By Abdul Malik Mujahid
If you are involved in interfaith work, raise the topic of Islamophobia at your meetings. Stress the urgency for people of all faiths to address and condemn it, along with other forms of intolerance publicly.
- Pass a resolution equating Islamophobia with racism and anti-Semitism
- Develop an action planto mediate hate, anger, and fear with positive human relationships. The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions had a social media campaign called “Faith Against Hate.” ISNA had a campaign called “Shoulder to Shoulder.” Can your local interfaith community adopt any such programs?
(Muslims for Peace, Inc. (MFP), a tri-state organization committed to bridging the gap between people of different religious and ethnic backgrounds through various interfaith initiatives, released advertisements throughout Manhattan subway platforms as part of their #StopTheHate Campaign to counteract the recent rise of anti-Muslim hate in New York City and around the country).
- Call for a joint sermon against hate: for all places of worship against Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and racism.
- Form an interfaith delegation to meet guiding institutions: Interfaith groups must develop relationships with guiding institutions: media, elected officers, the school system, businesses. These relationships become a critical resource in times of crisis.
- Discuss Sharia in your interfaith dialog groups:This conversation will enhance your knowledge and prepare you for discussions on this topic. You will learn how Jewish Halakha Law and Catholic Canon Law are practiced in the U.S. At the same time, a Muslim speaker can share how Muslims practice Sharia here.
- Arrange a panel in a synagogue, church, and a mosque:It is not just interfaith dialog partners, but lay members of the community, who also need to know how to fight hate.
- Publish an article on Islamophobia:Request that interfaith partners publish an article about Islamophobia in their newsletters and post it on their church or synagogue’s websites and Facebook pages.
- When it comes to violence in Scripture, compare apples to apples.Verses from the Quran that speak specifically about Muslims defending themselves and their peace sanctuary in Madinah over 1,400 years ago when under attack by the pagan Quraysh tribe should be compared to similar verses in the Bible.
