Members of the faith community of South County were disturbed, saddened and angered when we were made aware of a hate incident against our brothers and sisters in the Muslim community.
For Muslims, this is the holy month of Ramadan, a time of fasting and intense prayer. At the conclusion of a day’s fasting comes Iftar, the fast-breaking evening meal which is then followed by evening prayers.
This past Friday evening, about 9:30pm, some members of the Muslim community were targeted with a verbal and physical assault, shortly after the community Ramadan evening prayer service concluded. Two of the victims were an elderly man and his daughter.
A male perpetrator aggressively pushed and cursed at another elderly community member. Just prior to this, he also aggressively confronted a father and son who were walking to their cars, with the perpetrator asking the Muslim man, “Are you from Palestine?! Are you Hamas?!” When the father responded, “We are Americans, we are human beings,” the perpetrator yelled: “I love Israel!”
As a lover of Israel, I emphatically state that this is not the way to show either love or support. Judaism’s overarching principle is, “Love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).”
In South County we are particularly proud of the enduring relationships formed between the Muslim and Jewish communities. Even when we disagree with one another over Israel, our love for one another prevails. As Rabbi Faith Joy Dantowitz wrote, “Hate against anyone is hate against everyone. We stand united in support of our Islamic community members and against Islamophobia.”
This week (beginning Thursday night and ending Friday night), Jews around the world celebrate the holiday of Purim. During the holiday we tell the story from the Book of Esther, about the attempt to annihilate the Jewish people in ancient Persia. The lasting lesson of the holiday is that when difficult times arrive, we are called to act to remove hate from our midst.
Quoting Pastor Anita Warner, “The marginalization of any, and violence against any, especially in relation to their identity or perceived identity, is an assault against us all.”
It was abhorrent to us in ancient Persia; it is abhorrent to us today.
In the Purim story, the uncle of our heroine, Esther, tells Esther she must approach the king and tell him of the plan to annihilate the Jewish people. He tells us, “Perhaps it was for this very moment you were created.”
The interfaith community of South County keeps our Muslim brothers and sisters in our heart and prays for their protection from above and from each of us. Perhaps it was for this very moment that all of us were created, to work together to end hate.
May the day soon come when antisemitism, Islamophobia and hatred against any human because of their race, religion and/or sexual identity be eradicated.
Rabbi Debbie Israel is a founding member of the Interfaith Clergy Alliance of South County. She is Rabbi Emerita of Congregation Emeth and a community rabbi of Santa Cruz County. She can be reached at ra***************@gm***.com.
MUGSHOT in mugshots folder
Rabbi Debbie Israel
