After the 9/11 attacks, John Dutcher of Omaha, Nebraska decided that he hated Muslims. The problem? He never actually met any. Then, six Muslim refugee families moved into his apartment building and, for the first time, he was in the position to get to know Muslims for himself. According to Dutcher, meeting his new neighbors completely changed his opinion about Muslims. "The Muslims here were all about family and they just loved everyone," Dutcher says. Now, Dutcher takes pride in helping the ...
“To Islam, with Love”
More than 150 adults and children showed up to take part in "To Islam, with Love," an interfaith event in which attendees made Valentine's Day cards for their Muslim friends and neighbors to send the message that Muslims are a welcome part of the community. The handmade cards will be delivered to the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center in Roxbury around Valentine's Day. According Lisa Ballew, whose two children took part in the event, "I don't think they're ever too young to teach empathy ...
Rumi’s Secret: Imam Feisal at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
On Wednesday, January 31, 2017 the Cathedral of St. John the Divine welcomed Imam Feisal and Brad Gooch, the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of Smash Cut, Flannery, and City Poet, to discuss Gooch's new biography, Rumi's Secret: The Life of the Sufi Poet of Love (Harper, 2017). The evening also included performances by Persian dance master Rana Gorgani; composer/vocalist Amir Alan Vahab; Mehdi Darvishi; and Hedayat Shafaee. This program was co-sponsored by Alwan For The Arts, ...
NYC Subway Passengers Work Together to Remove Hateful Graffiti
When riders on the 1 train in Manhattan discovered anti-Semitic messages scrawled across the train's windows and glass advertisement cases, they worked together to erase the hateful words. According to Gregory Locke, who was on the train and part of the group who helped erase the graffiti, "I've never seen so many people simultaneously reach into their bags and pockets looking for tissues and Purel. Within about two minutes, all the Nazi symbolism was gone." Read more (New York Magazine) ...
After Mosque Fire, Jewish Community Offers Synagogue
After the Muslim community of Victoria, Texas lost its mosque to a fire, the city's Jewish community offered its synagogue so Muslims would have a place to worship while rebuilding. Robert Loeb, the president of Bnai Israel, articulated the sense of interfaith solidarity at work, saying, "This is sad for everyone in the community and as Jews we especially have to feel for the Muslim community. When a calamity like this happens, we have to stand together." Read more (Forward) ...
