We must stand with, protect Muslim community

On Oct. 27, three local Jewish congregations, Congregation Dor Hadash, New Light Congregation and Tree of Life or L’Simcha, suffered unimaginable violence at the hands of a hate-filled extremist. The congregations were targeted because their members are Jews and because they teach the scriptural commandments of loving one’s neighbor and of loving the strangers among us.

People from around the world and of every religious affiliation came to our aid and stood with us in our hour of need. In the aftermath of the massacre, we had hoped to see the end of hatred so vicious that it leads to the murder of innocents for no reason other than the manner in which they worship the Creator, the color of their skin is different or the country of their origin is far away.

We awoke Friday morning to the horror of Christchurch. Fifty Muslim lives snuffed out. Their apparent crime, reciting midday prayers. Our Muslim friends joined with us in mourning the loss of and injury to the victims of Oct. 27. Sadly, our positions are now reversed. Our hearts go out to these friends, as well as to the wider Muslim community. We make the following commitment to the Muslim community: We will stand with you, protect your mosques as needed, defend your right to worship as you choose and work to expose the heinous voices that seek to divide us by demonizing “the other.”

There must be an end to the events like Christchurch, Tree of Life and Charleston. Only when a sufficient number of Jews, Muslims, Christians and others join together to reject hatred and teach our shared humanity will there be an end to the violence. Let us pledge to set an example for our children so that they know such violence no more and their exposure to the word “massacre” is limited to the study of history.

JON PUSHINSKY AND JEAN CLICKNER

Highland Park