Jean Maximilian Engelmann, who studied at the University of Kiel in Germany and also works as a refugee companion and guide, is interested in the promotion of local aid services, problem-solving strategies in education and stress management methods.
Jean Maximilian Engelmann, part of whose family lives in Israel, evaluated the Israeli-Palestinian war, which started on October 7, 2023 and is still ongoing, the possible conditions for peace and the obstacles to it, to Gazete Davul.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background?
36 years, born in Germany, my mother is Jewish and my father is Christian. I believe in the one God, I accept all prophets, so I call myself a believer, but not directly belonging to only one religion, just monotheism. I have the German and the Swedish passport. I also have a younger brother. After school, I made a trainee as an office clerk, now I’m in social service.
What inspired you to get involved in your current field of work?
Live experiences during school time and first impressions in jobs. A feeling for social justice and helping others in hard situations.
Considering your personal background, how do you evaluate the Israel-Palestine conflict?
It is one of the late episodes the world got from the second world war. I refuse war and violence, no matter which side or what people are doing it. It depends on politicians and their game of power, but they sell it under the flag of religion. Short form: every kind of war is shit, no matter who started it. The normal people have to suffer because other people in high political positions are playing their power and they want to demonstrate their power to the world.
Can you explain the concepts of Judaism, being Israeli, and Zionism for our readers to understand better?
Judaism is a monotheist religion and Moses is the prophet of Judaism. The holy script is the Thora, which means “law” and contains the five books of Moses. The religion is older than 3.000 years. Israel is known as country for Jews to live. The main symbol is the star of David, which contains two triangles from bottom to sky and from sky to bottom. Example for people without knowledge: Christians believe in Jesus Christ as a prophet and as a savior. Jews believe in Moses but are still waiting for the savior to come. God gave Moses the task to free his people from Agyptian slavery and lead them during a 40-years-walk from Agypt to an area southwest of Syria. So Judaism is the first of the three monotheist abrahametish Religion and Moses the first well known prophet.
Zionism, comes from “Zion” which was a temple mount in Jerusalem and also the living place of God, means the national ideology of a nation in the geographic Palestine.
When you stay in touch with your family living in Tel Aviv, how do they describe the situation there?
It is a very dramatic situation, on the one hand the people try to live their normal and all day life, on the other hand they are afraid of what is happening around them. They are, just like most of the people, absolutely against any kind of war and just wish peace for the people to come.
How do you think having Jewish, Christian, and Muslim beliefs has shaped your views on the conflict?
There is a difference between looking at all kind of believing and look at the actual conflict from a political view. I was grown up accepting all kinds of believing as long as the believing comes from the heart is honest, than nothing else matters. But the conflict is made by politicians who demonstrate their power under the flag of religion. From that point of view all news just confirms my view of looking at that situation from different points. And every believing is against war, against violence, so it can’t be the law of a religion to kill each other. But it can be the result of power-loving hard-line-politicians.
How do the tragedies your family experienced during the Holocaust affect your perspective on the Israel-Palestine conflict?
Some days it feels like history is repeating because the hate against Jews seems to be public practiced and people start to agree with the aggressor. It feels like you have to be sorry for having your origin without ever doing something against someone. Old watchwords come back and we hear them again and now we got to understand the hatred has never been far away, just hiding.
In line with your grandmother’s advice, what can you say about interfaith respect and humanity?
We are all of the same blood, human is human, no matter which origin. What really matters is the heart and the character, not a believing or a special kind of view. Believe in what you want as long as it comes from the heart. No matter how young or old, just look the person in the eye and see him or her as a partner in a chapter of life with the same rights like everybody else. We only have this one life and let us do the best we can do to fill it with love and life. We all walk on the planet, on the same earth. God has given us this earth as a place to be. Respect every living best as you can.
What steps do you believe need to be taken to achieve peace between Palestinians and Israelis?
As long as those politicians are having the power and holding enough money it won’t come to the point with peace. Also Iran is included in the conflict and one of Irans main goals is destroying Israel and they have money from mighty and powerful governments which means war is a logic business so they have interest in continuing. But if the people themselves would stand united and defend against such crimes, maybe they would come peace a bit closer.
Do you think both sides face inhumane treatments during the conflict? What can you say about this?
Absolutely. It is one of the main war strategies, using abusing and violence against unarmed people. But those actions get done by military activist and loyal government-lovers, because they get paid for it. From that point both sides are doing inhumane crimes and using torture for demonstration of power and show their power above people.
What are the most impactful stories or narratives you have heard from people affected by the conflict?
A torture basement under a central hospital. Hostaging innocent people who visited a festival for having a good time and kidnapping them, just to kill them all and let the world think they are still alive. So Israel didn’t start the conflict directly, it got attacked by terroristic and cruelful Hamas which gets paid by Iran and both use religion as a reason for killing innocent people.
From your life experiences, what lessons can you share to promote peace messages to the world?
Religions were sent by God to help us live peaceful together in harmony and respecting each other as living being. In the end it doesn’t matter where you come from or how much money you have, what really matters is having a good heart and be honest, helping each other to have a good life together.
What significant experiences or challenges have shaped who you are today?
My parents, my grandparents. Experiencing racism and antisemitism, bullying and mental rollercoaster. Spending time with false friends and getting to know real friends. Physical handicaps and stating to talk about everything, even if it is really hard at the beginning. Just keeping on going on my way, listen to my heart and follow and believe in God and his best plan for my life.
