Interfaith bonds can make a world of difference
The situation in the Middle East is bringing together a mosque and synagogue in Thornhill
Though Islam and Judaism have arguably much more in common than either has with Christianity, their connection in our time isn’t as close as Christian-Jewish and perhaps even Christian-Muslim relations. One of the causes, we’re told, is the situation in the Middle East, specifically the tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.
However, as reported in the Canadian Jewish News (CJN) earlier this month, it’s precisely the situation in the Middle East that has brought together a mosque and a synagogue in Thornhill. They’ve been on adjacent sites for decades, but other than the use of each other’s car parks on special occasions and some polite exchanges, there doesn’t seem to have been much co-operation between them.
The situation in the Middle East, more precisely the turmoil in Syria, is bringing them closer together. They’re now raising funds to jointly sponsor Syrian refugee families.
Those who bring politics into interfaith relations anywhere in the world are doomed to fail. But those who bring interfaith relations into politics, even when it concerns the Middle East, stand a good chance of succeeding. Helping people in Syria is also helping Jews and Muslims in Canada to work together.
The CJN report carried a photograph of the federal Minister of Immigration John McCallum standing between Imam Hoseini Nasab of the mosque and Rabbi Cory Weiss of the synagogue at a meeting of members of the two congregations. The symbolic significance of the picture is poignant. It should encourage other synagogues and mosques to come together to help Syrian refugees and others in need, and thus also form closer ties with each other. Churches may wish to join. And they don’t have to be next-door neighbours to work together.
Canadians know better than most about fleeing from war zones and persecution to build a new life far away from home. In recent times, this has been particularly true of Muslims and Jews. Many are relatively new citizens who came here as refugees or immigrants. Reaching out to the victims of the Syrian tragedy is thus also a way of showing gratitude to the country they now call theirs.
To care for the stranger is a cardinal teaching in the three Abrahamic faiths. At the joint meeting in Thornhill, Rabbi Weiss quoted from the Biblical Book of Exodus: “You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt.”
Today, Syrians and residents of other states find themselves in situations akin to those of the slaves in ancient Egypt. They turn to countries like Canada in the hope of finding their Promised Land thus challenging us to live up to the lofty precepts we espouse as Jews, Christians and Muslims, and to learn from history.
In our time, Christian-Jewish co-operation, often inspired by Vatican initiatives, is being promoted from the top. Though many grassroots clergy and laity may have been opposed or indifferent, a new generation of priests and ministers has come to affirm interfaith relations as an authentic way of serving God. The dramatic and wholesome shift in Christian-Jewish relations is now also influencing other interfaith alliances.
This is particularly relevant for Muslim-Jewish relations because of the turmoil in the Middle East. But in the absence of central authorities, initiatives only come from grassroots. As a result, the process is much more arduous and the results less remarkable. Even seemingly marginal initiatives in places like Thornhill may help to shape the Muslim-Jewish interfaith agenda.
The effort is rather modest, yet the cumulative effect of congregations of God-fearing people coming together to save lives can make a world of difference. Dow Marmur is rabbi emeritus of Toronto’s Holy Blossom Temple. His column appears every other week.