Rabbis, Priests, Imams, & Pujaris joined together in solidarity for a vigil at Jamaica Muslim Center in Queens, NYC. We said "No to Hate, Yes to Love" after the Christchurch attack in New Zealand that took so many beautiful souls. I had the honor of saying a few words. It was an emotional event. It is always so incredibly powerful when people unite and stress the idea that there is actual power in diversity. My message here, as usual, is our "common humanity." Via @ny1.
Let me be very clear, we need not to remember the Christchurch murderer. Deny what the terrorist wanted - attention for himself and his inhumane ideology. We need to remember the martyrs, the victims. Each of these souls had a story and those are the stories that we must humanize and uplift at this difficult moment, as I note on @trtworld. “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, Rest In Peace. Amen.”
It’s been a pleasure and honor to spend time with Imam Shamsi Ali, a leading scholar, interfaith activist, community leader, & director of the Jamaica Muslim Center in Queens, NYC. Born in Indonesia, Imam Ali is the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which are presented annually to American citizens whose accomplishments in their field and inspired service to the United States are cause for celebration. Muhammad Ali, the American civil rights icon and boxer, is the only other Muslim to ever receive the honor. Imam Ali and I (along with some of his friends) have talked about a range of issues over the last 24 hours including Abrahamic relations, the mixing of Islam and local cultures, transcending our perceived differences, leadership qualities, and Prophet Muhammad’s life and legacy. In a few hours we will hold a vigil at the Jamaica Muslim Center to honor the fallen in Christschuch, New Zealand. Here we are in his home. Can you feel the warmth and good vibes? We are “breaking bread” as Christians and Muslims should. Loving the hospitality. We are hoping to plan a trip together to Indonesia in the near future.
Now's a good time to remind you that "white men" didn't "create civilization,” as Tucker Carlson of Fox News claims. Far from it. Consider what we call "Islamic civilization." Immense progress in the fields of mathematics, medicine & philosophy (and much more). Largely made by Arabs/North Africans/Turks/South Asians, etc. Picture 1: Spanish Muslims of Andalusia were leading Europe in education & science when “Christian Europe” was in the Dark Ages. The “Great Mosque” (pictured) of Córdoba was the heart of their civilization. Look at the architecture! Picture 2: A North African Arab woman, Fatima al-Fihri, is widely recognized for creating the first degree granting university in the world - Al-Qarawiyyin (pictured) in Fez, Morocco. Picture 3: Ibn Firnas, an Arab Muslim engineer of “Muslim Spain,” constructed the first flying machine in the 9th century. Picture 4: Mohammad Abdus Salam, a Pakistani theoretical physicist, shared a Nobel Prize in 1979 for work on unifying electromagnetic & weak forces. I’m only scratching the surface of the contributions made by “Islamic civilization.” Tucker Carlson suffers from “historical amnesia.” His hatred guides his ignorance and vice versa.
It was a pleasure and honor to host the opening screening of “In Their Footsteps: An American Muslim Civil Rights Journey,” a short documentary showing the journey of 30 US Muslim activists and civil rights leaders as they travel through Alabama to learn more about the history of slavery, lynching, segregation, and present-day racism. Thanks to (left to right): Summar McGee (President of Rice’s Black Students Association), Rabbi Steve Morgen (Congregation Beth Yeshurun), Pastor Kimberly Orr (Windsor Village United Methodists Church), and Imam Mustafaa Carroll (religious leader and CAIR board member) for carrying out a fruitful and critical discussion. A powerful inter-religious evening! Thank you to all who made it possible, especially the Council on American Islamic Relations for making the film happen.
Wow great clip. Thanks for posting!
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