The good thing is that the Muslim community is living peacefully with their Jewish neighbours and expressing more than sympathy - making the point that intolerance towards Jews leads to intolerance towards Muslims too. 'What happens to you happens to us'.
Deploring vandalism, local Muslims tell Jews: ‘What happens to you happens to us’
(Herald Times)By Dann Denny
It was a tiny gathering – 11 people huddled around a table in a small room at the Beth Shalom synagogue – eating cookies, sipping hot tea and talking.
But the five Muslims who had come to express their support and solidarity Thursday afternoon to a Jewish community that’s been shaken by a half-dozen anti-Semitic acts of vandalism in recent days – and six members from the Beth Shalom congregation who agreed to meet with them – spoke with palpable passion.
“We are very moved and grateful to all of you for making this visit, but we’re not at all surprised,” said Beth Shalom member Madi Hirschland. “We know the Muslim community is one of great compassion.”
The visit was prompted by recent acts of vandalism targeting the Jewish community – including the tossing of eight Hebrew texts into toilets and several rock-throwing incidents at the Chabad House Jewish Student Center, Helene G. Simon Hillel Center and other Jewish facilities.
For many Muslims, the acts conjured up memories of similar incidents aimed at Bloomington’s Muslim community. After someone threw a firebomb through a window of the Bloomington Islamic Center and set fire to a copy of the Quran in 2005 – and after local Muslims received death threats following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 – Beth Shalom was one of several local faith congregations that reached out with supportive letters, visits, meals and vigils.
“We learned compassion from you,” said Muslim Abdul Sinno. “We think of you as wonderful neighbors. What happens to you happens to us.”
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“You’ve already helped,” said Perry Metz. “You have touched us with your compassion and your presence here today. When something like this happens, you wonder, ‘Does anyone else care?’ You have given us your answer very clearly, and it means a lot to us.”
Nur said it’s imperative that tolerance be extended to everyone, regardless of their religious beliefs.
“Actually, we need to go beyond tolerance to acceptance and respect,” he said.
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“There is a view that Jews and Muslims are at each others’ throats, but in Bloomington that is certainly not the case,” he said. “This is our chance to show solidarity with the Jewish community that is being attacked, not because it’s politically correct, but because it’s the right thing to do.
The members of the Jewish community are our neighbors and friends and colleagues.”
Rahman said it’s ironic that the recent acts aimed at hurting the Jewish community have in fact triggered an outpouring of support for that community.
“There’s always a silver lining to bad acts,” he said. “When bad things happen, good people show their spirit, and let others know they will not bow down to the forces of evil.”
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