Religious leaders must stand up to hate

Re Anti-Semitism, the disease that refuses

to be cured: Opinion, Aug. 14 Rabbi Dow Marmur rightly speaks out against anti-Semitism and the rise of hate crimes against Jews. I share in his pain. We need our religious leaders to stay true to the spirit of our respective faiths — speaking truth and standing up for justice, even if it be against ourselves, our kith or kin, rich or poor.

I am not refuting that there are Muslims who are anti-Semitic, just as there are Jews who are Islamophobes. We have a choice: We can continue to let these few represent us or we can stand together and shun the extremists.

Canada has provided us with the opportunity to reclaim our kinship. Our history supports the fact that when Jews were persecuted, Muslims were also victimized — be it the Crusades or the Inquisition. The Holocaust was not perpetrated by Muslims — in fact, Jews were helped by Muslims and given asylum in Muslim countries.

In Canada, we have the freedom to stand up for the persecuted of the world. Leaders like Rabbi Marmur want to build bridges between the marginalized communities. We should help him against those who are promoting hate and misinformation about Jews and Muslims for their political end.

Our hearts should ache for every victim of hate, regardless of race or religion, because our traditions value truth and justice above all. Let us not fall prey to racial predators who hide among us. Shahina Siddiqui, Winnipeg