A world filled with peace and friendship

Look at the glass half full” is an old saying. It means: fill your heart and mind with positive thoughts, stay hopeful, and choose light over darkness. As an immigrant from Iran, when I look at the lives of Jewish immigrants in Australia, what inspires me most is their resilience and creativity rebuilding their communities, preserving their cultural identity, and contributing to the new society while carrying the memories and scars of their history.

The history of nations is filled with complex and sometimes painful events whose echoes can still be felt in collective memory. Ancient accounts, including those found in Islamic historical sources, describe tragic incidents such as the sorrowful fate of the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza.

These were people who simply wished to remain faithful to their religion and live on their ancestral land, yet they became victims of a tense political climate, suspicion, and shifting alliances. This story, which is also mentioned in the Qur’an as a warning to those who turn away from justice and refers to them as “disbelievers” (kafar), is painful precisely because it shows how a community can become a target of violence when tolerance and coexistence collapse.

The suffering endured by the Jewish people has lasted for more than 15 centuries, forming a long chain of exile, discrimination and violence. In this sense, their perseverance mirrors the experience of many Iranians, who have also repeatedly faced turmoil, displacement and the struggle to preserve their identity. Yet the Jewish community has been able to overcome even the harshest periods by rebuilding their lives, cultivating land, constructing fortresses, preserving traditions, and strengthening family bonds.

Throughout history, many Jewish families found safety in Iran, which became a refuge during periods of instability and threat. After World War II, under the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Iran once again opened its doors to Jewish migrants and provided a place of stability at a time when antisemitism was rising elsewhere.

This gesture echoed an even older chapter of history: nearly 3000 years earlier, Cyrus the Great had welcomed the Jews after the fall of Babylon, allowing them to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple.

After the 1979 Islamic revolution, the Jewish community in Iran entered a new era. Some chose to migrate to countries where they hoped for broader freedoms, while others stayed and continued their lives in Iran, preserving traditions that had existed for centuries. Many families built new homes in Australia, Canada, and the United States, contributing to their adopted societies while retaining a strong sense of heritage.

These migrations highlight the remarkable resilience of Jewish communities; their ability to adapt, rebuild from nothing, and carry their identity with dignity wherever they go.

And now, why is it essential to stand firmly against antisemitism? Because any form of generalisation, hatred, or exclusion based on religious or ethnic identity not only violates fundamental human rights but also weakens the very society that tolerates it.

Communities in which citizens of all backgrounds feel safe and respected become stronger, more creative, and more resilient socially, economically and culturally.

Supporting solidarity and confronting blind prejudice is not merely a defence of one specific group; it is a protection of the shared human values that make peaceful coexistence possible. Promoting unity, strengthening mutual understanding, and resisting hate-driven narratives safeguard the cohesion and wellbeing of society.

In a world where divisions can deepen easily, choosing empathy and justice helps secure a stronger and more hopeful future for all of us.

Rather than repeating old wounds and counting losses, we should learn from history. Reading and understanding reliable historical sources helps us build a better future. The pain of the past should be remembered not for revenge, but as a reminder to prevent such tragedies from happening again. No nation including the Jewish people should ever again become victims of hatred and discrimination.

Let us look at the glass half full to keep hope alive, and to build a world filled with peace and friendship.

Leila Naseri is an author, composer and social cultural activist.