The
Rockland Clergy forSocial
Justice's program drew about 50 people of various religions and ethnic
backgrounds to theIslamic
Centerof Rockland to
promote peace and harmony against a backdrop of intolerance they say has been
fanned by some presidential candidates.
AlthoughDonald
Trumpwas not mentioned
by name, his call for banning Muslim immigrants has been seen as a catalyst for
heated rhetoric since the Dec. 2 shootings by suspected terrorists who may have
been inspired by ISIS.
"When
text is taken out of context from any scripture ... they take it in a different
direction," said Azeem Farooki of the Islamic Center, in offering an
example of how theQuranhad been misinterpreted by
non-Muslims.
The clerical group came
together two years ago to fight for change in theEast
Ramapo school district, and some members had just returned from
Albany, where they heard apanel offer a slate of reforms for the troubled school
district.
"We're
here to say we do not support or condone any of the inflammatory, provocative
and incendiary rhetoric that encourages blatant discrimination of all Muslims
in this country," said the Rev. Weldon McWilliams IV of theFirst
Baptist Churchof Spring
Valley. "Any rhetoric that attempts to lump all people of one faith
together, rhetoric that attempts to apply the actions of the few and
extrapolate them to the masses of any racial, religious or social group has the
potential to produce an unfair, unjust and prejudicial outcome .... I want
everyone to see beyond the fear tactics that are being perpetuated."
Although
most said they hadn't witnessed signs of anti-Muslim sentiment locally,Syed
Aliof the IqraDarul
Ehsanmosque in Suffern
said he had heard of several incidents atSuffern
High Schooland other
schools.
"Any
time any class is targeted I think one the main things you should do, which all
the scriptures teach, is to be forgiving and to show the person who did this
that they are somehow catering to that internal demon that all of us
have," Ali said.
Rabbi
Paula Mack Drill of the Orangetown Jewish Center read a verse in Hebrew from
theBook
of Genesis. "It means simply that we are all cousins, we all come
from the same parents," Drill said. "Every single one of us in this
room, Jew, Christian, Muslim, we are all connected to each other. So much more
unites us than divides us."
Reached
Monday evening by phone, Ola Nosseir Rafeh of Briarcliff Manor, secretary for
the Islamic Center of Upper Westchester and a member of the AmericanMuslim
Women's Association, said she had done a presentation at the Ossining
Library titled "Islam 101." The talk took place on Dec. 3 — just one
day after the California shootings — but her talk had been planned as far back
as March.
Nosseir
Rafeh also has done interfaith presentations at theMaryknollcenter in Ossining and will
participate in a program atSt.
Paul's Episcopal Churchon
Ganung Drive in Ossining on Thursday at 7 p.m. titled, "Jesus and the
Virgin Mary in the Quran."
As a
woman wearing a headscarf, Nosseir says she has been a target for harassment a
handful of times in recent years — including one incident just two days ago in
Briarcliff Manor.
She
hopes an interfaith group she's forming to do outreach will help educate the
community.
Farroki,
of the Islamic Center of Rockland, blamed the politics of the some of the
presidential candidates for the uptick in hostility. "I think it's
completely a political transitory move," he said. "I know the people
of the United States. This is not in our character to be like this. It will be
over very soon."
County
Executive Ed Day did not attend the forum but issued a statement:
"Thousands of Muslims who live inRockland
Countyshould not be
maligned by the violent actions of a few. We live in a community where
diversity is our greatest strength. Together, we can defeat bigotry and ISIS by
strengthening ties with our Muslim friends, not alienating them with ignorant,
hateful statements."
Source: USA Today
