Wednesday March 27, 2019
People place flowers near the police cordon for the Linwood Islamic Centre. (photo credit: STRINGER/ REUTERS)
Muslims and Jews have increasingly become targets of prejudice and violence, according to a release by the American Jewish Committee.
Muslims and Jews have increasingly become targets of prejudice and violence, according to a release by the American Jewish Committee. As such, earlier this week, an AJC delegation visited Washington for a series of meetings meant to deepen engagement with American Muslim communities, institutions and leaders.
The two-day visit included meetings with leadership from Masjid Muhammad, the Nation’s Mosque; the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center; the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA); the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU); and several other Muslim institutions. They discussed how to fight bigotry and hate crimes, as well as how to approach the subject of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The visit comes only months after a white supremacist shot and killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and in the aftermath of the bloody Christchurch, New Zealand attack, which left dozens dead and wounded.
“We must learn to work through the tensions that threaten to divide us, so that we can yield the fruit of working on a common agenda,” said Ari Gordon, AJC’s US director of Muslim-Jewish relations. “This requires decisive action.
“If thoughts and prayers are not enough, then we must lay a foundation of partnership that our children and grandchildren can build upon,” he continued. “This is our privilege and responsibility as Americans.”
Imam Mohamed Magid, executive Imam of the ADAMS Center, said, “Muslims and Jews need to stand up for each other when either group is attacked. We must also commit to fighting anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim bigotry as they appear within our own communities.”