. Viré, "Kird," Encyclopedia of Islam, Second Edition.)
Some Muslims in the Middle-east still believe that Jews were literally changed by Allah into pigs and apes.
The following sermon was delivered at the Sheik 'Ijlin Mosque in Gaza, Palestinian Authority, The speaker was Sheik Ibrahim Madhi, and it was broadcast on Palestinian Authority television. August 3, 2001
There are a number of projects working for peace among Israelis and Arabs; many of these include Jewish-Islamic theological dialogue. One of their goals is to reduce anti-Semitism.
See also: Arab Anti-Semitism, Persecution of Christians, Anti-Arab, Religious intolerance, Anti-Islamism, IslamophobiaSemitic People
The Quran on Jews
Dhimmi
Views based on the Quran
Islamic claims that Jews are "the sons of pigs and apes
The Palestinian Authority regularly broadcasts anti-Semitic religious sermons from Palestinian Mosques; many, such as the example below, incite Palestinians to kill Jews. The following quotes are excerpted from a sermon by Dr. Mustafa Najem, Dec. 6, 2002:20th century anti-Semitism by Islamic clerics
The following sermon was also delivered at the Sheik 'Ijlin Mosque in Gaza, Palestinian Authority, The speaker was Sheik Ibrahim Madhi. June 8, 2001. In the name of Islam the speaker calls for suicide bombers to destroy not only all Jews, but also the United States and Great Britain.
The following sermon was delivered at the Zayed bin Sultan Aal Nahyan mosque in Gaza. The speaker was Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya, an appointed member of the Palestinian Authority Fatwa Council, and is former acting Rector of the Islamic University in Gaza. Jewish-Muslim dialogue