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Dear Chris ,
The plan to build a
mosque in the vicinity of Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan has predictably
brought out a fresh wave of Islamophobia and calls to move the mosque
elsewhere. Sadly, some of the Jewish organizations that are supposed to
oppose bigotry have placed themselves on the wrong side of the
issue.
The American Jewish Committee, tasked with promoting
democratic and pluralistic societies, has given its conditional approval
for the building the mosque as planned, but only after equating Islam with
terrorism.(1) The Anti-Defamation League--tasked with fighting
anti-Semitism, bigotry and extremism--has called for the Manhattan mosque
to be moved to a different location.(2) The Simon Wiesenthal Center,
tasked with confronting bigotry and racism, also opposes the building of
the mosque in its location.(3) Meanwhile it continues to build a Museum of
Tolerance on top of a Muslim cemetery in
Jerusalem.(4)
They are
failing us in Manhattan. They are failing us in
Jerusalem.
Jewish-American
political writer Peter Beinart looked at the ADL's opposition to the
mosque and connected the dots: "Indifference
to the rights and dignity of Palestinians is a cancer eating away at the
moral pretensions of the American Jewish establishment. Last Friday, in
the case of the ADL, we learned just how far that cancer has
spread."(5)
In their public statements, the ADL and the
AJC have counted the many ways they've come in defense of Muslims, be they
in the US, Bosnia, Germany, France-everywhere except Israel and Palestine.
They are unlikely to speak out if the Israeli Army follows through on
plans to demolish a mosque in Jenin in the Occupied West
Bank.(6)
Please sign our open letter to the leaders of
the Anti Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, and Simon
Wiesenthal Center, asking them
to denounce Israel's increasing violations of human rights, dignity, and
democratic values, including midnight raids on activists, media gag
orders, crushing nonviolent protest, and silencing
NGO's.(7)
These American Jewish leaders are too often
on the wrong side of issues and betray our Jewish values of truth and
justice. Their blind support for Israel's government is leading them to
engage in Islamophobia and support injustices, both here and abroad. We
deserve better.
Thanks,
Sydney
Levy
Jewish Voice for Peace
(1) American Jewish Committee Opposes Mosque
Too, Aug 3, 2010
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mj-rosenberg/american-jewish-committee_b_669424.html),
Build the Cordoba Center? Aug 2, 2010
(http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=6154567&ct=8552121¬oc=1)
(2)
The Mosque at Ground Zero, Aug 2, 2010
(http://www.adl.org/ADL_Opinions/Interfaith/Mosque_Ground_Zero.htm)
(3)
Call to the SWC, Aug 4, 2010.
(4) Petition to Save Palestinians'
Mamilla Cemetery from the Simon Wiesenthal Center's plans to Build over It
(http://www.juancole.com/2010/03/petition-to-save-palestinians-mamilla.html)
(5)
Hateful Ground Zero Hypocrisy, Aug 2, 2010
(http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-08-02/the-anti-defamation-leagues-ground-zero-mosque-hypocrisy/full/)
(6)
IOF gives demolition notices to a mosque and houses in Jenin, Jul 31, 2010
(http://www.globalpost.com/webblog/israel-and-palestine/iof-gives-demolition-notices-mosque-and-houses-jenin)
(7)
Take for example the case of Ameer Makhoul, a prominent Palestinian
Israeli human rights defender, who was arrested in the middle of the night
in front of his children, held without charges, denied a lawyer for 12
days, tortured, and then disappeared under a strict media gag order which
was partially lifted after widespread protest. You can read more about his
case in a letter we sent to the State Department last week
(http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11431.shtml). Many other cases
are documented here: http://theonlydemocracy.org/ for
details.
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