We are a not for profit organisation that is made up of British Muslims who believe that Anti-Semitism in all of its guises needs to be challenged. We also believe that Anti-Semitism can and usually does evolve and mutate into other xenophobic ideologies, whether this is Islamophobia or ideologies against migrants who have legally settled in the UK.
Islam at its core is about emancipation from ignorance and learning and social justice sit at its core. With this in mind we will work towards combating xenophobia and intolerance so that our Jewish brothers and sisters do not feel threatened or frightened because of who they are. Together, Muslims and Jews can also work towards combating some of the stereotypes and myths perpetuated against Muslims and Islam.
The website still seems a bit spartan, but the sentiment is very, very welcome. And let me say likewise that Islamophobia, inside and out of the Jewish community, is utterly intolerable as well.
This is how alliances are forged.
I think that Faith Matters are thoroughly decent people, and luckily are not completely alone in the British Muslim community (see the Qulliam Foundation, the City Circle, the Sufi Muslim Council, British Muslims for Secular Democracy, as well as all the interfaith initiatives like MuJu, Alif Aleph, etc.
ReplyDeleteThere are also many in the Jewish community in the UK keen to embrace these sorts of links, and the outgoing president of the Board of Deputies, Henry Grunewald, was particularly good on this issue.
Unfortuntaly, as you say, there is a lot of anti-Muslim racism too in the community.
It is good to have Muslims come against Anti-Semitism. But I have two reservations.
ReplyDeleteFirst, just as Jews and Christians have done to their foundational texts, are Muslims and in the context of this entry, Faith Matters and Muslims Against Anti-Semitism, willing to re-interpret the Koran and Haditha to truly eliminate the flagrant anti-Semitism present in those texts?
Second is their reference to the "Golden Age" of co-existence in Spain and else where. This co-existence never truly occurred and the continued denial of intolerance of Muslims to others is a poor indicator of any good intentions.