An American Jewish Committee (AJC) “leadership delegation met with key Muslim organizations and individuals in Chicago.” The aim was to deepen “engagement with American Muslim community institutions and leaders.”
AJC’s U.S. Director of Muslim-Jewish Relations, Ari Gordon, said that “Jews and Muslims are natural allies in the United States to fight bigotry against both groups and protect our shared democratic freedoms.”
Jews and Muslims are not natural allies to fight bigotry, for several reasons: Jews are often targeted for no reason other than being Jewish, Muslims are not. Jews also suffer all too often at the hands of Muslims — from threats to obliterate the state of Israel and attacks on Israeli civilians to violence against Jews living in areas where there are large Muslim populations, such as France, Germany and Sweden.
The AJC also wants to engage in dialogue with Muslim groups about “different understandings of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” Yet extensive Jewish dialogue and negotiations with Muslim leaders over such “different understandings” have gotten Israel nowhere. Israel’s surrender of land has brought it in return only more rocket fire, a “pay for slay” program, routine attacks on innocent Jews, and steady efforts to “free Palestine from the River to the Sea,” i.e., to obliterate Israel.
In June, “AJC unveiled its groundbreaking Community of Conscience initiative. AJC CEO David Harris discussed why all people of good conscience must join together to stand united against hate and violence and celebrate pluralism and diversity.” The problem is that Muslims in the West are not collectively and openly standing against the pervasive hate, violence, persecution and bigotry perpetrated by their coreligionists and enshrined in Islamic law.
“AJC National Interreligious Mission Engages Muslim Leaders in Chicago,” AJC press release, September 18, 2019:
CHICAGO, Sept. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — An AJC leadership delegation met with key Muslim organizations and individuals in Chicago. The two-day visit was part of AJC’s national “listening tour” aimed at deepening engagement with American Muslim community institutions and leaders.
“Jews and Muslims are natural allies in the United States to fight bigotry against both groups and protect our shared democratic freedoms,” said Ari Gordon, AJC’s U.S. Director of Muslim-Jewish Relations. “As Americans, we must overcome mutual suspicion and work together for the common good of our communities, our country and our world.”
Greater Chicago is home to approximately 10% of the American Muslim population. More than 70 Islamic centers serve communities with diverse ethnic and national backgrounds.
The AJC delegation held substantive encounters with leadership of prominent groups in Chicago, including the Muslim Community Center, Muslim Education Center; The Mosque Cares: Ministry of Imam W.D. Mohammed; the Nigerian Islamic Association; and Suzy’s Place, a domestic violence shelter founded by Muslims.
Topics addressed included the joint fight against bigotry and hate crimes targeting Muslims and Jews, identifying and combatting misperceptions of the other within the respective communities, and navigating intercommunal challenges arising from different understandings of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Challenges and opportunities for Muslim-Jewish relations on campuses were discussed with Muslim chaplains and institutional leaders supporting Muslim students and interfaith relations in higher education.
In addition, the AJC delegation’s meeting with local Palestinian Americans opened a conversation about barriers to achieving a just and secure peace between Israelis and Palestinians and how to improve Palestinian-Jewish relations in the United States.
Roberta S. Baruch, Chair of AJC’s Interreligious Affairs Commission, led the 13-member group of AJC national and Chicago leaders who are involved with the leading global Jewish advocacy organization’s pathbreaking work in interreligious affairs…..