Muslims Talk to Jews in Metro Detroit

December 16, 2006

Author: Aatif Ali Bokhari

Source: The Arab American News

http://www.arabamericannews.com/newsarticle.php?articleid=7045

DETROIT -- A group of local Muslim activists here responded to a number of questions put forth by the Metro-Detroit Jewish community this past week.

"In Our Own Words ... Muslim Voices in Detroit: Messages to the Jewish Community," took place at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills, Thursday night. A mostly-Jewish crowd of 200 participants attended the American Jewish Committee (AJC) sponsored event.

Answering questions was Najah Bazzy, a registered nurse interested in changing local medical providers' approaches to end of life issues; Ghalib "Victor" Begg, chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of America; Saeed Khan, a teacher of history and Near Eastern and Asian studies at Wayne State University; and Mohammad Mardini, imam of the American Muslim Center in Dearborn. Moderating the meeting was Rabbi David Rosen, AJC international director of the Department for Inter-Religious Affairs.

Rosen spoke first. He noted that "at a time when we seem to have the greatest dangers and threats, we have wonderful opportunities for communication."

The visiting rabbi added he was appalled that there were voices in the Jewish community who were against such interfaith rapprochement and gave the example of a rabbi who said that the "little finger of a Jew is worth more than the body of a gentile." He said that he was "embarrassed" about such comments, saying that they were made by fringe elements and that "unfortunately this is what gets TV ratings. If it bleeds, it leads."

Rosen said it was tragic that we could look back to a time when Jewish and Muslim communities got along better, such as during the golden age of Spain, stating that the atrocities that Jews suffered under Christian domination never happened under Muslim rule.